A Man With No Engineering Degree Manufactures Off-Road Cars In Lesotho 🇱🇸

When it comes to car manufacturing, the Americans got Ford, the Japanese got Toyota, the Germans got VW, and in Lusoto, we got Truman. Are you an engineer? Actually, you can call me an engineer, but I'm not educated. I don't have those qualifications. What do you mean? Because I only started at seven, the primary level. Primary level? Yes. And with primary level education, you're building your own cars. Yeah, but that one is not about to be educated. It's a gift from God. Wow. Yes. This is Lusoto, and right behind me is a workshop that proves that Africans are capable. We can build any car. Okay. Yeah. There is a young man living in this country that everyone is telling me that I need to meet. He's building an all-terrain vehicle. It's 100% local. Not the cars that we take from South Africa. This one is 100% local. Locally produced by Lusoto. It means that cars that are being manufactured or built in here are just for African terrain. We are on top of the mountain, and it's driving comfortably, which means that he built this car because he understands the nature of his country. Sometimes Africans import cars to Africa that doesn't fit our topography, so it takes an African to solve the Africa's problem, and that is why I am here to celebrate African excellence. Are you manufacturing these cars or you're assembling? I'm the manufacturer because some of them are starting from scratch. Yes. You started the cars from scratch? Yeah, from scratch. I'm just buying, sometimes, the engines. What I can tell you, even the drive shafts and the CV joints, I've manufactured them as well. But what I can tell you, many of those who are manufacturing cars, they are not manufacturing those shafts, the springs, and what you call the control arm. They just take a control arm from other cars, and then they're going to make at least a different body, maybe. But I'm starting from how to manufacture the control arms, the CV shaft, the prop shaft. Yeah. You basically do everything by yourself? Yes. Are you an engineer? Actually, you can call me an engineer, but I'm not educated. What do you mean? Primary level? Yes. And with primary level education, you're building your own cars? Yeah, but it's not about to be educated. It's a gift from God. Wow. Yes. So God gives me the wisdom and thinking, so I'm using my brain to make these things. It's not all about to be educated. That's quite impressive. This is the first car you ever built? Yeah, the green one, the first one. Hey, that one was terrible, man, because there was a guy who came here. Actually, that guy, he's a pilot. Okay. I told him that there were still laying down just there by the protection area. Okay. He asked me, what are you doing here? I said to him, I'm making car. Are you mad? I said, no, I'm not mad, man. I'm inspecting the car. He said to me, there is a hospital, those people who are mad. If I can send you there, or I can take you there, I'm going to get that 300. This is my 300 that I'm going to get it, because I started to make, and then I started to make the car. So he came and then checked the structure from the beginning, and then, till it's a car, and he was surprised. He finally realized that you're not mad. How long did it take you to build this car? Actually, that one, it took 29 days. Actually, I was supposed to take at least 22 days, because the front suspension, it's all independent suspension. So that one, it's not easy to make it. Even the people who are manufacturing cars, they can be a witness to me that. So changes will be what I want. So that's why I took that day to learn this, because for this, I was cutting, drawing, cutting, failing, drawing, cutting. So you came up with this one? Yeah. How many cars have you built since that time? From that time, I've built about five cars. The white one is not here, it's back here. The small one, but the soft, soft, soft skin like the cars. You see on the road? Yeah, on the road. Before manufacturing your own car, were you doing something else? Before the idea came? Yeah, yeah. What were you doing? Actually, this workshop is a penalty workshop, but we are repairing the smashed car, the accident car. So some of them, actually you can see them, it was very, very bad accident. So we stripped them to zero. Chassis, we put it that side, and the body, everything, so that I've realized that when I assemble them again, I've realized that I can make it and then better. Than the manufacturers? Manufacturers, yes. And that is why you felt like you need to start building your own car? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is it expensive to build a car? Yeah, yeah, it's expensive because even the tires, almost 20,000 tires, a set of tires is 20,000. So you have to buy your own tires and engine and everything? Yes, yeah. So I buy the engine, I buy tires, and then I make the body the way I want. Yeah, so actually, let me explain this to you. Even Toyota, they are not building the engine. They buy the engine from the people who are going to manufacture the engine. There are so many things inside the car. There is a Bosch company, Lucas company, and so many, I can mention them. The other ones apply with the starter, the wiper motors. So the cars that you're building are all-terrain vehicles. What inspired you to build all-terrain vehicles in here? Because of my country, some other villages, there's no road to get there. And then the cars that are built, they can go wherever, even if there's no road. Is it going up? Crazy, man! Come in. We're coming. Yep, there we go. We're climbing the mountain. Wow! Unbelievable! Are you looking forward to building the same cars for the people in the country? Yes, I want to do so, even if it's outside the country. You're manufacturing a new car? Yes. Wow! I love the suspension. Like I've told you, see, this tire has never been run on the road. So this is like, you started from scratch? Yes, from scratch. I just bought the tires only. You just bought the tires and then you started working on the chassis? Wow, I love the suspension. Jeez, look at that! How long will it take you to finish a car like this? This one, I'm left with about maybe 20 days. So every day you work on it? Yeah, but now sometimes I pause and then make some things. Yes. So this is more like your production line? Yeah, this is a production line here. When you started building your own cars, that's when you started investing in machining? Yes, yes, I started to buy the machine. And then it took me a long time because there was no fund. Wow! Actually, the money that I was raising, it is expensive. Because this machine around here, it's about 4.5 million. Is the government supporting what you do? Yeah, no, now they started to come to me. Initially, they didn't understand it. For the first time, no, they were just silent. But now they came to me and said, what do you want? I told them, yeah, they are promising me some things. Maybe next time when I come, you will see the better things. Lesotho has got talent. Omer is the best. This is 100% local. Not the cars that we take from South Africa. This one is 100% local. Locally produced by Ossetian country. Wow! And that makes you happy, yeah? Very happy. I'm actually excited that I'm actually touching one of Narekume's creations. Like, it's beautiful. How do you feel knowing that it's from your country? I'm so astonished. I'm taken aback. Wow! Oh, wow! You teach students too? Yeah, some of them, they don't have parents. The parents have passed away. Some of them, they didn't finish the school. So that I say, you guys come here. I have only 37. You can make whatever. You've done? I've done. Because you also drop out from school? Yes, because you know what? Sometimes I get the people from the big schools and we have big qualifications. But when we go to the field, we will see that it's not... Yeah. Oh, okay. What are the things that you've learned so far since you've been here? For an example, I didn't have an idea for how to build a car. But since I arrived here, I learned a lot. Because actually, my teacher here, some of the project, he can bring it to other team members and me and deal with that project. Okay. So it's more like you are in school now. Yeah. But in a practical school, you know? Yeah, in a practical school. In a practical school. Yeah. I mean, you're done with... I'm still learning. You're still learning? No, I'm talking about like, you're done with high school or you... Yeah, I make a grade 10. You make what? Grade 10. Form C. Form C, okay. Yeah. Okay. Then I decided to come here and meet Mr. Makumere there. Okay. And I came here and teach me this incredible work. Okay. Yeah. So you're looking forward to build your own car in the future? That's what I'm trying to do. What kind of cars do you love? Most of the off-road cars. Off-road cars? Because if you can see our country, yeah, we deserve it. So... That's impressive, man. I love the fact that he said, if you look at our country, we deserve an off-road car. But this doesn't look like an off-road car. This looks like a sports car, man. Yeah, this one. We can build any car. Okay. Yeah. So this is a Lamborghini. Oh, okay. Okay. So that's how it is. So we are trained. We are trained because... That's quite impressive because, I mean, to know that, like, every car that you have out there can be built in here. That's what they're trying to prove. That's amazing. I feel like you need the support of the entire country to be able to make this dream a reality. Imagine cars from South Africa being built in Lesotho or cars from Ghana being built in Lesotho. All right, round of applause, man. I just love the cars that I'm seeing in here, man. It's like hard body, man. It's like rigid. Yeah. Like this is good for Africa, bro. And knowing that you did all this here. Yes. Nah, I need to say that. Congratulations, man. I really want to take the car to the road, you know. Okay. Oh, okay. Yeah. Because now it's summer. Yeah. Can you allow us to just strip it so that we put it in the summer of a kid? Oh. Because this one is... It's winter? Yeah, it's winter. So you can change it to summer? Yeah, yeah. I want that summer vibe, you know. Okay. Please change it out. Okay, no, they can't take a long time. Okay. Three minutes, they will... Yeah. Wow. Oh, this gives you the beach vibes, man. Do you have the ocean here? No. Or I'm just taking the car to the beach, bro. We don't have the ocean here. You don't have an ocean? This is giving you like some Miami vibes, you know. Yeah. It can also be covered. It can be covered if you want to cover it up. Like this is quite impressive, man. Impressive. Okay. Is it automatic? This is manual. Oh my goodness. They've literally dismantled the car. Yeah. Jeez. Okay. Yeah, yeah, that one, yeah. Yeah, it's like this. I just want my horn so bad. Off to Ghana, bro. You ready, man? Welcome to Lesotho, baby. You know what? You know what's crossing my mind right now? Imagine having your wife sitting next to you and just driving along. What do you call it? If you go to Cape Town, that's right where you can see the mountains and the beach next to you. What a perfect car. Hey, I'm taking it to Cape Town, bro. What inspired this particular car? Because it looks like a car that I've seen before. I was impressed with a G-Wagon 6x6. So they're not making a lot of them. According to what I remember, they make about 100 of those cars in Germany. Yeah, so even that one, that car is very expensive. It's more than 20 million rands. Wow. So you decided to build your own at an affordable price? Yeah. And it's even better than the one in the market. I would love to see these cars on the road. Okay. Can we take it on the road? Yes. I need to sit in one of the cars, though. So I want to know, you're fueling right now. Is it petrol or diesel? Petrol. It's petrol? Yeah. This one is automatic, right? Automatic. Yes, yes, yes. Oh, nice, man. Only two seats. Yeah. This is quite impressive, man. So as you can see, I'm fueling right now. You get a lot of fans on the road. Yeah. How does that make you feel? Great, man. People love you. Yeah, people love you so much. Look at this. So cool. Oh, man. It's good, man, to see a lot of people are happy to see me in life. Because some of them, they see me on social media. When they see me face-to-face, man, they are actually very much glad. Yeah, for sure. It's time to test drive one of the cars. All right. Oh, Lord! Can you close it? Yes, sir. Right. No, man, I'm glad because actually many people are from different countries. Yeah. They didn't think that there can be someone who can raise the car, who can make the car. So at least now I have been raised and then I'm the one of manufacturers. So I'm glad. Because even the one that I have manufactured is stronger than the one that is... Because I can see... You can see there's no road here, man. The Jeep doesn't come up. But you went up. Yes, because we have tested already with those cars, but I don't want to mention them. But this one beat them. What was the major challenge you faced building this car? The major challenge, I don't know, is to get the finance, man. Yeah, because everything I've made is from my pocket, man. Every car you've made is from your pocket? Yes. Are you looking forward to making cars for different people out of Lesotho? Yeah. So, yes, I want to send them to different countries, from Lesotho to all of Africa, and different continents, even to America, to Germany. Yes, because there's someone in England. He wanted to buy this car. I want to say thank you so much for talking to me.