All Episodes

August 26, 2025 12 mins

Relebogile Mabotja speaks to Reneilwe Masoga a Motor Mechanic joined by her mentor  Nico Lagidze the Owner of Merc Auto unpacking how Reneilwe’s dream of becoming a doctor was cut short when she couldn’t afford medical school, despite passing matric. Instead of giving up, she took a job as a cleaner at a vehicle repair workshop in Rivonia. There, the workshop owner, Nico Lagidze, saw her determination and decided to train her as a mechanic. Today, Reneilwe  is now a fully-fledged motor mechanic as one of the youngest female mechanics in South Africa. 

702 Afternoons with Relebogile Mabotja is broadcast live on Johannesburg based talk radio station 702 every weekday afternoon. Relebogile brings a lighter touch to some of the issues of the day as well as a mix of lifestyle topics and a peak into the worlds of entertainment and leisure. 

Thank you for listening to a 702 Afternoons with Relebogile Mabotja podcast. 

Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 13:00 to 15:00 (SA Time) to Afternoons with Relebogile Mabotja broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj 

For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/2qKsEfu or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/DTykncj 

Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc 
 
Follow us on social media: 
 
702 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 
702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 
702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 
702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 
702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Seven o two the Car feature fifteen minutes two three
o'clock time for our car feature on seven oh two
afternoons and I am so excited. We are doing Women's
Month big here on the show today in our car feature,
we are chatting to South Africa's youngest female motor mechanic.

(00:21):
Let me say woman, female is like objects? Now we're
gonna say woman motor mechanic. Her name is Rinelo Marsoja,
who's a motor mechanic. And we're also joined by Nico.
Is it like Gidsey Larizzi? There we go, mentor and
owner of Merk Auto. Your calls on oudible ONEA three
or seven o two in the WhatsApp line Oh seven two,

(00:43):
seven oh two one seven o two, Welcome to the show.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
How are you doing?

Speaker 3 (00:47):
I'm doing well?

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Thank you, I'm doing well. How did you even get
into the space?

Speaker 4 (00:54):
Oh?

Speaker 5 (00:55):
I was a receptionist. I first started by being a receptionist.
Then as time goes on, I started to have more
interest in how things work, and so I just started
seeing what they're doing and became more and more interested,
which billed me to.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Have the love of cars.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
So how old are you now?

Speaker 6 (01:16):
Right now?

Speaker 3 (01:16):
I'm twenty years old.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Oh my goodness, okay, and I mean there are It's
not to even say that there aren't women who have
a love for cars. There are many women who have
a love for cars. I have a love for cars,
but I have zero desire to be underneath one. And
I have to ask from your side, Nico, you know

(01:39):
what does it take for a person to be able
to be a mechanic, Because you get people who talk cars,
and then you get people who maybe are sort of
car lovers and junkies. But you don't get people who
want to understand, you know, like those who dismantle a
watch and then.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
They want to put it back together.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
They don't necessarily want to understand how the power to
work and physically do it themselves.

Speaker 7 (02:02):
Number One, they have to love the world. They have
to do it like you love your job. Yes, they
have to love it what I do, and especially with
that in a way I find out or she's always
watching me what I'm doing. Anything is watching everybody what
I's doing. As soon as I check it, okay, she's
maybe come see what you can do with her.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
So yeah, so the job.

Speaker 7 (02:23):
More and more difficult and more difficult, and she's improving
every day, every single day, she's improving.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
What are some of the things that you you know,
started by teaching her to do, because I know there's
the joke about can you change a car?

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Higher?

Speaker 1 (02:40):
There are the basics that we all need to do,
and then there are things that are mechanic level, which
you're able to see what's wrong with the car, You're
able to diagnose and maybe also have like a treatment
plan and you know what to do after that.

Speaker 7 (02:54):
She's actually started that we did diagnosing the vehicle and
find the problem the vehicles in the Deep eight. No,
just that they teach you how to change the tires. Yes,
she's already like finding the problems. Most of the people
cannot even know where to start with.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Yes, yes, Renello, chat to me about one of the
first challenges that you took on as a mechanic.

Speaker 5 (03:23):
Okay, one of the first challenges that I took on
was diagnosing a vehicle without fully understanding the fault code.
And you have to explain to the customer that this
fault code means this and that and that.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Oh so just I want just to make sure we
all understand.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
So when you say the fault code, you mean whatever
the car is telling you.

Speaker 5 (03:44):
Yes, whatever the car is telling you. So that's one
of my that's one of the things I found. I
did find difficult, not exactly not knowing what the fault
code means, but being able to understand in the language
that the person will not in the language of cars.
So that's the most difficult things. And knowing that when

(04:05):
you understand, when you explain that, it has to come
obviously the customer.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Is going to ask questions, then what is this? Then
what is that?

Speaker 5 (04:13):
And you have to further explain to the customer what
it really means. So mostly it's it was explaining at first.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Okay, And it does that mean you are at a
stage or have to be at a stage because many
of us never read our car manuals, like we just don't.
You're excited, you have your car and you drive. Does
that mean you have to get to a level where
you almost know what car manuals say and the different
makes and the different models Like you mentioned now, fault code,

(04:43):
we know it won't be the same and afford as
it is in a Mercedes, in an Audi, we know
some of them are simple similar, but sometimes there's an
engine light that goes on and that could mean anything, Yes, yes.

Speaker 7 (04:58):
That yeah, calld it going over from it or she's
have to Now it's not like, for example, carme is firing,
I can tell the customer or charage is firing.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
What that doesn't mean?

Speaker 7 (05:10):
It doesn't know, No what the costerm is fired? She says,
to diagnose even date what the cause of it?

Speaker 2 (05:17):
Oh? The cause of it?

Speaker 7 (05:18):
Yes, yes, yes, And in the beginning she's really struggled
with date.

Speaker 6 (05:22):
Okay, no, now she's very good.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
Please stay with me. What does the car as firing mean?

Speaker 5 (05:28):
Oh, it comes and mostly it's checking. It's like it's vibrating. Yes, yeah,
so mostly it might be caused by technician coil, the
spark plug, or maybe the car doesn't have compression.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
Okay, And how do you start mastering the different brands?
Even though some things we know, like we say, you know,
petrol not getting to the petrol petrol tank is the
same in every car, as in the concept where why
is the gauge empty but I've poured petrol.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Oh, maybe the petrol's not getting to the tank.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
Right, that straightforward, But some cars have such unique features.
How do you train yourself up? Is it by just
doing different cars. Or do you also sit online and
read and watch videos?

Speaker 5 (06:12):
Mostly yeah, okay, mostly I learn from my colleagues, but
mostly yeah, YouTube.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
I do watch YouTube. I don't want to lie.

Speaker 5 (06:19):
I learn most things in YouTube because I don't know
what I'll do without my phone network. I do watch YouTube,
and I also ASKIPT.

Speaker 3 (06:29):
It helps a lot, Nico, Why.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
Are you laughing?

Speaker 1 (06:33):
Nicole's laughing because you guys are the new generation, right, Nico,
tell me how you did it in your era because
there wasn't a YouTube video Google.

Speaker 8 (06:43):
No, I don't even know how to use anyway that
simply experience assembly and learn from your mistakes.

Speaker 1 (06:55):
Yes, yes, What is the challenge that you have found
that she might face by relying on technology?

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Because I see it with you know.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
I'm in the TV space, so it's like camera operators
and things like that. There are some things that you
learn from experience, like what to you see? My technical
producers here, he from.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Experience will know what to listen for.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
That's something maybe YouTube can never teach you. And that
comes with experience to say, oh, I'm gonna level and
fade and do this here. This case is sitting this
far away from the mic this. This is I'm gonna
balance it. But what are the challenges when it comes
to being a mechanic that you have seen? Okay, this
is something the internet is not gonna teach you.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
You just have to start doing.

Speaker 7 (07:43):
It from youngsters where I'm calling them youngsters. Okay, that
experience that over, that's gonna come the time. They're gonna
know themselves. They don't have to watch it. Yes, made
me Sometimes I'm shouting always on the phone. I don't
understand why they're on the phone.

Speaker 4 (08:03):
Okay, now I know why they're on the phone all
the time, and maybe I'm going to take the phones
out out of them.

Speaker 6 (08:14):
Not lame themselves.

Speaker 7 (08:15):
It's not somebody what tells you, well, that's not all
the time.

Speaker 6 (08:20):
YouTube doesn't. I don't know, you know what.

Speaker 7 (08:22):
I don't like the customers with the YouTube okay, tells
you do you have to do dating? Like you don't
have to do da YouTube doing that the same I
find out the first time.

Speaker 5 (08:33):
Okay, YouTube it makes yeah, and it makes it look simple.

Speaker 7 (08:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (08:39):
Sometimes I feel like it makes it look simple. And
some people they just want likes and followers, so they're
just going to tell.

Speaker 3 (08:46):
Something, tell you something that is not.

Speaker 5 (08:47):
They when you try to do it their way, then
you're just messing everything up.

Speaker 1 (08:52):
So you see them on their phones and you're like,
you guys are not working.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
She's like, I am working. Are you looking for the
answers on shed? If you?

Speaker 6 (09:00):
She knows.

Speaker 2 (09:09):
Chat Bits knows everything.

Speaker 1 (09:11):
Yeah, Nico's motified and studiom. I tell you his face
test turned red. He is so traumatized by Chati.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Let's talk about you know.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
The the very unique models of cars that are not
made anymore, your antiques and things like that.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
What is your approach and how do you teach them?

Speaker 1 (09:31):
A young person who let's say, does not even remember
what that bug Beetle was like that that car that
took so many of us around where you know? Do
you know that in a Beetle you could touch the
other driver's foot while they're driving?

Speaker 2 (09:48):
Yes, you could.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
You could literally put your leg over and press the
brakes from that because there was.

Speaker 6 (09:58):
No middle between.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
Okay, yes, yes, but maybe share with us. How do
you teach then those types of things?

Speaker 6 (10:06):
Okay? I have a few of the old ones myself. Okay,
I enjoy it and mostly are working on them.

Speaker 7 (10:11):
Yes, new generation mechanics I can call them new generation
mechanics doesn't even know nothing about it. Yes, like even agents,
agents themselves. They don't want to take the old vehicles
like moder than ten years old, yes, modern ten years old.

Speaker 6 (10:26):
Yes, they simply they don't want.

Speaker 7 (10:28):
Yes, mechanics, which are the employment now they're teaching them.

Speaker 6 (10:32):
They're only teaching them only.

Speaker 7 (10:33):
Brand new vehicles. Yes, you know, old vehicles, even themselves.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yes, and that's why it's becoming such a specialty to
do that. So maybe quickly help me understand what would
be the advantage of being a mechanic who's a woman,
Because physically, you know, we might not be as strong,
but maybe there are things that we do and see
that men might not have an advantage yet.

Speaker 7 (10:58):
Okay, few, yes, double tasking. You can multitask women better
than men, I can say proudly. Okay, yes they're strong.
Your girls are strong anyway, right, that's everything in the mind. No,
my nails are breaking. No, it's not about the nails. Okay,
just pick it up.

Speaker 6 (11:16):
And do it.

Speaker 7 (11:17):
Yes, women can do anything what they want to do it.
That's nothing stopping nobody, that's in their brain.

Speaker 2 (11:26):
I love that for us.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
What would you say to the young girls and parents
of young girls listening, they why should they consider doing
what you're doing?

Speaker 3 (11:36):
Well, firstly, working on a car, it's very nice. I
don't want to lie.

Speaker 5 (11:40):
And secondly it's reflex to be a girl and to
know your car like ap to that it's like it's
t And thirdly, i'd say that if you know that,
you're a problem solver. If you know that, if you
see the problem, you just you just want to be interested.
I really recommend you to join the car industry and

(12:01):
sometimes don't just don't care about your nails or anything.
They nails don't won't get your bills paid. That's what
I can say. It won't get your bills paid.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
And the advantage is when you're with your men and
something happens, you can say, don't.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
Worry exactly yeah.

Speaker 6 (12:22):
About it.

Speaker 5 (12:22):
And I would say that the biggest flex is finding someone.
Start at the robots and you are assisting yourself as
a woman. You're going there and saying I know this,
I know that. I think that's the biggest flegs.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
And as find on the socials, Rene Maso motor mechanic,
she is young and she's a woman.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
Nico.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
You are doing the things that we need men and
society as a whole to keep doing for young women.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
Thank you for your time.

Speaker 6 (12:51):
Thank you
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

The Bobby Bones Show

The Bobby Bones Show

Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.