Guided by Gcinisiswe Noyokaza, a local from the township, and accompanied by student Luam Ackermann, we made our first stop at a meat café - also called a "KFC" by the locals. The owner was not present, but several staff members were hard at work processing pigs’ heads with a hand saw and ax and boiling water in old oil tins for the cooking of the meat.
The shop, which is one of four in the area, sells the meat (mostly heads and intestines) to locals. Apparently it gets very busy in the afternoons when their clients return from work and buy something on their way home.
Our next stop was a shoe repair man who works on the sidewalk every day. He started his business in April and earns between R25 and R50 a day. When it rains he has no customers and no shelter.
Further down the road we spoke to a hairdresser who runs a tiny salon - one of many in Thembalethu. Asante Evans is originally from Ghana and settled in Thembalethu four years ago. He has no complaints about xenophobia and enjoys a wide range of clients from the area.
"I am managing - having bread is better than nothing. Business is picking up towards Christmas," said Evans, who hopes to expand his business with the help of a potential partner.
On our way out we passed several fruit and vegetable stores and stopped at a tyre repair shop - just in time to talk to a customer. Farrol Groenewald of the Lang-kloof comes for all his repairs to Thembalethu.
He has been a client of Savo’s Tyre Repairs for the last two years and is more than satisfied with the service.
The hard reality is that at least two thirds of Thembalethu’s people are unemployed. According to George Municipality’s website (www.george.org.za) 63% of all black Africans in George were unemployed in 2007. That is three years ago.
Entrepreneurship is sometimes the only way out of a future in absolute poverty. To earn R25 per day is better than having nothing at all.
During the tour, our guide revealed that he and a small group of workers will be out of a job beginning of next year. They are currently working in the vegetable gardens at MM Mateza Primary. Contact Gcini-siswe on 084 877 0763 if you need a hand in your business.
In a previous article the George Herald mentioned the workers relation to the Earthchild project, but it is important to note that they are being paid by the govern-ment. The Earthchild Project has an arrangement with the department of public works (through Child Welfare) who pays five of the men’s salaries.
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Gcinisiswe Noyokaza, chatting with two cooks.
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Agnes Awumasi treats a client to a lovely head massage.
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: MICHELLE PIENAAR
More photos here: http://www.georgeherald.com/gallery.aspx?gpid=229&gid=1
