Load-shedding pushed more households and businesses onto gas — and they all need refills. A gas refill business runs a compliant depot supplying LPG cylinders.
Why it works here
Gas demand is essential and recurring, load-shedding has grown it, and the safety-compliance barrier keeps out unsafe competition.
The step-by-step
1. Register the business and open a business bank account.
2. Confirm your regulatory track — a cylinder reseller needs SANS 10087 safety compliance, not a bulk distribution licence.
3. Build a compliant storage enclosure signed off by a SAQCC Gas-registered installer.
4. Secure a supply agreement with an LPG marketer and acquire your cylinder float.
5. Set pricing on a consistent margin over wholesale, and inspect every cylinder in and out.
6. Target households and commercial gas users, and never be out of stock.
Roughly what it costs to start
Startup is moderate to high — the compliant store and the cylinder float dominate.
The honest hard part
LPG is flammable and pressurised — the SANS 10087 store and cylinder safety checks are non-negotiable, and getting compliance wrong is catastrophic.
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