By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Zodwa Nkabinde, a mother of four from Thembisa, has collected waste since 2021 but says her income never stretches to the end of the month.
- The cheapest 12.5kg bag of maize meal now costs R119 at Shoprite. Zodwa says she used to pay around R80 for the same size bag.
Zodwa Nkabinde wakes up early every morning to collect other people’s rubbish. She has done it since 2021. Last month, it earned her R850.
The Johannesburg household food basket costs R5,713.63 in June 2026, according to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group. Nkabinde earned 15% of that. It was gone before the month ended.
“It doesn’t last until the end of the month,” she said.
Nkabinde is a mother of four in Thembisa. What she earns changes every day depending on what she finds. Some months are better than others. Last month was not one of them.
She buys whatever maize meal is cheapest. The cheapest 12.5kg bag on the shelf at Shoprite costs R119 now. She remembers when it was around R80.
“Cooking oil, sugar, washing powder and bread — those things have become very expensive,” she said.
The child support grant helps. It covers some groceries and gives her children something to take to school for lunch. Without it, she said, the gap would be impossible to close.
Luyanda Hlatshwayo from the African Reclaimers Organisation said waste reclaimers across South Africa are earning too little to cover basic needs.
“It is really minimum money,” Hlatshwayo said.
He said rising oil and petrol prices have pushed up transport costs for waste pickers, making it harder to cover the distances needed to collect enough to earn a living.
The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa estimates there are between 90,000 and 100,000 waste reclaimers in South Africa. The institute said they are not fairly paid and should be formally included in waste management systems.
The broader picture is getting worse. Informal sector employment fell by 127,000 in the first quarter of 2026. Gauteng lost 67,000 jobs in the same period, the second largest provincial drop in the country.
Waste reclaimers who want to formalise their work or access support can contact the African Reclaimers Organisation at 011 334 5711.
Pictured above: Zodwa Nkabinde sorts through waste bags in Thembisa before sunrise.
Image source: Selloane Ntshonyane
