Like most of us, Lindokuhle Tshabangu (28) once believed all she could do was open and close a fridge — but with the help of the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA), she can now dismantle and reassemble one.
Tshabangu was recently part of a group of 32 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates who received specialised training in appliance repair. The training equipped students with advanced, innovative methods for using highly specialised technology to fix faulty electronic appliances.
“I was part of a team that was learning about big appliances such as fridges, washing machines, and stoves. I learnt how to deconstruct a fridge and assemble it again. This is something I never thought I could do. The only thing I knew about a fridge was how to open and close it,” Tshabangu chuckled.
Thanks to a partnership between the W&RSETA and ELARABY, an Egyptian company specialising in the manufacturing and distribution of electronics and home appliances, Tshabangu and other graduates recently spent a month in Egypt receiving training in appliance repair.
The W&RSETA aims to help these students establish small businesses and apply their newly acquired niche skills.
Tshabangu, a Civil Engineering graduate from South West Gauteng TVET College, said her confidence in starting a business related to electronics has been boosted.
“Even though I am a Civil Engineering graduate, I’ve always had a strong interest in electronics — because, as a civil engineer, you work closely with people doing electrical work on a structure.
“The W&RSETA allowed us to be part of the electronic technical world. We are now able to fix and repair appliances — something I never thought I could do. This has made me want to apply the skills I learnt in Egypt to the South African market. The W&RSETA enabled us to be proud of being artisans and to educate other young people that being an artisan is a good career.”
G20 and skills development
Between 2024 and 2025, the W&RSETA dispatched three groups — totalling 119 graduates and entrepreneurs — to Egypt, Turkey, and China.
W&RSETA Chief Executive Officer Tom Mkhwanazi said that with the Group of Twenty (G20) meeting coming to South Africa in November, it is important for the country to partner with other G20 nations in skills development.
“South Africa, from a skills development point of view, should leverage the opportunities with other G20 nations to upskill our young people. For example, China is one of the countries that has done well because of its investment in skills development. Our collaboration with China leverages the opportunities that come with both countries being part of the G20,” he said.
Another batch of 82 graduates, sourced from various TVET colleges across South Africa in partnership with the Chinese Culture and International Education Exchange Centre, was sent to China through a sponsored experiential learning programme by the W&RSETA. Their training focused mainly on e-commerce and entrepreneurship.
Furthermore, the W&RSETA spent R25.3 million on the graduates sent to China, R671,000 on entrepreneurs sent to Egypt, and R2.3 million on fashion design entrepreneurs sent to Turkey. This investment was made during the 2024/25 financial year, within the W&RSETA’s annual budget of
R2.1 billion.
Mkhwanazi emphasised that young people should consider careers in the artisan sector, which can contribute significantly to building the economy.
“In South Africa, we need to flip the trajectory in skills development. We have young people in universities who gain knowledge, but not the skill. We need the skills to solve many of the problems that South Africa faces,” said Mkhwanazi.
As South Africa commemorates Youth Month, Mkhwanazi encouraged young people to gain as many skills as possible.
“I would like to say to young people who have qualifications from universities and TVET colleges that they must focus on gaining skills, because skills will make them better people. Young people tend to focus more on the qualification. Work your way up — we all start somewhere,” he concluded.
For more information about the W&RSETA, visit www.wrseta.org.za
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