JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa’s automotive aftermarket sector is tackling a critical artisan skills shortage and soaring youth unemployment through Project Dineo, a groundbreaking initiative led by the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI). By uniting industry leaders, government bodies, and training institutions, the program aims to equip the next generation of mechanics and technicians while driving meaningful demographic transformation in a traditionally male-dominated field.
The Dual Crisis: Youth Unemployment and the Artisan Brain Drain
South Africa currently battles one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally, leaving thousands of young people without the necessary skills or opportunities to enter the job market. Paradoxically, the country’s automotive industry is simultaneously facing a severe decline in qualified artisans.
Nonhlanhla Tshabalala, Transformation and HR Director at the RMI, highlights that the shortage is exacerbated by a “brain drain.” Highly skilled South African artisans—such as fit and turners or diesel mechanics—are frequently recruited for lucrative opportunities in Dubai, Angola, and offshore drilling operations. Furthermore, the influx of foreign manufacturers often brings in imported engineering talent, further sidelining local job seekers.
Project Dineo was designed to solve both challenges simultaneously. By training unemployed youth and integrating them directly into the local automotive aftermarket, the RMI aims to build a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers who understand the local industry landscape and are less likely to seek employment internationally.
A Three-Year Pathway to Mastery
The initiative operates as a comprehensive three-year apprenticeship. The curriculum is structured to alternate between six months of theoretical classroom learning and six months of practical, hands-on workplace exposure.
Learners can specialize in various artisan streams, including panel beating, spray painting, motor mechanics, and diesel mechanics. Upon completing the three-year term, the goal is permanent absorption into the workforce, either by the host employer or through placement with other businesses within the RMI’s extensive network.
Crucially, the program removes financial barriers for participants. It is fully funded, meaning learners do not pay any tuition fees and are provided with a monthly stipend during their training.
To qualify, candidates must demonstrate a strong passion for the automotive sector. While a minimum of a Grade 10 education is required, the RMI strongly prefers learners with a Matric certificate. Additionally, proficiency in Mathematics is mandatory, with Physical Sciences highly recommended. The program actively targets students from technical high schools, a demographic that Tshabalala notes is often neglected and under-resourced.
Driving Transformation: Women and Rural Inclusion
Project Dineo is also making significant strides in demographic transformation. Despite the automotive sector’s historical male dominance, the program’s current cohort boasts a 50% female representation.
Dineo Mosia, HR Administrator at the RMI—who serendipitously shares her name with the project, having been a former learner herself—notes that the RMI actively hosts motor competitions specifically for girls to spark early interest in the field.
Furthermore, the initiative ensures geographic inclusivity. Rather than focusing solely on urban industrial hubs, the 300 enrolled learners for the current year are drawn from across the country. The RMI leverages its national office network to include candidates from regions that are typically overlooked, with practical training currently underway in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and Free State.
Strategic Partnerships for Guaranteed Absorption
The genesis of Project Dineo stems from the Motor Industry Workshops Association’s (MIA) “MotoMac” show, a long-running competition for technical high schools. Organizers realized that while the competition successfully identified talented youth, there was no clear pathway for what happened to the winners after the event concluded. Project Dineo was created to bridge that exact gap, prioritizing post-training absorption.
The initiative’s success relies on a robust coalition of public and private partners:
- MerSETA: The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority provides crucial funding for the mechanical engineering aspects of the project.
- TVET Colleges and Training Centers: Partners include the College of Cape Town, UXI (African Skills in the Eastern Cape), and PE College, which handle the technical and theoretical instruction.
- Harambe: This youth unemployment agency assists the RMI in mapping out potential candidates in various regions and leverages its own network of employers to facilitate job absorption for graduates.
Because the RMI is an employers’ organization, it holds a distinct advantage over other skills programs. By directly engaging its member businesses, the RMI ensures that employers are invested in the apprentices from day one, transforming the training process from a mere educational exercise into a direct pipeline for long-term, sustainable employment in South Africa’s automotive sector.