Patrick was introduced to the entertainment industry by his sister, Jade Manicom, a lighting designer, who wanted him to experience the world she loved. “I first learned about DWR in 2020 via my sister before she joined the company,” Patrick comments. “She arranged for me to visit their workshop for a week, and that’s where I discovered that I wanted to work with my hands. DWR was happy to have me tinker around and assist with repairs while teaching me about the different equipment. Everyone was so welcoming from the workshop team all the way to the CEOs, and I seemed to have made an impression too as Bruce Riley remembers me from just that week!”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Patrick moved to Pringle Bay, where he worked as an electrician and carried out numerous solar installations. He more recently relocated to Cape Town and now works closely with DWR’s Johnny Scholtz and says the experience has been a combination of nerves and excitement as he hopes to help grow the branch.
“Patrick is good at what he does, is a quick learner and is very passionate,” states Bruce Riley, who heads the service department and is a director at DWR. “He takes on the role of technical support, repairs and installations, and we are pleased to welcome him on board.”
On a personal note, Patrick hopes to get back into rock climbing and looks forward to seeing some local music acts, which you can imagine, will be plentiful in the beautiful Mother City.