Africa-Press – Eswatini. Mlandvo Dlamini never planned to work a 8 to 5. From the start, his dream was simple, to run his own business. Now at 25, that dream is still alive and he’s working seven days a week to make it happen.
After completing a motor mechanic course at Manzini Industrial Training Centre (MITC), Mlandvo struggled to find clients. “As a junior mechanic, it was hard getting customers,” he says. “I’d sit around waiting, and that’s when I knew I had to do something else.”
That something else came unexpectedly. While visiting friends at their carpentry workshop, Mlandvo started observing their work then slowly joined in. “I learned just by watching. Eventually, they brought me in as a partner.”
Today, he spends weekdays in carpentry building beds, wardrobes, and kitchen units. Come the weekend, he switches gears and goes back under the hood. “Most of my mechanic clients are only free on weekends, so I fix cars on Saturdays and Sundays,” he explains.
It’s not an easy schedule, but for Mlandvo, it’s worth it. “My partners support me. If a customer calls with an emergency, I just let them know and they understand.”
Carpentry might be the side door that kept him moving, but Mlandvo has not lost sight of his main goal. “I still want to open my own motor mechanic workshop. That’s the dream I’m working towards.”
His story is more than just about skills it’s about mindset. “I never wanted to be employed. I wanted to create something for myself,” he says. “To the youth out there know what you want and stick to it. Handwork is powerful. If you get a chance to learn a skill, put in the effort.”
From furniture to engines, weekdays to weekends, Mlandvo is proof that with focus, hustle, and heart, you can build your future one skill at a time.
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