Affectionately known in the Mount Fletcher community as the "Mother of Broken Cars," Nosipho Kholutsoane celebrated a significant milestone on 17 July 2026, when she graduated as a Motor Mechanic at KSD TVET College in Mthatha. She was among 70 graduates who successfully completed the Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL) Programme, funded through the Eastern Cape Office of the Premier project, implemented by AIDC-EC and KSD TVET College. Importantly, Nosipho was one of only two women among the 70 graduates, making her achievement an especially powerful milestone for women in the automotive sector and a testament to the growing participation of women in traditionally male-dominated technical trades.
Nosipho's journey of fixing broken and neglected vehicles to becoming a qualified artisan is a powerful story of resilience, determination, and the transformative impact of skill development. She has dedicated herself to the restoration of vintage and unique vehicles through her business, Lereku Trading. Her work includes vehicle body building, motor body repairs, spray painting, and the restoration of classic cars. What started as a passion has grown into a business that has attracted attention beyond her community. Deutsche Welle has featured some of her work, while her restored vehicles have been hired for weddings, matric dances, shows, and other events.
Nosipho has faced scepticism from people in her community who questioned why she was investing her time in restoring cars. She has also experienced some of the realities confronting small businesses in the automotive aftermarket, including limited access to specialised equipment, financial management challenges, and difficulty accessing funding to purchase machinery and imported parts required to restore classic vehicles. After Nosipho responded to the Call for Interest to join the Automotive Aftermarket Support Programme in 2023, AIDC-EC identified the areas needing intervention to foster the growth and sustainability of her business. As a result, Lereku Trading received funding for tools and equipment worth R474,747.30 in 2025 through the AIDC-EC Tools, Machinery, and Equipment support programme.
While Nosipho had developed valuable practical skills through years of hands-on experience, obtaining formal recognition is not a mere certificate, but it is a formal recognition of the skills she has worked hard to develop over the years. This is an important step towards strengthening her credibility, unlocking new opportunities, and positioning her business for growth. As South Africa commemorates the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Women's March, Nosipho's story embodies what empowerment looks like in practice.
By investing in women's skills, recognising their expertise, and creating opportunities for them to thrive in traditionally male-dominated industries, programmes such as the ARPL initiative are helping women unlock their full potential, strengthen their businesses, and contribute meaningfully to the country's economic growth. For AIDC-EC, this achievement reflects the impact of investing in Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSME’s) and supporting the growth of the Eastern Cape's automotive aftermarket sector. Nosipho's journey is a story of resilience and a powerful example of a woman driving change, breaking barriers, and building a more resilient economy. The graduation is not simply the end of a programme; it is the beginning of a new chapter.
