• 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 Leave a Comment

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

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation RIght Rail - Ad 2
Top Down Group
Apex Leather
  • Keyston Bros
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Premium Auto Fabrics
  • Hyde Leather
  • GAHH Automotive
  • Moore & Giles Ad 1
  • Albright's Supply

THR Favorites

The Hog Ring - How to Upholster a Steering Wheel

This is How to Upholster a Steering Wheel

Want to learn how to upholster a steering … [more] about This is How to Upholster a Steering Wheel

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Volkswagen Multivan Alltrack Concept

VW’s Multivan Alltrack Concept Hinge Seam

If you thought Faurecia’s flat-seam stitch … [more] about VW’s Multivan Alltrack Concept Hinge Seam

The Hog Ring - Auto Upholstery News - Brent Parker Motor Trimming Door Panels

Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 3

Over the last few weeks, we’ve followed … [more] about Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 3

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - JS Custom Upholstery

Shop Profile: JS Custom Interiors

In Just 10 years, JS Custom Interiors of Salt … [more] about Shop Profile: JS Custom Interiors

Why Are Detroit Books So Hard to Find?

One of the questions that we often hear auto … [more] about Why Are Detroit Books So Hard to Find?

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - 1974 Lamborghini Espada

Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 2

Earlier this month, Brent Parker of Brent … [more] about Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 2

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Dickies Unveils New Line of Leather Underwear for Upholsterers
  • Every Trim Shop Needs the E-ZEE Steering Wheel Jig
  • Did You Know World Leather Day is April 26?
  • The Genesis GV60 has a Crystal Sphere on its Console
  • Mississippi Auto Trim Shop Destroyed in Fire

Recent Comments

  • Jose Rodriguez on Convertible Tops in Any Color You Want!
  • Ty on Dickies Unveils New Line of Leather Underwear for Upholsterers
  • Eric Guzman on DIY Confederate Flag Truck Headliners
  • Adam on McPherson College Establishes New Scholarship Fund
  • Jack on Mississippi Auto Trim Shop Destroyed in Fire

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

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in