By Palesa Matlala
- Eunice Ximba, 52, started selling perfumes when South Africa went into hard lockdown in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
- Ximba teaches at a private school where salaries depend on school fees but parents lost jobs and could not pay.
Eunice Ximba struggles to feed her three children on her teaching salary alone.
The 52-year-old grade 1 teacher at a private school in South Africa started selling perfumes when the country went into hard lockdown in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At her private school, teacher salaries depend on learners’ school fees. When the pandemic hit, many parents were affected. Some were retrenched and others lost their jobs. This meant they could not pay school fees.
“If learners don’t pay school fees, this results in us not getting paid,” Ximba said.
She stocked up on perfumes and sold them for R100 per bottle to parents and teachers.
Ximba has three children. Her youngest child is in Grade 3 this year.
During the first year of her perfume business, Ximba made a loss. She charged her customers too little.
“I made a loss for the first year of my business. I under charged my customers. People didn’t have money and I needed to survive with my children,” she said.
With the money she made from perfume sales, Ximba bought electricity and daily essentials like bread.
“I am a qualified teacher but my salary doesn’t cover all my needs. The money I make from the perfume sales keeps us afloat till my next pay date,” she said.
Research shows many teachers in South Africa find it difficult to live on their monthly salaries alone. Their incomes barely cover basic necessities like housing and transportation.
To boost their income, teachers often resort to extra income streams. These include private tutoring, extra classes and marking matric papers.
Ximba has raised her prices to R150 per bottle of perfume. Some months she makes less profit. But she has vowed to continue with her side hustle.
Pictured above: Perfumes.
Image source: Supplied
