CALL ME BACKIt takes resilience to rise above the challenges that life presents and then to succeed.
Collen Khoza grew up in a small village in Limpopo, where he and his five siblings were raised their grandmother, surviving on government social grants. Life was tough and Collen had to be resilient to make it.
Despite these hardships, Collen was determined to make something of his life. When he started working at AA Technical College as a tool store assistant, he refused to let the lack of money for transport deter him. He walked nearly 40 kilometres a day to and from work choosing not to complain about his salary being insufficient to cover his transport needs. Instead, he valued the job he had been given valued as an opportunity, no matter how small it seemed. Eventually, a colleague noticed his commitment and spoke to his manager, who helped him by providing extra money to cover his transportation costs.
With dreams of becoming an engineer and having earned his motor mechanic certificates (N1-N3), Collen struggled to find a job. He decided to apply for a call centre position at the AA to support himself. Although he did not get that job, the Human Resources Department recognised his qualifications and his determination and offered him a role more aligned with his studies. This opened the first door to his career.
“I worked very hard to ensure everything met the company’s expectations until I received a new contract as a tool controller,” Collen recalls.
He adds, “My boss at the time, Werner Wandrey, arranged for the AA to help me obtain a driver’s licence and placed me in the Emergency Rescue Services (ERS) learnership program so that I could become a qualified technician.”
Collen’s hard work and dedication not only helped him climb the first step of the career ladder but also opened up opportunities he never imagined. This journey culminated in him receiving his qualification as a technician in 2023 and securing a permanent position at Suzuki in Kyalami.
