SA mother and daughter duo are taking the auto-body industry by storm

The autobody business is not traditionally known for its diversity, that is until dynamic mother and daughter team, Lebo and Lucy Magwa , made their way into the auto-repair industry. Their business originated because of Lebo’s own experience. 

“Every time I booked my car in at a panel beater there was a delay in delivery. I realised these businesses were taking far too long to repair a small scratch or dent, and it wasn’t only me being left car-less for days. I realized that other drivers were feeling the inconvenience too,” says Lebo. 

She decided to establish Auto Salon in 2008, focusing on providing a different service to vehicle owners who wanted bumps and scrapes removed without the inconvenience of waiting for your car to be returned to you.  Operating a fast, effective repair service had its own little bumps along the way but she persevered.  A year later, Lebo had opened a workshop and a few years later she brought her daughter, Lucy, on board to help her manage operations of the business. The next step was to become an accredited service provider to insurance companies. 

The duo heard about Fix Auto, a global body shop network which didn’t have a franchise in South Africa. “We saw this as a great opportunity to be a part of an internationally renowned network,” said Lebo. They were faced with the challenge of acquiring more equipment to accommodate the new employees which required capital they didn’t have. 

“Thankfully, we found Merchant Capital. We didn’t want a huge loan that would land us with impossible repayments. We just needed support to access the working capital that would assist us in buying our first machine,” noted Lebo. Ryan Cohen from Merchant Capital said this story substantiates how effective financing can give SMEs the ability to boost their businesses. 

Today, the duo has employed 32 people to run a workshop more than five times the size of their first premises. According to Lucy “If we hadn’t been able to acquire that equipment, our story would have been very different. We would not be standing here today,”. The formidable mother and daughter have ambitions of becoming the biggest internationally accredited autobody repairer in southern Africa.