• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Sithole’s Upholstery: Building a Dream

February 16, 2017 By Nadeem Muaddi

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Sitholes Upholstery

For 30 years, Ratsela Sithole, a second-generation trimmer in Lobatse, Botswana, has been upholstering everything from office chairs to car interiors using only a manual sewing machine.

“I started learning this job from my father back in 1987, he later passed on in 1998 and I ran the business from there because I was then a professional in upholstery,” he recently told Pauline Dikuelo of The Monitor.

Ratsela, who operates Sithole’s Upholstery from his home, says he never received formal training or financial assistance to launch his business. Nevertheless, his work is in high demand.

“I have enormous experience in this field and I have been in Lobatse for quite some time now. I now have a well established market and despite the fact that I operate from home, I am doing well. … The job is bringing food on the table as sometimes I do bulk projects,” he said.

Ratsela’s story doesn’t sound all that different from others in our industry — until you consider that he works in a poor African country with limited access to tools, supplies and fabrics.

“I also have a serious problem of machinery… I only use machines that I could afford to buy. These are manual machines and they take the whole time to complete a single piece of a job,” he said.

From the looks of it, Ratsela runs his upholstery shop on an antique Singer treadle sewing machine. With equipment like that, can you imagine how much time and effort goes into a single car seat?

Still, Ratsela is hopeful. He dreams of one day moving his shop into an industrial space and hiring employees. Of course, he’s also saving money for a new sewing machine.

With a work ethic like his, we have no doubt he’ll get there.

Check out The Hog Ring‘s “Shop Profiles” section to learn more about other auto upholstery shops.

Filed Under: Archive, Shop Profiles Tagged With: Africa, Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Ratsela Sithole, Sithole's Upholstery

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Albright's Supply
  • Big Z Fabric
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Keyston Bros
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • Hyde Leather
  • Leather Craft

THR Favorites

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - RPUI

Talking Shop: Restoration Parts Unlimited

Surely, every auto upholstery professional … [more] about Talking Shop: Restoration Parts Unlimited

The Hog Ring - How to Sew Aston Martin Rapide Diamonds A

How to Sew Aston Martin Rapide Diamonds

Traditional diamond pleats too easy? Try … [more] about How to Sew Aston Martin Rapide Diamonds

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Customs by Vos

Shop Profile: Customs By Vos

At just 32 years old, Dave Vos has already … [more] about Shop Profile: Customs By Vos

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Rexel Pneumatic Lifting Table

Dream Garage: Pneumatic-Lifting Table

This is the first in a new series of articles … [more] about Dream Garage: Pneumatic-Lifting Table

The Hog Ring - 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers

6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers

Everyone that calls your auto upholstery shop … [more] about 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Ringbrothers

10 Questions for Ringbrothers’ Mike and Jim

Mike and Jim Ring of Ringbrothers are skilled … [more] about 10 Questions for Ringbrothers’ Mike and Jim

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Heated Headliners and Carpets are Coming
  • 10 Crazy Steering Wheels We Want to Wrap
  • Thread Month Is Underway at Keyston Bros — And It’s Sew Much Fun!
  • Trimmer Jesse Collier Dies at 57
  • The Genius Philosophy Behind Maserati’s Interior Design Choices

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in