From township hustle to Sandton supercars: Inside the rise of Tobela Cars

Tobela Cars founder Tobela Bonga and manager Mbuyelo Ratidili share how they went from selling vetkoek and washing cars to running a thriving multi-million-rand luxury dealership in Sandton.

By Zuko Komisa

Stepping into The Leonardo in Sandton, the first things to catch the eye are gleaming Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Bentleys.

Behind this proudly Black owned dealership are two men whose journeys began worlds away from Johannesburg’s financial hub: founder Tobela Bonga, who once sold vetkoek (fat cakes) on the streets of Khayelitsha, and dealership manager Mbuyelo Ratidili, who got his start washing cars in Soweto.

Speaking on Kaya Breakfast with DJ Fresh and Thato on Stuff About Stuff, the pair unpacked how street smart hustle and an eye for value are fuelling their success in South Africa’s supercar arena.

For Bonga, the road to Sandton involved weekend grafting alongside his mother in Cape Town before moving through furniture retail, real estate, and stints at premier marques like Ferrari, Bentley, and Lamborghini. Ratidili’s path was equally self-made. After launching a car wash in Sandton for lunch money, Rich Dad Poor Dad inspired him to enter real estate while still in matric, where Bonga spotted his drive and recruited him.

“From the real estate background, I was doing luxury property, so it wasn’t really a big jump,” Ratidili explained.

“It’s the same clientele, selling the same sort of product at the end of the day it was just that you don’t sell a house every day.”

While traditional luxury brands face economic pressure, Tobela Cars thrives in the pre-owned market.

Discerning buyers from doctors and lawyers to tech entrepreneurs prefer letting the first owner absorb steep depreciation while still enjoying a prestigious badge. Naturally aspirated engines, like V8 Ferraris and flat-six Porsches, are currently in high demand as collectors seek out classic combustion models ahead of the shift to electric vehicles.

“A lot of people don’t want to really take the hit on buying a brand new car,” Ratidili noted.

“Some people will just be like, let me get into a car that’s taken most of its depreciation already, but the badge is still worth something.”

Breaking into a historically traditional industry as young Black entrepreneurs has worked in their favour, attracting a diverse client base. Blending Bonga’s eye for classics and fine art with Ratidili’s pulse on modern performance vehicles, the duo carefully balances inventory through outright purchases and consignments.

For aspiring supercar buyers, Ratidili shared one golden rule: ensure your income covers three to four times the monthly instalment, plus insurance, maintenance, and fuel.

“Never stretch yourself to get into a car that you cannot afford,” he cautioned.

From humble beginnings to curating multi-million-rand machines, Bonga and Ratidili prove that product knowledge, trust, and sheer determination remain the ultimate status symbols.

Listen to the podcast for the full conversation. Kaya 959 podcasts are available to download.