Soweto youth Kgotso Petlele has transformed a battery, a second-hand printer and a trolley into a thriving informal printing business near the Moroka Police Station in Rockville.
Petlele started the mobile business in January 2026 after seeing long queues at the police station and that there was no one providing a printing service for the scores of people who came there daily to certify documents.
He said the idea came to him in 2021 during the COVID-19 lockdown when he saw a man operating a printer from a crate and car battery outside a police station in Dobsonville.
“It stuck in my head,” he said.
He tried renting a shack opposite the Moroka police station to establish his business, but his efforts were not successful after the owners declined his request.
He was then forced to go mobile instead. With no money to his name, he went out to put his idea into practice. He bought a second-hand printer online for R50. A friend loaned him R1,500, which he used to buy a car battery. “I got excited because that’s when I knew my plan was about to start materialising,” he said.
Before setting up his mobile business, Petlele approached the Moroka police management for permission to trade outside the station and briefed them about the business. He said they were supportive of his idea but could not accede to his request to provide him with electricity.
He charges his battery overnight. Then every morning he packs his equipment into an old shopping trolley and sets out for work to serve people seeking to apply for work or make copies for certification. The business operates from 7:30 am to 5 pm daily. Services include copies at R2, printouts at R5, scans at R5 per page and lD photos at R60 for six.
Petlele also types and designs CVs for clients. He said the biggest demand comes from unemployed people printing multiple sets of documents.
“Seeing a high volume of people doing their CVs was a huge indicator of how high the unemployment rate is,” said Petlele. “I have seen the stats, but seeing it in real time is painful. If a person has five certificates and a CV, they will make 10 sets just to submit.”
He said he was also unemployed and still studying towards a Diploma in Accounting Science through Unisa when he started the business.
“I wanted to do something to earn a living for myself,” he said.
Informal traders operating in public spaces in the City of Johannesburg are required to have a trading permit. They also need to comply with safety and zoning by-laws depending on the activity and location. Kgotso said he has been advised to formalise his business.
“The real challenge that I am facing is the weather. I do have a gazebo, but when it rains heavily, it gets bad, and that leads us to close early or not open at all. His goal is to move into a proper shipping Container and buy more equipment.
