Venda’s decentralised fuel market signals a new era for South African entrepreneurship

It’s funny how life has a way of drawing curious parallels, almost as if the universe enjoys a bit of irony. Recently, we each travelled to Venda, unknowingly within weeks of each other. When we returned, we realised our experiences were strikingly similar stories of a region quietly redefining what local enterprise looks like. Those shared observations culminated in this co-authored article.

Across South Africa’s northern reaches, something remarkable is quietly unfolding an entrepreneurial shift that challenges long-held assumptions about who can participate in traditionally centralised industries. Travelling more than 150 kilometres through the area reveals a fuel landscape unlike any other: not one dominated by the familiar big-brand petrol stations, but a diverse network of independent and locally-owned operators. Names unfamiliar to most South Africans line the roads from regional brands, black-owned enterprises, small partnerships, and even a few international entrants from as far as Australia. What seems at first like a regional anomaly is, in fact, a powerful reflection of how decentralisation and local entrepreneurship are beginning to reshape sectors once reserved for major corporates.

The fuel industry has long been one of the most centralised and capital-intensive in South Africa. Entry barriers from licensing and compliance to supply chain infrastructure have traditionally made it inaccessible to small or emerging players. Yet, in Venda, the landscape is shifting. Local entrepreneurs have found ways to participate, operating independent stations that challenge long-standing monopolies and redefine what ownership looks like in the energy space.

This decentralisation is more than a regional curiosity; it’s an indicator of what economic inclusion looks like in real time. When markets open and ownership diversifies, value begins to circulate within communities rather than being extracted from them. Local operators employ locally, reinvest locally, and serve local demand with agility and insight. The result is not just entrepreneurship but community resilience, a foundational step toward equitable development.

What’s equally striking is consumer behaviour. Despite the dominance of established national and international fuel brands elsewhere in the country, Venda’s drivers have embraced these new stations without hesitation. They fill their tanks at names they’ve never heard before, returning often enough to develop preferences among them. Conventional wisdom assumes that South Africans are brand loyal and risk-averse, especially in industries where quality assurance is crucial. Venda’s experience proves otherwise: when businesses offer consistency, accessibility, and service rooted in community, trust can be built beyond corporate logos.

For entrepreneurs, this is a crucial insight. The assumption that certain industries are “closed” is often a myth reinforced by perception, not fact. Whether in energy, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, or finance, there are opportunities waiting for those willing to reimagine how participation looks. What Venda demonstrates is that with innovation, collaboration, and local understanding, even the most centralised sectors can evolve.

There’s also an important strategic takeaway here. Too often, entrepreneurship is equated with “innovation” developing new markets and short-term trends. While these are vital, maybe the next wave of transformative entrepreneurship in Africa lies in already existing sectors: fuel, food, water, housing, and transport. These industries shape livelihoods on a daily basis, and when local ownership enters those spaces, the impact multiplies far beyond profit margins.

The entrepreneurs entering these fields aren’t just building businesses; they’re redefining economic power. By decentralising access, they challenge long-standing monopolies, diversify income sources, and create new forms of participation. For investors and policymakers, Venda’s example signals the importance of supporting such decentralised participation. Flexible financing, simplified licensing, and recognition of emerging players are critical to sustaining this shift.

Entrepreneurship, at its core, has never been about waiting for access, it’s about creating it. Venda shows what happens when people do just that. It’s a lesson worth noting for every entrepreneur across the continent: the industries that seem most closed are often the ones most in need of reinvention. The next generation of African businesses will not only build new markets they will decentralise old ones.

Boitshoko Shoke and Londani Mpharalala work in the Research and Impact Office at 22 On Sloane.

*** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.

BUSINESS REPORT