• A 45 year old Cape Town man says he gave up looking for work after five years of failed job applications and started selling a body cleansing mixture instead.
• He sells one cup for R50 and two litres for R200, saying the daily income now helps him buy groceries and feed his family.
After five years of sending out job applications with no success, a Cape Town man has created his own way to survive.
The 45 year old now sells a body cleansing mixture at a taxi rank. He says he had no choice after struggling for years to find employment.
“I have been sending CVs for all these years, I have given up and I have accepted that I will never work again because the unemployment rate is going high each day. There are people who just graduated and they are adding to the number of unemployed people meaning it will never end,” he said.
He decided to sell his mixture at the taxi rank to reach more customers.
At first, he tried selling in different townships. But he stopped after he was robbed.
“I tried selling it around the townships but for safety reasons I decided to stop, I was once robbed of my cellphone while selling it in another section,” he said.
Now he focuses on the busy taxi rank where there are drivers, passengers and food vendors.
He sells one cup for R50. Customers who want two litres to share with their families pay R200.
“When I came here I was not only targeting taxi drivers but also the passengers, plus the people who are selling food at the taxi rank. I am getting customers every day, and with the money I make I am able to buy groceries for my family,” he said.
He wakes up at 05:00 every morning to prepare the mixture before heading out to sell.
“My customers keep coming back for more, because they can see that my mixture is working. They are also referring other people to come and buy from me,” he said.
He says the small business has eased the pressure at home.
“I am grateful to everyone who is supporting me because now the stress level I had is much better. My family doesn’t go to bed hungry,” he said.
Pictured above: Cleaning products
Image source: Supplied
