Andries crafts bright future with bare hands

Andries Mgidi was still a schoolboy when he first picked up thatch. Working school holidays with his father and the older men in his community, he earned enough to buy his own school clothes. Those long days in the sun, handling materials, watching and learning, became the foundation of everything that followed.

Today, AMT Thatching Construction builds, repairs and maintains traditional thatched roofs and installs wooden flooring for homes and lodges across the country. It is a business built on skill, honesty and a craft passed down through generations.

Mgidi learned from his grandfather and his father, refining the techniques with each generation. There was no formal school for it. “You learn it at home. You learn with your hands and through experience,” he said.

What makes Mgidi’s business stand out goes beyond the quality of the work. He built AMT Thatching entirely through his own savings, job by job, budget by budget. “I never asked the government for funding. For every job, there is a budget, and that keeps us moving forward,” Mgidi said.

He employs eight permanent workers and takes two young people at a time through intensive six-month training periods. The goal is not to keep them. It is to release them. “Training cannot be rushed. They must learn properly so they can one day stand on their own. My goal is for them to start their own businesses. I want them to have a future.”

Experience has given Mgidi an eye that is hard to teach. He can look at a roof and foresee problems. “A master thatcher can see a leak before it happens. You learn where to check: the ridges, the valleys, the corners.”

He is direct about the shortcuts he sees others take. “Some people rush for money and ignore instructions. They use the wrong materials, and homeowners end up losing a lot of money when the roof fails.”

His roofs use treated poles certified to South African construction standards, first-grade thatch and a two-layer system that improves durability. 

The road to building that reputation was not smooth. Starting out, Mgidi faced discrimination, harsh conditions and long stints far from home. “There were times I was treated badly and worked in the rain while being insulted. But those experiences taught me strength,” he said.

He’s committed to customer service and a job well done. “When the customer is happy, that motivates me. When the job is finished properly, I know it was worth it.”

To young people looking for a foothold, his advice is plain: “Be patient. Be honest. Ask for work properly. Do not steal or lie. Show your skills, your passion and someone will recommend you.”

For more information contact andriesmaliwa@gmail.com