How local Cape Town entrepreneurs are building thriving LPG businesses and energizing their communities
The Early Morning Hustle in Khayelitsha
It’s 5:30 AM in Khayelitsha, and Thabo Mthembu is already at work. While most of Cape Town sleeps, he’s checking his LPG refilling station, preparing for another busy day serving his community. Three years ago, Thabo was unemployed, struggling to make ends meet in one of Cape Town’s largest townships. Today, he runs a successful energy business that serves over 200 families weekly.
His story isn’t unique. Across Cape Town—from Mitchells Plain to Langa, from Gugulethu to Philippi—local entrepreneurs are quietly revolutionizing how their communities access clean, reliable energy. And it all starts with a steel box.
The Cape Town Advantage: Where Innovation Meets Opportunity
Cape Town has always been a city of entrepreneurs. From the spice traders of centuries past to today’s tech startups, the Mother City breeds innovation. But some of the most impactful entrepreneurship is happening in unexpected places—in townships and suburbs where local business owners are solving energy challenges one cylinder at a time.
Enter Pressure Concepts Trading (PCT), a Western Cape company that’s been empowering these local entrepreneurs since 2006. Their “Business in a Box” concept has become a launchpad for dozens of Cape Town residents who saw opportunity where others saw obstacles.
Meet Cape Town’s Gas Pioneers
Sipho Ndlovu – From Taxi Driver to Energy Entrepreneur
Location: Nyanga
Sipho spent fifteen years driving taxis through Cape Town’s busy streets. When load-shedding intensified and fuel costs soared, he noticed something: his passengers constantly complained about cooking gas shortages. “Every day, people were asking where they could refill their gas bottles safely and affordably,” Sipho recalls.
In 2022, he invested in PCT’s Business in a Box. Today, his LPG microstation serves three surrounding areas, employing two local youth and providing reliable energy access to over 180 households. “This box didn’t just give me a business,” he says. “It gave my community independence from electricity problems.”
Nomsa Jacobs – Breaking Barriers in Mitchells Plain
Location: Mitchells Plain
Nomsa faced double challenges: being a woman in a traditionally male industry and starting a business with limited capital. PCT’s turnkey solution changed everything. Her compact LPG station, strategically located near a busy taxi rank, quickly became a community hub.
“Women understand what families need,” she explains. “I know when people run out of gas—it’s usually during dinner time or weekend braais. I make sure I’m always ready.” Her success has inspired three other women in Mitchells Plain to start similar ventures.
Marcus Johnson – Second-Generation Success
Location: Elsies River
Marcus grew up watching his father struggle with an informal gas-selling operation—storing cylinders in their backyard, refilling them at distant depots. When his father passed away, Marcus knew he wanted to continue serving the community but do it properly.
PCT’s Business in a Box gave him the professional setup his father never had: proper scales, safety equipment, and a weatherproof structure. “My father would be proud,” Marcus says. “We’re serving the same community, but now with dignity and safety.”
The Cape Town Difference: Community-Centered Business
What makes Cape Town’s LPG entrepreneurs special isn’t just their business success—it’s their deep community connections. These aren’t distant corporations dropping off products; these are neighbors serving neighbors.
Local Impact by the Numbers:
- Many Business in a Box units operating across Cape Town townships
- More than 15,000 households with improved energy access
- 200+ local jobs created in the LPG supply chain
- Average 40% reduction in energy costs for customers
Beyond Business: Building Community Resilience
These local entrepreneurs are doing more than selling gas—they’re building energy resilience in communities that have long been underserved.
During load-shedding, when electricity fails, these local LPG stations become lifelines. Families can still cook, small restaurants stay open, and community life continues.
During economic hardship, flexible payment plans and local relationships mean people can access energy even when money is tight.
During emergencies, local entrepreneurs know their communities intimately—who’s elderly and needs extra help, which families are struggling, when to extend credit or assistance.
The PCT Partnership: More Than Just Equipment
Pressure Concepts Trading doesn’t just sell boxes and walk away. Their relationship with Cape Town entrepreneurs is built on ongoing partnership:
Comprehensive Training: Every new entrepreneur receives hands-on training in safety protocols, business management, and customer service.
Technical Support: 24/7 support means problems get solved quickly, keeping businesses running smoothly.
Business Development: Regular check-ins help entrepreneurs optimize operations and identify growth opportunities.
Community Integration: PCT helps entrepreneurs understand local regulations and build relationships with community leaders.
The Multiplier Effect: Success Breeds Success
Success stories spread quickly in Cape Town’s tight-knit communities. When Thabo’s business in Khayelitsha thrived, his cousin Mandla started one in nearby Gugulethu. When Nomsa proved women could succeed in the LPG business, other women took notice.
This organic growth creates a network effect—entrepreneurs learning from each other, sharing best practices, and collectively raising standards across the industry.
Challenges and Triumphs
Running a local energy business isn’t without challenges:
Regulatory Navigation: Understanding municipal requirements and safety standards requires ongoing attention.
Competition from Informal Operators: Competing with unregulated sellers who undercut prices but compromise on safety.
Economic Pressures: Township customers often face financial constraints that require flexible business approaches.
But Cape Town’s LPG entrepreneurs are resilient. They’ve learned to:
- Build strong customer relationships that transcend price competition
- Educate communities about safety and quality differences
- Create flexible payment systems that work for their local economies
- Partner with community organizations and local government
Looking Ahead: The Future of Local Energy Enterprise
As Cape Town continues to grapple with energy challenges, these local entrepreneurs represent a sustainable, community-driven solution. They’re proving that energy security doesn’t have to come from massive infrastructure projects or government programs—it can grow organically from empowered local business owners who understand their communities’ needs.
PCT’s expansion plans include:
- 50 additional Business in a Box units across Cape Town by 2026
- Specialized training programs for women entrepreneurs
- Youth apprenticeship programs linking unemployed young people with established operators
- Integration with local economic development initiatives
The Cape Town Model: A Blueprint for Change
What’s happening in Cape Town offers lessons for energy entrepreneurship across South Africa and beyond:
Start Local: The most sustainable energy solutions often come from people who live in the communities they serve.
Remove Barriers: Turnkey solutions like Business in a Box eliminate traditional obstacles to entry.
Support Success: Ongoing partnership and training ensure entrepreneurs don’t just start businesses—they build lasting enterprises.
Trust the Community: Local entrepreneurs understand their markets better than distant corporations or government agencies.
Join the Movement
Cape Town’s energy entrepreneurs are writing a new chapter in the city’s business story. They’re proving that with the right tools, training, and support, anyone can become part of the solution to local energy challenges.
Whether you’re inspired to start your own LPG business, support local entrepreneurs, or simply understand how community-driven solutions work, these Cape Town success stories offer hope and practical pathways forward.
The Mother City has always been a place where people with vision could build something meaningful. Today, that vision fits in a box—and it’s transforming communities one cylinder at a time.
Interested in learning more about LPG entrepreneurship opportunities in Cape Town? Contact Pressure Concepts Trading to explore how their Business in a Box concept could launch your journey into energy entrepreneurship.