This is what happens when South African grit shows up and does remarkable things. A young man refusing to be boxed in by circumstance!
Mpumalanga, South Africa (29 September 2025) – This is one of those stories that totally blew us away. Recently, Otto Spreng, a Business Development Manager at SITECH SA, attended a branch meeting where he met Katlego.
Katlego is the bright spark of this story.
He’s an extraordinary young man with talent that deserves to be nurtured.
At this meeting, seasoned industry pros were left with their jaws hanging when Katlego stood up to present his work. Without access to a lab, university, or even home internet, he’s managed to build drones capable of carrying payloads and reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h.
To put it in better perspective, Katlego has had to figure out, on his own, the kind of knowledge entire engineering teams usually specialise in. Aerodynamics, propulsion, electronics, flight control systems, radio communications, GPS navigation, and materials engineering, Otto says.
What makes this even more inspiring is how Katlego managed to build fully functional drones on his own, without any support…
While many engineers rely on advanced materials and expensive tech, Katlego has been salvaging what he can find in his community. He’s turned discarded odds and ends into working flying machines.
“What struck me most is that these weren’t built from expensive aeronautical materials or instruments. Most of his machines were made from parts he could salvage…” says Otto, who got in touch with us to share the story.
It’s the sort of skillset that takes years (and years) of formal study, yet Katlego has managed to piece it together with two superpowers. Curiosity and determination. It’s the result of hours of self-study at internet cafés, trial-and-error experiments, and the strength to start over after each crash or setback.
Spreng was so moved after hearing Katlego’s story that he decided to share it on LinkedIn, hoping to create an opportunity for the young man to see his skills even further. At only 23 years old, he has such a bright future ahead of him.
“Talent like Katlego’s deserves to be nurtured. If you know of networks, opportunities, or sponsorship avenues in drone tech or aerospace, please reach out, please share,” he said in the post calling for support.
This is what happens when talent refuses to be boxed in by circumstance.
Now the call is out. Katlego’s future is ready to fly; all he needs is a little lift. Can you help? Please connect with Otto here.
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