DAUGHTER OF PETROL ATTENDANT NOW PROUD OWNER OF A FUEL STATION

NOKUPHILA KHUMALO - Proud owner of a fuel station

Nokuphila Khumalo was so inspired by her petrol attendant father that she is now the proud owner of a BP fuel and service station.

The 27-year-old is believed to be one of the youngest BP fuel dealers in the country.

She bought her service station in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, last year - nearly 40 years since her father last worked as a petrol attendant. He later became a police officer and a businessman.

"At the moment I think I am the youngest black female in fuel and convenience. In most cases, I noticed there are females in the industry but [they] don't fully own the business. They are either assisting the fuel company in running the site or are in a partnership with other shareholders," Khumalo said.

Khumalo, who hails from Umlazi, studied interior design at the Design School Southern Africa in Pretoria and quit as a project manager last year to realise her dream of owning the fuel station After seeing the low number of fuel station owners who are women, Khumalo said she was pushed to ensure that she fully owns her business and she is the sole shareholder and director. She also owns the land where the service station is located.

"I began my research and seriously pursued my interests in mid-2010," she said.

Khumalo said she opened a savings account after matric, where she saved money each month with her goal in mind.

She landed a job during her studies as a model and as a bar lady and used her earnings and allowance to save R3,000 a month. By the time she had landed herself a corporate job she was able to save up to R5,000 a month depending on how much money she could afford to put away.