Johan Bester once replaced a diesel line on his motorhome at the roadside with little more than a shifting spanner and a pair of pliers. Today, the South African-born motoring enthusiast owns Midas Porirua, having traded a career in corporate project management for the workshop he had long wanted to own.
Bester took over the Parumoana Street franchise in 2026. When he first settled in New Zealand after visiting from South Africa, home was a five-metre Ford Trader motorhome.
The old diesel vehicle needed almost constant attention. Over six years, Bester tackled bodywork, interior repairs and solar-panel installations. He says he sold it in better condition than when he bought it.
His enthusiasm for mechanics began in South Africa, where his father involved him in repairing cars. He still remembers suspension parts hanging beneath the carport after his father painted them black.
Motorcycles soon became another passion. Bester obtained his motorcycle licence six years before his car licence and now owns five bikes.
His career, however, took him away from the workshop. After serving in the South African Air Force in technical and logistics roles, he moved into project management, spending 11 years at IBM. In New Zealand he initially worked for Datacom, then spent ten years as an independent contractor. His project-management work included projects involving government ministries and Defence. He credits the contracts he found and completed while working for himself with enabling him to save enough to buy the business.
Along the way, he moved from the motorhome into a flat, bought a house in 2019 and became a New Zealand citizen. The dream of owning a workshop remained.
Spinal decompression surgery gave him time to reconsider his working life. During his recovery, Bester decided not to return to the corporate world.
A connection with Corrie, a former neighbour at Advantage Tyres, led him to Midas. The opportunity brought him into the technical environment he had long wanted to lead.
Taking over an established business has meant getting to know customers who have been coming to the Porirua workshop for more than a decade. Bester says many are now on first-name terms with him and the team.
He wants to strengthen those relationships and attract new customers.
In an account written during his first months as owner, Johan outlined plans for tyre-changing and wheel-balancing equipment, updated diagnostic tools and eventually a certified technician to carry out warrants of fitness.
For Bester, the change is personal as well as professional. His Christian faith and relationship with Jesus Christ are central to his life. He credits that faith with guiding his path from South Africa to New Zealand and into business ownership.
He says Proverbs 16:9 formed the basis of both his immigration to New Zealand and his decision to buy Midas Porirua. In his own words: “Man maketh his plan but God directs his footsteps”.
“I wake up inspired and working with the team I have makes every day different.”
Even the end-of-month paperwork feels different now. As he put it after his first few months in charge: “This is what I should have been doing many, many years ago”.
Midas Porirua is at 11 Parumoana Street, Porirua. Phone 04 237 8746. Booking information: https://midasnz.co.nz/locations/porirua