Brothers Faan and Dirk van der Walt have become billionaires after turning their passion for fixing and selling cars into one of South Africa’s most successful businesses — WeBuyCars.
Growing up in Bronkorspruit in a modest household, their mother worked as a teacher while their father served as a security guard at the CSIR. It was their father who first introduced them to car mechanics, sparking a lifelong love for automobiles.
As teenagers, the brothers began buying and selling used cars as a hobby. “That first deal gave me a real kick,” Faan recalled, describing how early success lit his entrepreneurial fire.
Faan later studied education at the University of Pretoria, while Dirk earned a marketing degree. After Faan married Tanja in 1998, the couple moved to the UK to teach and save money — savings that would eventually fund their business dream.
In 2001, they launched WeBuyCars with that capital. At first, the brothers did everything themselves — buying, fixing, selling, and even doing the marketing. Their first billboard on the N1 highway showed them holding stacks of cash, urging South Africans to sell their cars to WeBuyCars.
Their smart advertising and customer-focused approach quickly paid off. The business grew from a small lot in Pretoria to a nationwide brand known for simplifying the car-buying process. By 2010, expansion was in full swing — warehouses opened in Pretoria, Cape Town, and Durban, followed by massive “Car Supermarkets” that could host hundreds of vehicles.
By 2019, the company had over 1,000 employees, and the brothers were named Africa Entrepreneurs of the Year. Two years later, WeBuyCars opened the iconic WeBuyCars Dome — a mega showroom able to display more than 1,000 vehicles at once.
In 2024, WeBuyCars officially listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, reaching a market value of R7.82 billion. With the listing and their remaining shares, Faan and Dirk joined South Africa’s billionaire ranks.
Even with their wealth, the brothers remain deeply involved in running the business. WeBuyCars now boasts nearly 12,000 parking bays and 17 super branches across the country. Expansion continues with new facilities planned in Cape Town and Pretoria, as the company aims to buy and sell 23,000 vehicles per month by 2028.
Despite their success, Faan says their mission hasn’t changed: to make buying and selling cars as easy and transparent as possible for every South African.