As South Africa marks Heritage Month in September and recognises World EV Day on 9 September, the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) is highlighting the critical role of artisan knowledge in preparing the automotive aftermarket for an increasingly electric future.
The transition to hybrid and battery electric vehicles should not be viewed as a choice between traditional mechanical skills and new technology, but rather as an opportunity to build on the strong foundation of artisan knowledge while developing the skills needed for tomorrow’s vehicles.
“Heritage is not only about what we preserve from the past. It is also about what we pass on to the next generation,” says Louis van Huyssteen, RMI National Training Director.
“In our industry, experienced artisans carry decades of practical knowledge – from fault finding and diagnosis to understanding how systems interact and making sound judgements when something goes wrong.
“These are skills we cannot afford to lose as the technology in vehicles changes.”
Apprenticeship growth and artisan numbers
RMI analysis of skills trends across 14 automotive aftermarket trades highlights both progress and a challenge for the sector. The number of apprentices in these trades increased from 1,764 in 2014 to 4,254 by May 2026, an increase of more than 140%. At the same time, the number of recorded qualified artisans declined from 15,936 in 2014 to 11,646, a reduction of about 27%.
Van Huyssteen says the figures point to the importance of ensuring that increased access to training translates into qualified, competent and employable artisans.
“We need to help more people successfully progress through workplace learning, assessment and certification and into sustainable employment,” he says.
Learning from experienced artisans
Van Huyssteen stresses that the workplace remains one of the most important classrooms in the industry.
“Meaningful workplace exposure allows young people to encounter real faults and repairs, learn from experienced people and develop the judgement and confidence needed to work safely and consistently,” he says.
Van Huyssteen says this is where experienced artisans become part of our living heritage.
“A textbook can explain a braking system and a diagnostic tool can produce a fault code, but an experienced technician can teach a young person how to bring observation, measurement, technical knowledge and judgement together to solve a real problem. That knowledge has been built through experience, and it needs to be shared.”
Preserving the principles, not the past
The RMI stresses that preserving artisan knowledge does not mean holding on to outdated methods simply because they are familiar.
Vehicles, diagnostic systems, materials, electronics and safety technologies have all evolved, and technicians have always had to adapt.
“What we need to preserve are the foundations of good craftsmanship. These principles are just as important on a battery electric vehicle as they are on an internal combustion engine,” says Van Huyssteen.
As the industry moves towards greater electrification, technicians will need to add new capabilities in areas such as electronics, diagnostics, software, battery technology and high-voltage systems.
High-voltage vehicle systems, in particular, bring additional safety requirements. Technicians need the appropriate training and competence, while workshops need suitable procedures, tools, equipment and personal protective equipment.
Earlier research undertaken by the RMI and Handwerkskammer Erfurt (HWK) with South African TVET colleges and automotive businesses found that almost 90% of participating TVET lecturers had not received specific training in electric and hybrid vehicle technology. A similar proportion agreed that there was a shortage of lecturers with electromobility expertise.
Priority training areas identified included battery technology, electric drive systems, high-voltage safety, EV diagnostics and hybrid systems.
“We cannot expect colleges to prepare young people for new vehicle technology if we do not also invest in the lecturers who teach them,” says Van Huyssteen.
Building recognised EV skills pathways
The RMI is encouraged by progress made by the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA), following approval by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) to continue the development of electromobility occupational skills programmes.
On 1 September 2026, merSETA held an online scoping and profiling meeting for two programmes: the Electro Mobility Hybrid Vehicle Technician Level 2 Skills Programme and the Electrically Propelled Vehicle/Battery Electric Vehicle Technician Level 3 Skills Programme.
According to Van Huyssteen, recognised skills pathways will become increasingly important as more hybrid and electric vehicles enter the South African market.
“Businesses need clarity about the training required for different types of EV work, technicians need a pathway to build their skills progressively, and customers need confidence that the people working on their vehicles are properly trained,” he says.
“Electromobility competence cannot be developed through theory alone. Practical, simulated and workplace learning are essential.”
Taking EV knowledge into the classroom
September will also see the next practical step in the RMI’s partnership with HWK Erfurt, with the first face-to-face EV training for TVET lecturers under the current partnership planned at Tshwane South TVET College in Centurion.
An EV specialist from the German Chamber of Crafts Erfurt will work directly with South African TVET lecturers, with the aim of strengthening lecturer knowledge, improving understanding of high-voltage safety and helping educators teach emerging vehicle technologies with greater confidence.
Van Huyssteen says international expertise must be applied in a way that meets South Africa’s own occupational requirements and the needs of local employers.
“This is not about simply copying another country’s model. It is about sharing knowledge and adapting it to our TVET system, our occupational requirements and the realities of South African automotive businesses,” he says.
The broader RMI and HWK Erfurt partnership supports lecturer development, technical training and closer cooperation between TVET colleges and employers.
The workshop remains central
The RMI believes employers also have an important role to play in ensuring that both traditional and emerging skills are developed.
Businesses can identify experienced artisans who are willing to mentor younger people, provide apprentices with meaningful workplace experience under proper supervision, support workplace exposure for TVET lecturers and release employees for training as new technologies emerge.
At the same time, businesses can prepare for electrification according to their specific needs.
“Not every workshop needs to become a battery repair centre tomorrow,” says Van Huyssteen. “The level of EV readiness should match the type of work the business intends to undertake.
“But every employer should be asking a simple question: what vehicles will be entering my workshop in five years, and are my people being prepared today?”
For the RMI, this is ultimately the link between Heritage Month and World EV Day.
“South Africa’s automotive aftermarket does not have to choose between its mechanical heritage and an electric future. We need experienced artisans who are willing to teach, employers who provide quality workplaces, TVET lecturers who understand new technology, apprentices who master the fundamentals and recognised skills pathways that allow people to build new competence as vehicles evolve.
“That is how we honour our automotive skills heritage – not by preserving it behind glass, but by putting it to work in preparing the next generation. The tools may continue to change, from the spanner and multimeter to the diagnostic computer and high-voltage battery, but the principles of skilled, safe and professional workmanship will not,” concludes Van Huyssteen.
