By Buziwe Nocuze
- A father earns R100 per load as a taxi door operator after stopping his egg business due to extortion demands.
- He uses the income to buy food in bulk, pay for electricity and support his children.
Thabiso Mgodlo, 37, from Cape Town, stopped selling eggs around his township after being targeted by extortionists.
“I was trying to make money to buy food for my family,” he said. “But there were people demanding money from me.”
He said he explained that his business did not make much, but the pressure continued. “I had no choice but to stop,” he said.
Mgodlo then looked for work that would not attract attention. He approached a taxi driver and asked for any job, even washing the taxi.
“He gave me more than that,” Mgodlo said. “He allowed me to work as a door operator.”
As a taxi door operator, Mgodlo earns R100 per load. His job is to help fill the taxi when it picks up passengers in the township rather than at the rank. He calls out destinations and makes sure the taxi leaves full.
On busy days, such as month-end and social grant payment days, he can earn up to R150.
“With this job, I can feed my family,” he said. “I can even buy my children’s school uniforms without asking anyone for help.”
Mgodlo lives with his partner and their children. To stretch his income, he buys groceries in bulk.
“I buy combos that last the whole month,” he said. “If I buy sugar and other basics in bulk, I don’t need to buy them again next month.”
He also earns extra money by washing the same taxi.
“I wash it every weekend, and sometimes during the week,” he said. “I get paid R150, and that money helps.”
He uses the extra cash to buy electricity or add meat to the household food.
The family mostly eats chicken, tinned food and eggs.
“Sometimes I buy eggs so my children have something for school lunch,” he said.
Pictured above: A taxi.
Image source: File
