“Hard Work Pays Off”: Mzansi Reacts to Cape Town Man Starting Firewood Empire With R200 Salary
- A Cape Town entrepreneur built a firewood business from scratch at 20 years old while still in his first year of university and earning R200 a day
- Jaden started selling firewood from his mother’s bakkie during COVID-19 while people his age were struggling to find any income at all
- Eight years after his grandfather taught him the trade, Jaden now owns a wood yard delivering to thousands and has travelled the world doing it
A young Cape Town entrepreneur has shown Mzansi that you don't need a fancy degree or a big idea to build real wealth; just wood and the ability to ignore doubters is enough.
Source: Instagram
Jaden started a firewood business at around 20 years old while still in his first year of university. Eight years later, on 3 March 2026, he took to Facebook to reflect on the journey. He was earning R200 a day at a sales shop before owning his own wood business. He currently runs deliveries to thousands of customers, and travelling the world. He learned the trade from his grandfather and then ran with it. He turned it into an empire that now operates whether he shows up or not.
From R200 a day to a business that travels the world
His grind ran straight through the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the same period that shut down businesses and sent South Africa’s youth unemployment rate to its worst levels on record. This made Jaden’s decision to build his business more significant. While many people his age scrambled for income during lockdown, his firewood business kept moving.
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The laughs stopped when the bakkie arrived
People had opinions but Jaden was not building for approval. He kept selling on the side of the road from his mother’s bakkie while scaling behind the scenes.
He now owns a bakkie of his own. The wood yard is his own. The deliveries go out to thousands of people under the business name All Good Firewood. He has since diversified by adding another income stream through modelling.
South Africa’s small business landscape is unforgiving. More than 60% of small businesses fail within their first two years. The ones that survive are usually the ones built on a skill that was passed down or a market overlooked by others.
Watch the Facebook video below:
Mzansi applaudes his business’ success
Shalen Gajadhar commented:
“Brilliant! Inspiring me in my own hustle.”
Nathan Dietrich said:
“What a delightful young man.”
Hannes Hibbert wrote:
“Well done to you. Hard work pays off.“
Bevan Alexander asked:
“Where do you harvest the wood? You got a hectare of family land to chop these wattle trees down? Just an interesting thought. Salute to your business. Well done.“
Grant Petersen commented:
“The country needs wood for the braai meat, so you're part of South African history.”
Source: Instagram
More Mzansi hustles on Briefly News
- Briefly News previously reported that an Uber Eats driver broke down how he managed to earn up to R3,500 weekly, offering guidance for unemployed South Africans interested in joining.
- A street vendor shared proof of completing his degree after passing multiple modules with distinction, all while running his food stall daily.
- A TikTok user who matriculated shared what his life was like after saying goodbye to school.
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Source: Briefly News
