About Us
42 Years Fixing Appliances in Welkom
Welkom Appliance Repairs has been a fixture in this town for 42 years — not a franchise passing through, but a local team our neighbours have called on for two generations.
42
YEARS IN WELKOM
6
LOCAL TEAM MEMBERS
6
TOWNS SERVICED
6
BRANDS WE SERVICE
Our Story
Welkom Appliance Repairs has been operating right here in Welkom for 42 years, working out of our base at 25 Celuta Place, Riebeeckstad. That’s four decades of fridges, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and stoves fixed for families and businesses across the Free State goldfields — long enough to have repaired appliances for grandparents, then their children, then their grandchildren.
In that time, the appliances themselves have changed almost beyond recognition. The mechanical timer-driven washing machines and basic bar fridges of four decades ago have given way to electronically controlled, sensor-laden machines that diagnose themselves with fault codes and run dozens of programmes. Keeping up with that shift has meant our technicians never stop learning — every new model, every new control board, every new brand that comes onto the South African market gets studied, tested, and added to what we know.
What hasn’t changed is the reason people call us in the first place. A broken fridge means spoiled food and a stressful week. A washing machine that won’t drain means a household scrambling to find somewhere else to do laundry. A stove that won’t heat means dinner plans thrown out. We’ve spent 42 years understanding that an appliance breakdown is rarely just an inconvenience — it disrupts the rhythm of a home or a business — and that understanding shapes how we work every single day.
We’re not a call centre dispatching strangers. We’re the same local business Welkom has known for over 40 years, and our technicians bring decades of hands-on repair experience to every callout — on Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Defy, SpeedQueen and KIC appliances. When you call our office, a real person who knows this town answers the phone. When a technician arrives at your door, it’s someone who has likely already fixed an appliance for one of your neighbours.
Being local means more than proximity. It means our technicians know which suburbs have older wiring that can affect appliance performance, which areas have harder or softer water that changes how quickly a washing machine’s heating element scales up, and which parts tend to fail first on the appliances most common in this region. That kind of knowledge only comes from decades of doing the same job, in the same town, for the same community — it isn’t something a technician flown in from elsewhere can match on a single visit.
We’ve also stayed small on purpose. Rather than growing into a large call-centre operation with rotating staff, Welkom Appliance Repairs has kept the same core team for years, which means the technician who repairs your appliance today is likely the same person who’ll be available if you ever need a follow-up. That continuity is part of why our guarantee means something in practice, not just on paper — we’re still here, at the same address, answering the same phone numbers, four decades on.
What We Stand For
Honesty Before Anything Else
Our technicians diagnose the actual fault and give you a straight answer — including when a repair isn’t worth the cost. We’d rather tell you that upfront than run up a bill on a lost cause.
Our Own Trained Team
Every repair is carried out by our own technicians — never subcontracted to a stranger. The person who diagnoses your appliance is the person who fixes it.
Local, Not a Call Centre
We live in this community. Our reputation here matters to us in a way a national call centre’s never could, and it shows in how carefully every job is handled.
Backed by a Real Guarantee
Every repair carries a 6-month guarantee on parts and labour. If the same fault comes back, we come back too — at no extra labour cost. Read the full terms on our guarantee page.
What We Repair
Four decades in this trade means our technicians have seen almost every fault a household or commercial appliance can develop. Here’s where our experience runs deepest.
Fridges & Freezers
From a fridge that’s stopped cooling to a freezer building up ice where it shouldn’t, we diagnose compressor, thermostat, gas, seal and control-board faults on both domestic and larger commercial units. Because refrigeration faults spoil food fast, we treat these callouts with urgency.
Washing Machines
Top-loaders and front-loaders, mechanical and electronic — we repair drainage problems, drum bearing failures, door lock and seal issues, unbalanced-load faults, and the control-board errors that modern machines display as codes. We’ve fixed washing machines through several generations of the same families in Welkom.
Tumble Dryers
A dryer that runs but doesn’t heat, one that’s stopped tumbling, or one that’s overheating and tripping — heating elements, thermostats, belts and motors are all faults our technicians handle regularly, on both vented and condenser models.
Dishwashers
From a dishwasher that runs but doesn’t clean properly to one that won’t drain or fill, we work through spray arm blockages, pump faults, door seal failures and control issues to get your dishwasher back to doing its job.
Ovens & Stoves
Electric and gas, built-in and freestanding — we diagnose heating element failures, thermostat faults, ignition problems and control panel issues, so your kitchen is back in action without a long wait.
Brands We Know Inside and Out
Over 42 years we’ve worked on virtually every major brand sold in South Africa. These are the six we handle most often, each with its own dedicated page covering common faults and fixes.
Defy
LG
Samsung
Whirlpool
SpeedQueen
KIC
Defy
As South Africa’s own long-standing appliance brand, Defy fridges, washing machines, stoves and dryers are among the most common we see. Our technicians know Defy’s control boards, thermostats and drive systems well, across both older mechanical models and newer electronic ranges.
LG
LG’s direct-drive washing machines and inverter fridges bring their own diagnostic quirks — from motor and sensor faults to the fault codes their displays show. We work through these systematically rather than guessing at parts.
Samsung
Samsung’s washing machines, fridges and dishwashers are built around digital control systems, and our technicians are familiar with the common failure points — from door lock mechanisms to compressor and inverter faults.
Whirlpool
Whirlpool’s washing machines and fridges are known for solid mechanical builds, and when something does go wrong — a drainage fault, a seal, a thermostat — our technicians have the experience to find it quickly.
SpeedQueen
SpeedQueen machines are built for heavy, repeated use, which is exactly why we see them in busier households and small commercial laundries. We service their drive systems, timers and drainage components to keep them running hard for years.
KIC
KIC fridges, freezers and washing machines are a familiar sight in Welkom homes, and our technicians are well versed in their refrigeration systems, door seals and control components.
Signs It’s Time to Call Us
Catching a fault early often means a smaller, cheaper repair. Here’s what to watch for.
Fridge / Freezer
Food not staying cold, unusual buzzing or clicking, excessive ice build-up, or water pooling underneath.
Washing Machine
Won’t drain or spin, leaking, unusual banging during the spin cycle, or a door that won’t lock.
Tumble Dryer
Clothes coming out damp or still hot to the touch, a burning smell, or the drum not tumbling at all.
Dishwasher
Dishes still dirty or gritty after a cycle, standing water at the end of a wash, or the door not sealing properly.
Oven / Stove
Uneven cooking, an element that won’t glow, a gas burner that won’t ignite, or a control panel that isn’t responding.
Any Appliance
A fault code flashing on the display — check our fault code guide or call us directly.
Homes and Businesses, Side by Side
Over 42 years we’ve repaired appliances in family homes, rental properties, guesthouses, small hotels and local businesses across Welkom and the surrounding towns. Landlords call us to keep tenants’ appliances running reliably; guesthouse owners call us because a broken fridge or washing machine affects guests directly; and families call us because a working kitchen and laundry keep daily life on track. Whatever the setting, the same process applies — an honest diagnosis, a clear quote, and a repair carried out by our own trained technicians.
Meet the Team
When you call us, you’re speaking to real people who live and work in Welkom — not a national call centre. Six people carry this business between them, and each has a specific role in getting your appliance fixed properly. See full bios on our technician profiles page.
Calista Korkie
Office Manager — takes your call, books your slot, and keeps every job on track from first call to completed repair.
Christaline
Owner & Accounts — handles invoicing and quotes, so pricing stays clear and honest from the moment you’re quoted.
Gregory
Service Technician — on the road diagnosing and repairing appliances across Welkom and the surrounding towns.
Simon
Asst Service Technician — on the road diagnosing and repairing appliances across Welkom and the surrounding towns.
Gift
Service Technician — on the road diagnosing and repairing appliances across Welkom and the surrounding towns.
Andy
Service Technician — on the road diagnosing and repairing appliances across Welkom and the surrounding towns.
How We Work
Every repair follows the same straightforward process, from the first phone call to the finished job.
1. You call or WhatsApp Calista
Tell her the brand, the symptom or fault code, and your address — she’ll book the right technician for the job and give you an honest idea of timing.
2. A technician is scheduled
Gregory, Simon, Gift or Andy is assigned based on location and appliance type — usually within the same week, often the same day.
3. On-site diagnosis
Your technician inspects the appliance on-site, identifies the actual fault, and gives you a firm quote before any work starts. No pressure, no surprises.
4. Repair, then a clear invoice
Most repairs are completed on the spot with parts carried on the van. Christaline handles a clear, honest invoice, and the job’s backed by our 6-month workmanship guarantee.
If a part isn’t carried on the van — which happens occasionally with less common models — we order it and schedule a follow-up visit as quickly as the supplier allows, keeping you updated the whole way rather than leaving you guessing.
Why Welkom Chooses Us
- ✅ 42 years operating from the same Welkom address — we’re not going anywhere
- ✅ Our own trained technicians — never subcontracted out to strangers
- ✅ Honest, on-site diagnosis and a firm quote before we start any work
- ✅ Every repair backed by a 6-month guarantee on parts and labour
- ✅ Experience across six major brands and every common household appliance
- ✅ A small, familiar team — the same faces answering the phone and knocking on your door
None of this is marketing language for us — it’s simply how the business has operated since it opened. Word of mouth has carried Welkom Appliance Repairs through four decades in a town where everybody eventually hears about a repair job gone wrong somewhere else. We’ve built our name by making sure that story is never about us.
Part of the Goldfields Community
Welkom grew up around the gold mining industry, and Welkom Appliance Repairs grew up alongside it — repairing appliances for mineworkers’ families, small business owners, farmers on the outskirts of town, and everyone in between. We’ve watched suburbs expand, watched Riebeeckstad become the settled neighbourhood it is today, and watched three generations of some families move through our workshop’s records. That history is why, when you call us, you’re not explaining your situation to someone unfamiliar with the area — you’re talking to a business that has been woven into daily life here for 42 years.
Beyond Welkom itself, that same commitment extends to Riebeeckstad, Virginia, Odendaalsrus, Hennenman and Ventersburg. Each of these towns has its own character and its own long-standing households, and our technicians travel out to all of them as readily as they cross town — because a family in Virginia with a broken fridge deserves the same honest, prompt service as a family a street away from our own workshop.
Proudly Serving the Free State Goldfields
From our Riebeeckstad base, our technicians travel across Welkom and the surrounding towns for every callout — no appliance repair is too far out of the way for a team that’s called this region home for 42 years.
Welkom
Riebeeckstad
Virginia
Odendaalsrus
Hennenman
Ventersburg
See our full range of appliance repairs, check our fault code guide if your appliance is flashing an error, read about our 6-month guarantee, or browse our frequently asked questions.
Quick Questions About Us
How long has Welkom Appliance Repairs been operating?
Since 1984 — 42 years repairing appliances from our Riebeeckstad workshop for families and businesses across Welkom.
Do you subcontract your repairs?
No. Every job is carried out by our own trained technicians — never handed off to a stranger. Meet the team on our technician profiles page.
Which towns do you service?
Welkom, Riebeeckstad, Virginia, Odendaalsrus, Hennenman and Ventersburg — see our full service area.
What guarantee comes with a repair?
Every repair carries a 6-month guarantee on parts and labour — read the full terms on our guarantee page.
Talk to the Team
Welkom Appliance Repairs
📍 25 Celuta Place, Riebeeckstad, Welkom, Free State
📱 082 461 9365 (also on WhatsApp)
Prefer to send a message? Visit our contact page, or head back to the homepage.