By Nontokozo Gemani
• Mxolisi Sibeko lost his job in 2018 but now earns a living selling homemade atchar after learning the trade from street vendors outside a panel beater.
• The father of two says he has no plans to return to office work because his atchar business supports his family and keeps loyal customers coming back.
A trip to collect a repaired van changed Mxolisi Sibeko’s life forever.
The father of two from KwaThema had lost his job in 2018 and was looking for a way to support his family.
He bought a second hand van with plans to transport school children.
Before he could hit the road, the van needed repairs at a panel beater.
While waiting for the work to be finished, Sibeko kept visiting the workshop to check on the progress.
It was there that he noticed a group of men selling atchar nearby.
The workers at the panel beater often spoke about how well the atchar sellers were doing.
“The guys at the panel beater always said the atchar sellers were making good money,” said Sibeko.
The comments made him curious.
Instead of ignoring the opportunity, he walked over to the traders and asked if they could teach him the business.
They agreed and even sold him his first batch of atchar so he could start selling.
By the time his van was ready, Sibeko had discovered a new way to earn an income.
He never looked back.
Before becoming a street trader, Sibeko studied Electrical Engineering N6 at Springs Technical College.
He later worked at Scaw Metals in Johannesburg until he lost his job.
Today, he makes his own atchar from scratch.
He carefully mixes the spices, oil and other ingredients to create the flavour that keeps customers coming back.
“Atchar has different grades, and you need to know them if you want to make the best product,” he said.
Every weekday, Sibeko sells his atchar outside Ekhaya Shopping Centre in KwaThema near the Duduza Taxi Rank.
His containers sell for between R10 and R60.
Running the business is not without challenges.
Cooking oil is one of his biggest expenses.
He uses five litres of oil for every 20 litre bucket of atchar he makes.
He also spends money travelling to buy fresh ingredients.
Despite the costs, he says business stays busy throughout the year.
“It’s like fat cakes because people buy them in every season,” he said.
His busiest days are when South African Social Security Agency grants are paid because more people have money to spend.
On a good day, Sibeko says he earns about the same as a taxi driver.
After almost eight years in business, he says he has no interest in going back to formal employment.
“A lot of people look down on street vendors, but they don’t know it can be a very good way to make a living,” he said.
His dream is to grow his business and supply atchar to other people who want to start selling.
“What keeps me going is seeing customers come back and tell me they enjoy my atchar,” he said.
Pictured above: Mxolisi Sibeko turned a visit to a panel beater into a successful atchar business after losing his job.
Image source: Supplied.
