The 44-year-old Zweli, who was born in Soweto and joined Hyundai in 2020, leads a 38-member sales team in the highly competitive Gauteng automotive space. What makes his story remarkable are not merely the sales figures but the journey that brought him to where he is today.

“With no formal tertiary education, I began working as a security guard. To supplement my income, I tapped into ‘my natural selling bug’ where I started selling vegetables at Johannesburg Park Station. It was here that I discovered my passion for sales,” he says.

What began as an effort to make ends meet soon shaped his natural ability to connect with people, when Zweli joined Hyundai Benoni team as a Sales Executive. “My journey taught me to never stop dreaming, to stay consistent and to have the courage to start over, even after my vegetable business failed,” he reflects. “Most importantly, it taught me to respect everyone, no matter their background or socio-economic status.”

His turning point came when Promise Twala, the current Dealer Principal at Hyundai The Glen dealership, who was Zweli’s mentor back in 2020, noticed his talent. “Zweli attracted my attention through his passion, impeccable work ethic, positive attitude and humility. Seeing potential where others might have unintentionally overlooked it, I offered him a position as sales manager at Hyundai Benoni.”

Zweli embraced it fully and when Promise was promoted to lead Hyundai The Glen, Zweli became a natural choice to succeed her as Dealer Principal at the Hyundai Benoni dealership. “Zweli is very educable and has a strong ability to take punches (constructive criticism) without sulking. He nailed each task that was given him, with excellence,” Promise adds.

Stanley Anderson, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa says promoting from within is one of Hyundai’s greatest strengths.

“Our employee-first culture contributes to an individual's growth and our company’s success. Zweli’s inspirational story exemplifies the very culture that Hyundai champions: where talent and dedication are nurtured, regardless of formal education or background.”