Duduza – African Reporter vendor Thabo Matlala (48) believes that young people should aspire to be their own bosses.
After moving to Duduza from Soweto in 1997, Matlala knew that he had to do something to support himself and his sickly mother.
“I have always been business-minded. When I was in school I would sell biscuits and sweets,” he explained.
Eventually, he expanded his business to selling snacks at sporting events.
“I started selling the African Reporter on behalf of someone else, in the early 2000s. And I was doing a great job. That is when I decided to do this for myself, and be my own boss,” he said.
To date, Matlala orders no less than 600 copies of the African Reporter each week.
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“I wake up at 04:00. I pray, then I bath to make myself presentable. Mandoza once said ‘uzoythola kanjan uhlel’khoneni?’ (how will you get anything if you sit at the corner).
“Many young people are lazy, and they expect opportunities to fall on their laps. Then they blame foreigners for taking their jobs, when in actual fact, foreigners do the jobs that South Africans don’t think highly of.
“If you are serious about your life you will stand up and find something to do. Even if that means you start at the bottom. I don’t want to live on hand-outs,” said Matlala.
Matlala said he hopes that others look at him and find inspiration to put their ideas into action.
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