As a man who grew up in the township of Gugulethu in Cape Town, Lundi Saunders did not inherit any success. Instead, he had to build it. He is still at it, building a legacy through hard work and dedication, and hopes that the successes will last him a lifetime. He spoke to SMF News’ Bulela Sikithi.
Fuel owner and manager, Lundi Saunders, takes a hands-on approach to his work. Experiences shape the way he leads and engages with his employees, says Saunders. PHOTO: Bulela Sikithi
Cars drive into the petrol station in the early hours of a weekday morning. Lundi Saunders is already on site, ensuring everything is running smoothly. As the owner of the station, he has decided that there are no off days for him. It is grind time seven days a week.
His father had the means, but was not present in Lundi’s life. But rather than dwelling on the life he could have had, he challenged that absence and built a legacy for himself.
A childhood in Gugulethu
Lundi grew up in Gugulethu, Cape Town, where they lived in a tiny four-room house with just one bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen and a sitting area separated by a couch. He was raised by a single mother who lived off a teacher’s salary, with no male figure in the house. As a child, he always knew that he had to work his way to the top.
“As I grew older, I kept questioning my mom,” he says. “Where is my dad?” he would ask her, as he would see other children with their fathers. He knew of his father, yet never experienced his presence.
Lundi completed matric in 2010. At the age of 18, he did not know what to study, but knew that he simply had to succeed. He took a sports fitness course at Northlink College’s Plattekloof campus in Cape Town. Yet, he admits that he only studied because it was the right thing to do at the time. He finished his course in 2013 and went to live with his dad in Johannesburg.
The start of the grind
Lundi describes his father as a financially stable man who has built a name for himself in the transport and logistics industry. When Lundi moved to Johannesburg, he resided with his father, who lived in the Fourways area in Johannesburg.
For Lundi, it felt like he had walked into another world. He appears pensive when talking about his dad. His father insisted that he find a job if he wanted to live there. His siblings had the opportunity to work within the family business.
“I was my dad’s favourite child,” he says, explaining that this belief is shaped by how his father pushed him to reach his full potential.
But despite his dad pushing him career-wise, Lundi kept on contemplating his relationship with his father and other siblings.
“I remembered: ‘Lundi, you are here, they are there’,” he says, making a hierarchical gesture using his hands.
One of his first jobs in Johannesburg was at Virgin Active in Sandton. His manager happened to run a petrol station and one day asked him if he was willing to work for him.
“I said yes.” He nods and leans towards the table: “For the first time, I said, ‘Thank you, God’.”
Going to the interview, his car’s petrol tank was nearly empty. By the end of the interview, he had secured the job, which came with an unexpected benefit of a petrol card.
“Remember, all I had with me going to the interview was a R20!”
While working at the petrol station, which was based in Alberton, Johannesburg, curiosity got the better of him. He asked the owner how he built the business and got an answer that pointed towards a training centre at Engen Edgemead Convenience Centre. Little did he know that securing a job at the garage was the start of greater things.
At the time, Lundi emphasises with the same hierarchical gestures that everyone was above him. But this served as a reminder for him to work harder.
Then, at the age of 22, Lundi had his car repossessed.
“I was the first person in my family to have their car repossessed, and I thought to myself, my dad was right,” he says. “I always remind myself that everything that I have right now is not mine. Because it could all go tomorrow. I’ve grown to learn that.”
He reflects again: “Someone said to me: ‘Stop chasing your father.’ My thing is, all I have wanted to do is to beat him and be better at his own game.”
The fruits of one’s labour
Lundi Saunders, a self-made entrepreneur, grew up in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Through hard work and dedication, he now owns and manages the Astron Energy fuel station on Merriman Avenue in Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Bulela Sikithi
Today Lundi runs his own garage.
On 28 April 2025, he was called over by Astron Energy to take over the Merriman Avenue site in Stellenbosch. He took over another petrol station in Wellington on 2 March 2026.
Seeing Lundi interact with his employees, it is quite clear that he has an individual relationship with each of them, and it goes beyond just running the business.
“I never forget who I am, and I always say: ‘Lundi, you are here, they are there’,” he says, using the gesture again.
“It’s been an experience,” says Mark Petersen, Lundi’s second-in-charge, about his management style. While Mark has previously worked for bosses who micro-manage, he says Lundi “works with us”. Mark now enjoys his work but also life outside of work, because he knows he can rely on Lundi.
“Working with Mr Lundi and seeing him at the forecourt is something I have never experienced at my previous workplace,” says Anganawe Dokolwana, one of the petrol attendants at the Merriman Astron. “He’s such a people’s person.”
Lundi explains that he actively works on the ground because he noticed a gap between other employees and employers. He does not want that to be the case at his site. This motivates him to engage with his team.
His resilience encourages him to put in more effort and broaden his knowledge within his industry, he says. Unsurprisingly, his motto in life is: “We’re doing this for the first time and for the last time.”
Accepting things as they are and seeing the positives in everything is a coping mechanism that Lundi has inherited. “From here, I am not stopping,” he says.
When people ask him when he will rest, he has an answer ready: “I don’t have time to rest, I’ve got dreams to chase.”