By 
Balabala grew up in Thembisa, a sprawling suburb on Gauteng’s east rand. He left school in grade 9, did not finish trade school, and began selling sweets and magwenya (vetkoek).
In 2007, however, an idea sparked his business instincts. He noticed a trend among young people for having their names printed on T-shirts, so he took it further by selling personalised matric jackets.
The idea was a hit, and Balabala set up his business in the garage of his mother’s house, doing printing and offering an internet café service.
He says it “took a whole village” to get his business up and running. “Neighbours gave carpets and table stands, an aunt bought me inks and I was given a computer and printer,” he says. “To this day I am grateful for that.”
On the first day he made R5 and R2 on the second. “For the first seven years, I made about R380 a month. I still have those ledgers,” he says.
With returns like that he was on the verge of giving up, but then a friend took him under his wing and “taught me everything there is to know about the printing world”.
The printing operation grew into branding and he started getting business from high-end customers in Rosebank and Hyde Park. “Only 5% of our business came from the township and churches,” says Balabala.
With the experience of someone who has pulled himself up by his own bootstraps, he uses his story to encourage others. “There is a clear lack of information and there are huge disparities between township and conventional or corporate businesses.”
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