VAN - The South African FAFO Engineer

Van der Merwe is a brilliant but dangerously enthusiastic South African engineer who cannot resist improving systems that already work. Armed with cable ties, duct tape, colourful wires, and a Raspberry Pi, he turns everyday objects into unpredictable inventions. His philosophy is simple: test every assumption, break every rule, and learn by doing — even if something explodes. Each adventure follows his chaotic attempts to “upgrade” normal devices, solve problems with improvised engineering, and push technology far past its intended limits. His world blends humour, action, and DIY ingenuity, celebrating South African “maak ’n plan” culture and the FAFO spirit: Find Out by Trying. The series follows his escalating experiments, unexpected consequences, and the hilarious disasters that inevitably follow.