Diesel Mechanic
Diesel mechanics look after heavy vehicles, and in the energy transition that includes electric buses and the hydrogen and battery-powered mining trucks being tested to replace diesel ones. The link is still small, but Golden Arrow, a Cape Town bus company, ordered 120 electric buses in 2024, with deliveries running through 2025.
Jobs in the energy transition
Electric bus technician
You'd maintain and repair electric buses, looking after their brakes, steering and suspension as well as their battery-powered drive systems.
Extra training: You'd need extra training to work safely on the buses' high-voltage batteries and electrical systems.
Hydrogen and battery truck technician
You'd service heavy mining trucks that run on hydrogen fuel cells and batteries, like the prototype haul truck unveiled at the Mogalakwena platinum mine in Limpopo in 2022.
How to get there
The qualifications
You'd work towards the Occupational Certificate: Diesel Mechanic, which is at NQF Level 4, the same level as Matric.
What you need to start
The official minimum is a Grade 9 pass, or another qualification at the same level, with Mathematics, and you'll need a medical certificate showing you're fit for the work.
These are the official minimum requirements, and colleges can set higher ones.
Where you can study
Data verified June–July 2026 from official college publications and the DHET occupational qualifications register. Spot an error? Suggest a correction.
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