Watch: Month of Love brings joy to flower vendors

Local street vendors who sell flowers to make ends meet say the Month of Love (February) is very good for business.

According to the vendors, a few days before Valentine’s Day (February 14) their flowers sell like hotcakes.

Vendor Mbongiseni Zwane (42), who sells flowers at the intersection of Voortrekker Road and Kruger Street, said on a regular day he makes about R150 to R300, but with special occasions, like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, he bags about R1 000 to R2 000 per day.

His flower prices range from R50 to R100 and they consist of lilies, orchids and roses.

According to Zwane, he started selling flowers in 2016, following years of being unemployed.

“Ever since I thought of this business idea, my life has improved because I am now able to send money to my family in KwaZulu-Natal. Growing up I wasn’t fond of flowers but when I started selling them I started to adore them and would even research more about the different types of flowers,” he said.

Due to the enormous support he gets from the community of Boksburg, Zwane, who lives in Johannesburg, said he doesn’t mind travelling to Boksburg to earn a living.

The 42-year-old father said he stores the flowers in a box when travelling from Johannesburg to Boksburg and when he gets to his selling spot he immediately puts them in a bucket of water to keep them fresh.

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He is out and about plying his trade from 2.30pm to 7pm but said rainy weather and crime are some of the challenges he faces in his line of work.

“When it’s raining I don’t go to work. It becomes a challenge when it rains for the whole week because I won’t make money for that entire week. Since I started selling flowers here I’ve had a few incidences where criminals have tried to steal from me. It’s not safe but because I have to survive there’s nothing I can do,” Zwane said.

Another street vendor, Micheal Mbatha (36), who has been selling flowers for the past eight years, said his hustle has taught him to endure hardships.

“Sometimes a day goes by where I don’t have a single customer, but I don’t give up because I’ve learnt to understand that all days are not the same. I have also learnt that flowers need to be treated with love and care or they die quickly,” he said.

Mbatha runs his business at the intersection of Paul Smit Street and Trichardts Road.

On a normal day, he makes around R300 but on a busier day, he makes over R800.

His prices also range between R50 and R100.

Mbatha said his customers are mostly women and they love to buy red, white and pink roses.

Both vendors shared they buy their stock from the flower market in City Deep, Johannesburg.

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