Shaka’s Head sandwich seller to BMW apprenticeship

Wiseman Mbatha used to sell sandwiches in the Ballito Business Park to make a living, now he is taking the first steps towards becoming a BMW technician.

Back track a few years and Mbatha was making his sandwich run to SMG Ballito.

He took a chance and asked if they had a position for him.

They did, and the ambitions young man was employed as a showroom assistant – he cleaned the floors and helped prepare the used cars for show. His work ethic saw him promoted to the wash bay.

But Mbatha’s always liked fixing things and the inner workings of the cars fascinated him. So he asked if he could embark on an apprenticeship to become a BMW technician.

“BMW requires that anyone wanting to do an apprenticeship must go for a psychometric assessment to see if they will be able to work on these advanced cars,” said dealer principal Paul Naidoo.

“Wiseman did extremely well in the test, so we appointed him as an apprentice and he will begin the four year training course in a few months.”

Mbatha will go to Midrand for around seven to nine weeks to attend the first level training. He will return to do his practical training at SMG Ballito, while also completing an exam for the first level.

For the time being, he is being prepared for his apprenticeship by gaining experience in the workshop under the supervision of a master technician.

“We do not want to send him to the training with no mechanical experience,” said Naidoo.

Mbatha is currently learning how to service a car, perform fault finding, and work with engines.

“I am very excited,” he said. “It is my dream to be a BMW technician.”

Mbatha lives in Shaka’s Head but the rest of his family is based in Eshowe. He visits them whenever possible.

“I know it will be challenging, but I am ready to face those challenges,” he said.

“Wiseman is doing very well,” said service manager Simon Oliver.

“He’s eager to learn and he takes pride in every task. You can see he is hungry for this.”

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