Mackenzie’s story went viral on 21 January and he was dubbed by Twitter users as the coolest entrepreneur ever, as he stood on Empire Road in Joburg offering Zulu lessons for only R1.
The man who sleeps in an old TV box under a bridge in Joburg near his ‘station’ on Empire Road, tells a source that he did not start out offering lessons, but rather as a street joker. Unfortunately, he admits that he was not very funny and decided to make a career move.
This story has a happy ending for this teacher as he was awarded a bursary to study audio technology at the Academy of Sound Engineering.
His story made such an impact that on 21 January, Jacaranda FM’s breakfast team, The Complimentary Breakfast, went out to Mackenzie who was at Empire Road, and awarded him with the bursary while live on-air.
Last year July, people really started taking note of the young entrepreneur, when Wits journalism students documented the man’s efforts in a heart-warming video story that was then published in the University’s own Wits Vuvuzela Journalism publication.
The next challenge faced by the young man is accommodation while he studies and Jacaranda FM’s Complimentary Breakfast team welcomes any help that can be offered to him.
