By Anita Dangazele
- Zinathi Mlenzana opened a clothing account and gym contract she could not keep up with on R1,650 a month.
- The student now moves her NSFAS allowance before debit orders go through and fears her credit record is ruined.
Zinathi Mlenzana had never handled money on her own before she arrived at Nelson Mandela University. Growing up in a village, university was her first taste of independence.
When her National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) living allowance landed in her bank account, she spent it on things she did not need. She received about R1,650 a month.
By April, she was paid three months at once because the February and March payments had been delayed. It was the most money she had ever seen in her account.
“I had never handled money on my own, and so when my NSFAS allowance was paid, I spent it recklessly buying things I didn’t need,” she said.
A friend suggested opening a clothing account. Zinathi agreed because she believed her monthly allowance meant she could handle small instalments. She also signed up for a gym contract after a salesperson offered a discounted student deal, without reading the contract properly.
Soon, the clothing account and gym fees were deducted every month. Zinathi was often left with almost nothing to buy food. Some months, she could not even afford bread.
When she tried to cancel the gym membership, she was told she had to pay a cancellation fee she could not afford. She stopped paying altogether.
“I couldn’t afford the cancellation fee and so I stopped paying altogether,” she said.
Zinathi now rushes to move her allowance out of her account before debit orders go through. She avoids calls from unknown numbers because she fears debt collectors.
She plans to pay her debts once she finds a job but worries her credit record is already ruined.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. I don’t know if I’ll be able to buy a car or even get a cellphone contract,” she said.
Her message to first-year students is clear: NSFAS money is not a salary. Spend carefully and only buy what you can truly afford.
Pictured above: Nelson Mandela University student Zinathi Mlenzana.
Image source: Supplied
