From Electrician to Founder

Andy Grove founded Welkom Appliance Repairs in 1983, bringing an engineering background and formal training as a qualified electrician to a trade that, back then, was still largely mechanical. The washing machines and fridges of the early 1980s ran on simple timers and relays rather than circuit boards and sensors — and it was Andy’s electrical grounding that set the business apart from the start, giving him the ability to diagnose faults properly rather than simply swap parts and hope.

What began as one technician servicing local homes in Welkom has grown, over more than four decades, into a trusted local name across the Free State Goldfields — while staying true to the values Andy built the business on: honesty, integrity, and treating every customer’s home and appliances with care.

Still on the Tools, Decades Later

Unlike many founders who step back from the hands-on work as a business grows, Andy is still out on the road as a service technician today, diagnosing and repairing appliances alongside the rest of the team. That means the person who founded the business over 40 years ago is often the same person who might turn up at your door — bringing decades of accumulated knowledge of exactly how appliances fail, and why, to every callout.

That engineering background still shapes how the business operates: every fault gets diagnosed properly before it gets fixed, and every technician is trained to give customers a straight answer — including when a repair isn’t worth the cost.

Building a Team, Not Just a Business

Over the years, Andy has grown Welkom Appliance Repairs from a one-man operation into a small, dedicated team of six — office staff and technicians who between them keep the business running the way it always has: local, honest, and never subcontracted out to strangers. Read more about the people who carry the business forward on our technician profiles page.

The workshop and spares store Andy built at 25 Celuta Place, Riebeeckstad, still keeps genuine parts in stock so most repairs can be finished in a single visit — see what’s normally on the shelf on our spare parts page.

A Guarantee Built on 40+ Years of Standing Behind the Work

Every repair carried out by Welkom Appliance Repairs is backed by a 6-month guarantee on parts and labour — a commitment Andy has held the business to since long before it was written down. Read the full terms on our guarantee page.

Get in Touch

📞 057 388 4131

📱 082 461 9365 (also on WhatsApp)

📍 25 Celuta Place, Riebeeckstad, Welkom, Free State

Learn more about Welkom Appliance Repairs, or browse our appliance repair services.