In 1992, at just 15 years old, Luvuyo Sume faced a life-altering moment, his right leg was amputated due to unexplained gangrene. The years that followed were marked by discomfort and constraint. Luvuyo spent more than a decade using a government-issued prosthesis, an outdated, ill-fitting device that severely restricted his mobility. “The pistoning my stump made inside that socket was horrific,” he recalls. But instead of letting this hardship define him, Luvuyo channelled his frustration into resolve.

When he finally acquired a high-quality prosthetic years later, everything changed. He moved freely, without pain, and even took up various martial arts like Karate, Judo and Aikido. This freedom ignited a powerful thought: What if every amputee had the chance to live without limits?

This question became the seed for Prosthetic Engineering Technologies (PET), co-founded with prosthetist Riaan Knight in 2020. PET is South Africa’s first manufacturer of world-class prosthetic sleeves and liners, created with one purpose: to deliver durable, affordable prosthetic solutions so that cost is never a barrier to mobility, dignity, or opportunity.

Luvuyo’s dual perspective as both an engineer and amputee shapes every PET product. “I know what it’s like to suffer from poor design,” he says, “so we build products that change lives—because they changed mine.” His commitment to local manufacturing is more than economic—it’s deeply personal. By producing in Africa, PET not only lowers costs but creates jobs, strengthens local economies, and reduces the continent’s reliance on expensive imports.

For Luvuyo, success isn’t measured by sales or recognition. It’s the moment a client, once confined by poor mobility, returns to sport, finds employment, or simply walks with confidence. “That’s the win,” he says. 

To other amputees, Luvuyo offers this message: “You only have one life, make the best of it.  You can do it, God has designed the human body to be resilient, that’s your greatest strength.”

Luvuyo’s journey transformed adversity into innovation, showing that when empathy meets engineering, the impossible becomes achievable.