- Nonkanyiso Mbizo charges R50 to R100 to mix cow dung and mud for floors in homes around her village.
- The mother of five also sells home-brewed beer so she can buy food and avoid borrowing from loan sharks.
Nonkanyiso Mbizo wakes up early to collect cow dung so she can earn enough money to feed her family.
The 49-year-old mother of five lives in Sicwenza village in Flagstaff, Eastern Cape, and supports a household of six.
She mixes cow dung with mud to work on floors in local homes, charging between R50 and R100 depending on the size and condition of the house.
“As a mother, it is my duty to make sure that my family doesn’t go to bed hungry,” Mbizo said.
She receives child support grants for two children and started the work to bring in extra money.
Many of her customers are elderly people who cannot do the flooring themselves.
Mbizo sometimes works on credit and waits until her customers receive their pensions.
“They sometimes ask me to do the job for R40, and I take it because it’s better than nothing,” she said.
Her children sometimes help collect cow dung and fetch water.
Mbizo said the money mainly goes towards basic food such as mielie meal for porridge.
Because the flooring work is usually only available once a month, she also sells home-brewed beer for R15 to R20.
She said the extra income helps her avoid borrowing money from a mashonisa.
“I am doing everything that will help me get money,” Mbizo said.
“I am a hustler because I don’t want to bother my neighbours by asking for favours. I will keep pushing.”
Ingquza Hill municipality spokesperson Lwando Nonkonyana said the municipality remained largely rural and housing needs continued to change as the population grew.
Municipal records show 386 of 69,306 households are living in mud structures.
Pictured above: Nonkanyiso Mbizo from Flagstaff earns money by mixing cow dung with mud and brewing home-brewed beer.
Image source: Supplied
