- Masikane gets only R2,000 monthly from his security learnership and cycles to save R640 taxi costs each month.
- The 24-year-old supports his siblings by paying for crèche fees, groceries and grows vegetables to stretch their food budget.
Mvelo Masikane wakes up early each morning and gets on his bicycle. The 24-year-old cycles from Senaoane to his security training centre near Bara taxi rank.
He does this to save money. His learnership pays him only R2,000 a month.
“If I use a taxi it will cost R32 per day, R160 per week and R640 per month,” said Masikane.
That taxi money is too much when he has to support his young siblings. He pays for his sister’s crèche and buys groceries for all three of them.
Masikane also started growing vegetables in his backyard. Meat prices have gone up too much.
“We eat a lot of veggies, beans and eggs which are expensive. We cook meat once a week and I carry a lunch box to work while my siblings eat at the school’s feeding scheme,” said Masikane.
The cycling was hard at first. But over the months he got used to the cold winter mornings and evenings. He bought a rain coat and boots for summer.
He saves the money because he doesn’t know if the security company will give him a permanent job after the training.
“I’m a black young man, raising my siblings with the peanuts I get from my learnership and it is hard. Prices keep going up while what we earn is little,” said Masikane.
South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. The official rate is 32%.
The government has told young people to take unpaid jobs and apply for learnerships. But there is no promise of permanent work.
Pictured above: Mvelo Masikane’s bicycle and vegetables.
Image source: Supplied
