Wired up and ready to grow
● A man from Theunissen in the Free State is willing to lend a hand to Eskom if they run out of bakkies ahead of their planned maintenance for the coming winter.
Sculptor Seun Diphoko, 45, started building wire cars for his children in 2013.
“I built them a bakkie and we went to play on the tar road that passes the township. People driving past stopped almost immediately and offered to buy it,” Diphoko told the Sunday Times on Thursday.
And so, a business idea was born. “I immediately realised that this could be a good business to help me care for my three sons.”
His handiwork was noticed by Volksblad newspaperman Charles Smith and word started spreading.
“Suddenly people outside Theunissen knew my name and orders started coming in,” Diphoko said.
Diphoko’s realistic models evolved into something truly spectacular as he gained experience in designing and building them. The newest in his stable?
Models of Eskom bakkies, so realistic a senior Eskom executive, when she saw a photograph of one this week, thought it was a real Eskom bakkie “with strange tyres”.
“I am here to help if Eskom needs more transport,” joked Diphoko. “There are two kinds of Eskom bakkies available. The standard one costs R650 and then there is one that is equipped with a Bluetooth radio so you can play music from your phone. That one is R1,100,” Diphoko said.
His skills don’t stop there.
“I have made model police vans, farm tractors, Toyota Land Cruisers. You name it and I will make it.”
He is also not limited to building small but realistic wire cars. “Five years ago people from Potchefstroom contacted me and asked that I build their daughter, Charné Strauss, her dream car — based on a working Lotus — that she could use to attend her matric dance. I took the car and added the wire and panels. So I built their ‘wire car’ for R18,000. They were very happy.”
Diphoko says he can build anything.
“It doesn’t matter what you need, bring me a picture and I will build it for you,” Diphoko said.
Charné’s father, Fritz Strauss, is a satisfied customer.
“We were very happy with Seun’s work. My daughter’s car really stood out at the 2018 Potch Gimmies matric dance. Seun was a pleasure to do business with,” Strauss said on Friday.
They had seen Diphoko’s work on the internet and approached him to make Charné’s Lotus dream come true.
“We asked him to take the Lotus and turn it into a wire car. Seun made the wheel arches, the bonnet and so forth using panels he made out of wire. We were so satisfied that we did business again with Seun when my son bought a small normal wire car from him,” Strauss said.
For now, Diphoko works from home but his biggest wish is to have his own workshop.
“I work outside, so when it rains I have to stop. It is very difficult to care for my three sons and expand my business. I often have to choose between the two and then my boys come first,” Diphoko said.
He builds his cars from wire and zinc sheeting.
“The inside frame is made of thick wire and I do the outside with zinc. I also use a welder and welding rods.”
At the moment, most of his sales are limited to the Theunissen area.
“I stand next to the road with my cars and bakkies, but my market is getting smaller and smaller. Everybody here who wanted one already has one. At month end, if I have the travel money, I take my stuff and stand at a traffic circle in Bloemfontein.”
Diphoko doesn’t know how many of his creations are gracing people’s houses in South Africa.
“It is not only people from Bloem and Theunissen who are my customers. People come from as far as America and the Eastern Cape.”
For now, Diphoko will keep on building as long as he is inspired and capable.
“Maybe someday things will work out so I have a workshop and staff so everybody can buy my cars,” Diphoko said.
● Prospective customers can call Diphoko at 064-049-0675 or catch him next to the road in Theunissen or Bloem.