Every organisation has stories — but very few carry the weight of a life rebuilt.
This isn’t just a tale of perseverance. It’s the record of a life once shattered and slowly reassembled — piece by unforgiving piece. A story carved out of silence, shame, and steel. Of a boy who grew up in the background, who became a man by refusing to stay there.
Humble Beginnings, Dual Worlds
Latedi was born in Randhart, Alberton, and began his schooling at Laerskool Randhart, a modest suburban primary school that stood in stark contrast to the rural township life he would come to know.
He was raised by his mother, Salamina Mokoena — a single woman of quiet strength who worked as a domestic worker. They lived in the home of the family she served, navigating life between the spaces of servitude and dignity. Once a month, they would return to Frankfort — her hometown, their roots. The duality of these experiences formed in Latedi an understanding of contrast, resilience, and identity.
His father was a long-haul truck driver — distant in proximity, yet central in influence. On rare weekends, young Latedi would ride with him, silently observing. The long roads that hummed beneath the tyres, the scent of diesel clinging to the air, the quiet command behind the wheel, the unspoken pride in motion — it left a deep imprint. Though his father was not a constant presence, he unknowingly planted the first seed of passion for transport.
In 2005, when Salamina fell ill, she left her job and moved with her son to Frankfort. A year later, she passed away from asthma complications. Latedi was still a teenager — motherless, fatherless, and standing at the edge of an uncertain world.
He moved in with his eldest brother, France Letaoana, in a corrugated iron shack in Standerton, where he enrolled at Hoërskool Standerton. Winters there were harsh — cold air seeping through the cracks, the floor beneath him hard as stone. For five years they lived with very little — no furniture, just the floor beneath them. But France became his anchor. A man of few words, he taught Latedi how to carry weight, both physical and emotional. The bond between them remains unbreakable.
Ashes and Oil
After matric, Latedi began working as an Admin Clerk at General Motors Standerton, before finding a foothold at Volvo Trucks Newcastle in 2012 as a Service Advisor. In this role, he became the essential bridge between technician and client — interpreting needs, translating problems, managing pressure.
He was mentored by Branch Manager Hansie Kleynhans, who not only guided his growth but personally helped cover the cost of his Code 14 licence. This opened new doors. Latedi began testing trucks and playing a hands-on role in boosting workshop efficiency. His childhood fascination with machines began to take shape — no longer just a memory, but a driving ambition. He was drawn to the language of gears, torque, and terrain.
In 2015, he was transferred to Volvo Trucks Harrismith as a Parts Salesman. There, at just 23, he encountered a test of character that would nearly destroy him. Misled by the authority of another Branch Manager, he became entangled in a resale scheme. His actions, though unintentional, led to his dismissal.
It was devastating.
His fiancée, Nontokozo — a first-year university student — and their three-month-old son, Lebohang, they lost everything. Their vehicle. Their income. Their independence. They moved in with one of his aunts in QwaQwa. It was supposed to be temporary. It felt like rock bottom.
Latedi carried the burden quietly. He would go without so that his wife could study. He would walk so they could eat. Shame became his shadow. But so did resolve.
A Second Chance
In 2017, out of options, he travelled to Johannesburg in search of work. A final CV submission led him to MacLabour — and a month later, a call from CPD Academy. Out of 120 applicants, only 18 were selected. He was one of them.
The CPD Academy programme was not designed to be easy. It was rigorous, demanding, and unrelenting. Phase 1 introduced him to cognitive theory, psychometric preparation, safety, and reverse training, where every movement was judged and mirrors became lifelines — all taught in an 8-week intensive format that tested not only technical understanding but mental resilience. Only the top 10 students progressed.
Latedi moved forward.
Phase 2 took him to the CPDA Fleet, where for six full weeks he drove under close supervision, mentored daily by seasoned Driver Trainers. Every movement, every gear shift, every decision behind the wheel was scrutinised. This wasn’t just practical training — it was character formation in motion.
Then came Phase 3 — the ultimate test. He was placed at one of RTG’s clients and required to drive over 150,000 km on his own. Long-haul, solo routes. Sleepless stretches. Checkpoints. Border delays. Tyre blowouts. Extreme fatigue. Through it all, he pushed forward, knowing that there would be no final exam — only performance.
Each kilometre was a prayer, a battle, and a step back into himself.
RTG: A New Road
In March 2019, during CPD’s graduation ceremony, RTG CEO Rodney Houston-McMillan noticed something rare in Latedi — authenticity, presence, hunger.
He offered him a chance to join the Marketing Department. No qualifications. No prior experience. Just belief.
Rodney promised: “If it doesn’t work out, there’s always a driving position for you.”
But it did work out.
Under the mentorship of Group Marketing Manager Duhan du Plessis, Latedi stepped into a world of strategy, branding, and corporate language. He learnt fast. Travelled far. Represented RTG with honour. He became more than a marketing professional. He became a storyteller — of roads, of trucks, of people who build their futures behind the wheel.
The Life He Built
Today, Latedi Mokoena is no longer surviving. He is thriving.
He married the love of his life, his longtime fiancé, Nontokozo Mokoena, in 2019 — now a qualified teacher.
He has built a home from the ground up — not just bricks and mortar, but a sanctuary of safety and pride. He stood by his wife, Nontokozo, as she completed her university degree, carrying the weight of responsibility with quiet resolve. And perhaps most meaningfully, he has given his young son, Lebohang, a life filled with warmth, structure, and hope — the very kind of life he never knew growing up.
Latedi carries the imprint of every man who shaped his path. His brother, France Letaoana, whose silent strength taught him to endure. Hansie Kleynhans, who saw potential before anyone else and gave him a license — and a reason — to believe. Rodney Houston-McMillan, who opened a door that could have so easily remained closed. And Duhan du Plessis, who gave him the tools and mentorship to turn grit into growth.
To the Ones Still on the Edge
These words don’t just inspire — they validate. Because in them lies the truth that strength is forged in silence, and power in persistence.
“They saw where I came from and thought that was the whole story. But I wasn’t finished. If you’re standing in the shadows right now — don’t stay there. One day, someone will give you a chance. Just make sure you’re ready to rise.” — Latedi Mokoena
He speaks to every youth in rural South Africa, every orphan, every underdog:
You are not your circumstances.
You are not your setbacks.
You are possibility.
A Legacy Beyond Logistics
“At RTG, we don’t just move freight — we move futures. Latedi is proof of that.” — Duhan du Plessis, Group Marketing Manager, RTG
Latedi’s story is now part of RTG’s legacy — not because of a title, but because of what he represents: growth, grit, and grace.
In every depot. Behind every wheel. Across every border.
We see people. We back them. We build with them.
This is what legacy looks like. This is what RTG believes in.
