Kempton Park brothers win national entrepreneurship award

Three brothers who are making cooking gas more accessible to township households have earned national recognition after being named South Africa’s Emerging Business Entrepreneurs of the Year.

Lwando, Simnikiwe and Lwazi Ndlangalavu, founders of PB Gaz, received the title at the 38th annual Business Partners Limited Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

The award recognises entrepreneurs who have operated their businesses for between one and five years, with an annual turnover of up to R10m.

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The brothers opened their first liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) outlet in Kempton Park in July 2023, combining their backgrounds in energy, banking and finance to address a significant barrier preventing many households from switching to gas: the upfront cost of a cylinder deposit.

Their business set out to provide an alternative to paraffin, coal and wood, particularly for families with irregular incomes.

PB Gaz introduced a model that lets customers buy gas without paying an upfront cylinder deposit. Customers can choose between pay-as-you-go micro-refills and a rent-to-own plan, through which they take ownership of the cylinder after 12 months.
The company also offers bulk pricing for small businesses and a separate pricing plan for registered schools.

Customers can place orders via WhatsApp, with free delivery to their doors within 24 hours. Each cylinder undergoes a safety check, while new customers receive free safety training, either in person or through WhatsApp video calls.

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The business also operates a 24-hour emergency line and hosts free monthly safety workshops for the community. Its outreach includes LPG safety talks for learners and teachers at local primary schools.

Gugu Mjadu of Business Partners Limited said the brothers had demonstrated how accessible clean cooking solutions could become a sustainable business.

“Clean cooking programmes only reach households when someone is prepared to deliver gas to their door at a price they can manage, and PB Gaz has shown that this can work as a business,” she said.

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Mjadu added that the business served thousands of households and supplied schools within a few years of opening its first outlet, while maintaining a clean safety record.

The brothers have also developed their own digital systems to manage operations. These include a point-of-sale system that tracks customers’ gas usage, a customer app that awards loyalty points for refills and a referral programme that rewards customers for bringing in new business.

PB Gaz has since expanded to three branches in Kempton Park, Kaalfontein and Ivory Park.

The business serves between 5 700 and 6 800 households each month and sells approximately 19.6 tons of LPG. Its customers also include spaza shops, street food vendors, small restaurants, caterers and creches, many of which use gas as a backup during power outages.

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The company also supplies public schools that require a reliable cooking fuel source to prepare daily meals under the National School Nutrition Programme.

Another milestone for the business is its preselection as an implementation partner for the G20 Clean Cooking Legacy Programme, which supports households transitioning to cleaner cooking fuels.

Beyond providing an alternative energy source, the brothers have prioritised employment within the communities they serve. Eight in 10 branch employees are recruited locally, while the business aims for a workforce with equal proportions of women and young people.

Looking ahead, PB Gaz plans to expand from three to eight branches, with proposed new outlets in Ebony Park, Mayibuye, Tswelopele and Winnie Mandela. The expansion is expected to create 34 additional jobs.

The brothers also intend to introduce bulk tanker supply for schools and commercial clients, as well as a wholesale cylinder exchange service for spaza shops.