Who is Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni from The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and what is their importance?

Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni (whose first names are never identified, and who is referred to by initials and last name throughout) is a successful businessman, the owner and operator of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. A widower, he cares very much for Mma Ramotswe, in spite of a conservative streak that makes him question, at times, both the work she does and his willingness to assist her. His attempts to suggest other ways for her to behave, however, are met with Mma Ramotswe's characteristic blend of blunt honesty and compassion, with the result that even as she challenges and changes him, he comes to care for her all the more. Like Grace Makutsi, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni plays an increasingly important role in later books in this series.