Biko Engineers

Our workshop is located at 366 Makarpura Gidc Estate, which is a pretty industrial part of the city. Being Biko Engineers means we spend a lot of time surrounded by the sound of metal being cut and machines humming. It’s a dusty place, and there is usually grease on most of the surfaces, including our hands. We have been at this spot in the estate for a long time, and we know most of the guys in the neighboring units. The morning usually starts with opening the heavy shutters and checking the machines to see what needs maintenance. It’s not the kind of place where you’d want to wear a nice suit because you’ll definitely get a stain on it within five minutes. We have a couple of old desks where we look at blueprints and write down measurements, but most of our time is spent on the shop floor. There’s no air conditioning, so we rely on the big industrial fans to keep the air moving during the afternoon slump. We don't have a receptionist or anything like that. Usually, if the phone rings, one of us just wipes our hands on a rag and picks it up. It’s a straightforward way of working. We fix parts, we build things, and we try to make sure everything that leaves the estate is solid. It’s just how things go here at Makarpura and we wouldn't have it any other way. We focus on the metalwork and keep the machines running to get the jobs done.