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Like many car enthusiasts, he always wanted to get behind the wheel of a turbo-charged sports car. The Bugatti Veyron was Thembelani Zondo's dream but with a price tag of around R18 million, it was out of his reach.
The 22-year-old from KZN wasn't going to let that stand in his way, so he set to work and built his own car using recycled materials.
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When he told his friends, they didn't believe it was possible.
“I told them I could build a car and they laughed, saying it’s impossible,” Thembelani, who lives in the small town of Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal, recalls.
Ever since he was a child he dreamt of building a full-scale vehicle with a working engine.
“My interest began when I was in grade 4 and I created a small car using wires," he says. "It had headlights and a small engine to power it up.”
Years later, despite having no related training, Thembelani was certain he could build a replica of his favourite sports car from scratch and decided on a Bugatti Shark.
He didn't reference any pictures or videos when designing the car.
“The design comes from my mind. When I create something, I don’t think about it too much, I don’t plan it. I just jump into it and see how it goes,” he says.
It took Thembelani, who is currently unemployed, a year to build his car using material that he bought from local garages and workshops using his monthly social relief grant.
The bottom structure of the car was built using metal rods to give it stability and then wire and zinc sheets were used to create the bodywork.
The car's front exterior is gold in colour and the back is royal blue. The interior features African print upholstery on its doors and seats.
The two-seater includes a functioning radio and working front and black lights. The bonnet of the car can be opened using a remote.
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The car is powered by a petrol generator and can achieve a speed of up to 100km/h, but Thembelani plans to make it go even faster by fitting an engine to his car when he is able to afford one.
“I really hope someone will recognise my work and help me with money for an engine," he says.
@mrtech170 can you sponsor me with an electric motor ????sokphele wona amandla ????that thing is too weak??????............Mzansi??????
? original sound - thembelan
Thembelani grew up in a rural KwaZulu-Natal with his eight siblings. When his father, Bangumuzi Zondo (54) lost his job after being involved in car accident, the family fell on hard times.
In his teens Thembelani dropped out of school.
“I struggled a lot academically," he says. "I felt I was not being supported enough with my needs and that was causing heartache for my parents, who are both unemployed and have no source of income, surviving off my younger siblings’ social grants.”
His parents, Bangumuzi and Minah (44), have played a huge role in supporting his dreams and have helped him financially where possible.
“Leaving school was a blessing in disguise because it made me go back to my childhood dream to make a car that would fit a human being, which I have done using my R350 grant and my hands," he says.
“When people see my work on TikTok and even in my community, they get surprised and take pictures.”
Thembelani has already moved on to other inventions and is currently working on robotic machinery.
“I hope that in future I will have a big tech company that will come up with inventions to change the world and offer youth employment,” he says.
EXTRA SOURCES: DAILYMAVERICK.CO.ZA, GREATERGOODSA.CO.ZA
