"Ayeye Our Own!": Self-Taught Car Builder Tembalani Flies to China for Hybrid Vehicle Training

• Tembalani, a 25-year-old South African who built a car without any formal training, travelled to China for a hybrid vehicle technology course
• The young inventor is representing South Africa among Belt and Road countries at the training programme
• Proud South Africans on TikTok celebrated the news, calling Tembalani the country's very own Elon Musk

A 25-year-old South African inventor who built a car with no formal training has landed in China for a life-changing opportunity. Tembalani is now representing South Africa at a short training course focused on hybrid vehicle technology, offered to Belt and Road countries.

The news was shared on 10 November by TikTok creator @liferesetwithboni, who broke the update to followers in an enthusiastic outdoor clip. She credited Dr Nkosazana Zuma for helping make the opportunity happen, thanking the public for sharing Tembalani's story widely enough to get him noticed.

Tembalani first caught public attention for assembling a functioning car entirely on his own, without qualifications or institutional support. The achievement drew comparisons to global tech pioneers, with many South Africans online dubbing him "our own Elon Musk," a phrase that even appeared as a reply banner in the video by @liferesetwithboni.

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The China trip marks a significant turning point for the young man, who had previously operated without the backing of formal institutions. His selection to represent South Africa at a programme involving Belt and Road nations signals growing international recognition of his talent. Watch the TikTok update on Tembalani's China journey:

Mzansi reacts to opportunity in China

South Africans flooded the comments section with pride, excitement, and a few pointed observations:

@followerandcommenter warned:

"They are going to take his designs and make them their own."

@mzukulu kaMakathini wrote:

"Finally we will have a car that is ours in our country."

@Bongs_boss23 joked:

"From China he's going to America to become an American citizen."

@Jackson 5 said:

"The KZN government did nothing for this young man; China has already seen him. We congratulate the young man. KZN useless government."

@Ngubane_ reflected:

"Only for him to come back and work for someone when he could literally start something new. Eyy madoda." (Eyy guys.)

Creator @liferesetwithboni herself replied:

"Thank you, guys! Our Elon Musk is in good hands!"

@Mandisa added:

"Ayeye our own! Germany was found shaking."

Other Briefly News stories on academic rigour abroad

• A South African postgraduate student living and completing her master’s degree in Ireland (@southernjewel_) sparked widespread debate after arguing that local universities put students through unnecessarily punishing testing regimes compared with those at international institutions.
• Alex Mzizi (@alexmzizi24) went viral after sharing his journey from South Africa to securing a hospitality position on Marco Island, Florida, directly challenging the common stigma attached to tourism and hospitality qualifications.
• A South African student named Faith (@faithzoe) gave viewers an inside look at her student living arrangements in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, highlighting the contrast between local and international student housing.

Source: Briefly News