At Hyundai Bellville in Cape Town, a 21-year-old apprentice is quietly building an impressive track record.

Lathitha Mbambo began her apprenticeship in June 2025 and has already serviced more than 800 vehicles, averaging around 100 per month. Even more notable is her zero-comeback record. In dealership terms, a comeback is when a vehicle returns due to an unresolved issue after a service. It is one of the clearest measures of technical accuracy.

Maintaining a zero-return record across more than 800 vehicles is rare for any technician, especially a first-year apprentice.

Mbambo says her approach is simple. Every vehicle represents someone’s safety and trust, so she treats each one as if it were her own. Signing off on a service means being confident it will not return with a fault.

Servicing 100 cars a month requires mechanical knowledge, time management and careful attention to detail. In a busy workshop, small mistakes can quickly become larger problems. Avoiding that consistently speaks to focus and discipline.

Her story also reflects a broader shift in the industry, where more young women are entering technical roles and proving that skill and precision matter far more than stereotypes.

For Mbambo, the principle remains straightforward: do it right the first time.