What the rise of JoJo tanks means for entrepreneurship in SA
For a country with a wealth of problems looking for solutions, entrepreneurial activity is surprisingly sparse. The FM explores several of the small companies on the block to find out what their journey says about the state of entrepreneurship in SA. And what needs to happen to create many more companies like JoJo Tanks and Ubuntu Baba
As Cape Town hurtled towards Day Zero last year, one local invention was on everyone’s lips as the essential ally to alleviate the water crisis: the JoJo tank. The story of the tank, an unassuming plastic vessel ranging in size from 20l to 20,000l, is a gripping tale of local entrepreneurship thrust into the global spotlight. With more than R650m in sales every year, it even threatens to shade the Kreepy Krauly pool cleaner as the most iconic SA invention. It all started in the 1970s in Groblersdal, Limpopo, when lucerne farmer Johannes Joubert (from whose name the tanks got their moniker) hit on a better system of storing and using rainwater. Joubert, speaking to the FM this week, says he was tinkering with making fibreglass canopies for motorboats when he realised how farmers were being ripped off by the suppliers of fibreglass fertiliser tanks. "They were overpricing the tanks … I used to use fibreglass initially and then plastic became a better option. It’s less labour-intensive...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.