By Celani Sikhakhane
- Nomzamo Cele from eFolweni has supported her family for decades by selling vegetables at Durban’s English Market at Warwick Junction.
- Her daughters have finished matric and joined her in the business, which also helps other traders through stokvel savings.
For more than two decades, 48-year-old Nomzamo Cele from eFolweni, south of Durban, has carried her family through her vegetable stall at the English Market in Warwick Junction.
She says her business has not only put food on the table but also paid for her children’s education.
“I have been working here for years and I respect my business a lot,” she said. “We make money by selling vegetables and through stokvels. That’s how I’ve managed to support my family without fail.”
Cele said some of her daughters have finished matric and now work with her to grow the business, while her youngest is still in school.
Despite strict municipal regulations, she said the family makes a steady profit because of the high number of people who pass through the market every day.
Scrolla.Africa visited her stall, which sits on a busy walkway inside the English Market shelter built by the municipality for informal traders. It’s a place packed with commuters heading to work or the taxi ranks.
Cele said she has no regrets about joining the trade. Over the years, she has built strong friendships with other traders, many of whom see her as a mother figure.
At her stall, there’s rarely a quiet moment as she and her children serve a constant stream of customers.
Pictured above: The famous English Market in Durban where Nomzamo Cele and her daughters run their vegetable stall.
Image source: Supplied
