Episode 11 – Thembinkosi Pantsi

























Episode 11: Thembinkosi Pantsi | Dealer Principal, AUDI Polokwane
Thembinkosi Pantsi first caught my attention on Instagram, when I saw a post about him offering the use of the Audi dealership conferencing facilities to young entrepreneurs and startups who do not have the capital to invest in office space, but need to meet with clients to grow their business.

Thembinkosi grew up as the son of farm workers, and through hard work and perseverance, worked his way up to become the dealer principal at Audi Polokwane. In this episode, he shares his journey, the hardships and opportunities and the 3 biggest lessons that he feels contributed to his success today.

 
The importance of values and perspective
Although his parents were farm workers, Thembinkosi, like many other South African children, grew up with a relative in a nearby town so that he could access better schooling. It was here that he was exposed to the greater world and the possibilities that existing that he would not have otherwise been aware of had he stayed on the farm to walk the 7km gravel road to school everyday.

Our circumstances and environment can sometimes blind us to the opportunities available out there - Thembinkosi Pantsi, Dealer Principal, Audi PolokwaneClick To Tweet

It was through this exposure, realizing what opportunities awaited him in the world, that the hunger and drive for success kicked in. He speaks about how he had to ask himself what he wanted to achieve in his life and what he needed to do to achieve his goals. One of the critical things that Thembinkosi attributes to his success is the values he inherited from his parents. He speaks with very high regard for this mother and father, describing the key values he learned from them as hard work, respect for others, and perseverance.

Start from the bottom if you have to, just start!
Thembinkosi initially wanted to become an engineer, but his parents couldn't afford to support his studies financially, so he had to drop out of university. However, as Thembinkosi says, "I didn't just sit back and cry foul, I decided to do something about it". He describes his first formal job as a cleaner at a restaurant in Knysna. Reflecting back on the values his parents taught him, he says that he always told himself that no matter what he did, he would always do it with excellence, even if that meant cleaning toilets with excellence. His work ethic and attitude did not go unnoticed, and with time he worked himself up, until he was offered the chance to enter the corporate work space.

Thembinkosi says that he was never phased about where he lived or worked, to him it was always about the opportunity and pursuing what he wanted in life.

You need to start small and build yourself up. Take every opportunity that comes your way - Thembinkosi Pantsi, Dealer Principal, Audi Polokwane