The life of a Willard beach vendor

Taking a stroll down to the beach just would not be the same without being greeted by one of the many beach vendors sitting under the shady trees.

Well stocked with an array of goodies, beach vendors sell anything from hats and children’s toys to beautiful handmade jewellery and beach towels.

Although they can be found at almost every beach, many people pass them by with a smile and continue on their way.

On Wednesday morning I decided to visit Willard Beach to get to know some of the women who have spent most of their lives in this profession.

The 45 minutes I spent with them was the highlight of my day, as I learnt all about the life of 66-year-old Khezekile Gumede from Ndwedwe.

I found Gumede with one of her sons sitting under an umbrella eating scones and drinking coke for lunch. At first she was too nervous to speak to me, but fortunately her friends convinced her to come around.

She is a pensioner and depends on the money that she makes to support her eight children and seven grandchildren back home in Ndwedwe.

She also has to pay rent for her home in Etete.

“The little I get here, mtanomtanam (my grandchild), puts food on the table because the pension I receive is not enough to support the whole family. All my children are unemployed as I cannot afford to send them to university,” said Gumede.

“The reason I keep on coming here is because I love what I do, but if they were working I would be at home taking care of my garden.”

Gumede has been a beach vendor in Ballito since 1993 and used to make a lot of money back in the day, but times have changed and she sometimes only makes R200 over two days.

She wakes up at 4.30am and is at the beach before 7am.

Weekends and holidays are peak times for her.

“I started my job when I was still an umakoti (bride) and I was full of energy.

“I used to walk on the sand with my products in hand and many people would buy, but now that I am older and sit in one spot, very few people are buying. It is really tough my boy.”

Her friends, who are also beach vendors described Gumede as their daily dose of entertainment and days without her are “most boring”.

Hlengiwe Phewa who has been working with Gumede since 2004 said she has a family of 15, including her two children who depend on her for their basic needs.

Cabangani Luthuli has also been working as a vendor since 1993.

“We have been at this level for too long. We hope that one day we will see our businesses grow.”

>>  Expect to find the latest trends in Health, Wellness and Beauty in Ballito.

>> Meet the top players in the North Coast property industry. See our Property People feature.

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