Chariot gives his Toyota Yaris facelift

In Manzini town, few drivers are as recognisable as Philani Shiba, popularly known as ‘Chariot’.

During the day, he works at the Manzini Magistrates Court, but beyond office hours he is a hands-on car enthusiast whose passion is reflected in every vehicle he touches. This week in My Car and I, Chariot pulls up with a Toyota Yaris that tells a powerful story of vision, patience and personal expression.

The car is a manual transmission Toyota Yaris, powered by a 1.3-litre VVT-i 2NZ engine. Shiba admits that when he first acquired it, the Yaris was far from impressive.

“When I got this car, it was in a terrible condition, but I had big plans for it,” he says. “Out of all the cars I have had, it had a lot of work to be done, but that was no issue with me because I knew what I would do with it.”

With years of experience working on vehicles, particularly Toyotas, Shiba knew exactly where to start.

“I’ve worked quite a lot on Toyota cars and I can safely say I know most of the problems they encounter,” he explains. “A car needs you to be a part-time mechanic because sometimes you damage your own car without knowing that you are damaging it.”

The transformation began with a full service, followed by the installation of a proper sound system to match his lifestyle. From there, the visual upgrades took centre stage. He fitted 17-inch Eagle rims paired with 225/45 tyres, striking a balance between performance and road presence.

December marked a major milestone as he fully branded the car with his nickname ‘Chariot’ and treated it to a fresh paint job. He added his own creative touch with a custom Toyota Sport design, a redesigned front grille and windbreakers. The modifications continued with a sunroof, shark fin antenna and a boot spoiler.

Not one to overlook detail, Chariot went further by installing red LED lighting on the spoiler, illuminated rim lights for night driving and a signature bird wings sticker on the front, a design he created himself and uses as a brand across all his cars. He completed the build with a super black tint, protecting the interior from sun damage while enhancing the car’s sleek finish.