- Peter Rikhotso, 39, from Tzaneen lost his farm job and now sells mopani worms, also called maxoja, at taxi ranks.
- Rikhotso sells packs of mopani worms for R50 each and says he makes up to R1,500 on a good day.
Peter Rikhotso, 39, lost his job as a maintenance worker at a farm in Tzaneen a few years ago. Today, he sells mopani worms at Nkowankowa Taxi Rank to earn money.
Rikhotso started selling the worms, also known as maxoja, last year. An acquaintance who noticed he was a good salesperson asked him to sell the worms on his behalf.
The worms come from Botswana in 50kg sacks. Each sack costs between R3,500 and R4,500, depending on the seller.
Each pack sells for R50. On a good day, Rikhotso makes about R1,500. On a bad day, he makes about R500.
His employer pays him based on how much he sells. Sometimes he gets paid R200 for a good day. He does not earn a stable salary.
Rikhotso also does odd jobs like gardening when he is not selling worms.
He left school in Grade 10 due to ill health and could not complete his education.
Rikhotso says mopani worms are nutritious and encourages pregnant women to eat them for the well-being of their unborn babies. He hopes to one day run his own mopani worm business. He says if someone bought him a sack, it would be a bonus.
“Selling mopani worms is better than stealing from other people. I don’t want to steal from people, hence I work hard. When we go to the shops to buy, it does not matter that the money was from worms or someone working at an office. Money is money,” he said.
Pictured above: Peter Rikhotso selling mopani worms at Nkowankowa Taxi Rank.
Image source: Supplied
