Mava Mkukwana, 57, knows location can turn passing motorists into customers, and his background in geography has guided where his service stations go.
Mkukwana said: “We have built in areas where there has been no development but intercept traffic and in turn ignite development in these areas.
"Urban planning requires functional towns that provide strategic points of service to motorists and residents.”
Based in KuGompo City, the director of Fuel Mart Capital Group trained as a teacher, majoring in geography and English.
He taught for two years before moving into insurance and later opening his own brokerage.
In 2001, he bought a small Sasol station in Mthatha, later converting it to an Engen.
A loan from his mother, Leonora Mkukwana, helped him get started, with his wife, Nosipho, 56, working alongside him.
“I have worked with my wife from the start.
"We turned an old small service station into a vibrant destination for cooked meals. Family partnerships work very well,” he said.
Fuel Mart Capital was established in February 2018, and now employs 800 people.
The group includes 11 service stations, two SPAR stores, a Nando’s drive-through and three KFC drive-throughs. It also develops retail properties to lease.
His developments include a Shell Ultra City outside Butterworth, which he previously told the Dispatch took six months to get ready for trading.
Speed mattered: interest, rates and other expenses started mounting as soon as the property transferred.
Mkukwana counts bringing retail centres to rural areas “where no similar establishments existed before” and creating “hundreds of employment opportunities for our unemployed youth” among his proudest achievements.
On the challenge of construction costs, he said: “We have used the same professional team that has remained with us for many years.
"Over time, we have developed a model that works.
"We have also procured our own construction equipment, which to a large extent helps to reduce the costs.”
At the pumps, customers’ budgets are stretched. Higher fuel prices mean their money buys fewer litres, and spending on food is under pressure too.
“We find the average spend per customer is coming down. Many are opting not to buy as frequently as before.”
He concentrates on the customer experience, to earn loyalty and bring people back.
“It’s important to know what you can’t control,” he said.
On his plans to strengthen business, Mkukwana said: “Consolidate the existing businesses, establish a high degree of efficiency and automation of key functions, extract value and operate beyond most national benchmarks.”
But the part of the work he enjoys is simple.
“Above it all, I enjoy working with people."
