The greatest glory in living lies not
in never falling, but in rising every
time we
fall.
Sbonelo's story
Born in the rural outskirts of South Coast (KZN) - eNqabeni, Sbonelo Mbatha was ingrained with a work ethic started that served him well throughout his entrepreneurship journey. Growing up in rural environment can be credited to have influenced Sbonelo's resilience, hard work and tenacity in the business world. manager, and ultimately owner of multiple service stations. He is renowned as an industry expert and a mentor to many young entrepreneurs.
Sbonelo found himself unemployed for quite a few years despite being a Cost Management Accounting graduate from MUT. His relentless spirit drove him to assume a low paying and despised job of a Petrol Attendant at a local service station.
It was not long that he got promoted to the position of an Office Administrator and later to a Site Manager. During these years, Sbonelo learnt the intricacies of the business of fuel retailing, which eventually ignited interest of pursuing empowerment opportunities within this sector. In 2007, after having successfully completed a one-year Empowerment Programme initiative by bp Southern Africa, his dream finally came to fruition. Mr. Mbatha was appointed as the Dealer Franchisee at BP Dube Village, defying all odds and extraordinary circumstances. Sbonelo's experience obtained from grass roots level of service station operations came in handy, as he pursued growth and sustainability in the sector. He later acquired various service stations across the country, mainly in KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng and Free State.
Like most entrepreneurs, he diversified his portfolio by dabbling in FMCG Distribution, which later proved to be nothing but an expensive 'Harvard University fees'. He also owned Driving school academy that produced a number of drivers in both public and private sector, but that's a story for another day...
