Informal traders mine dumpsites for profit
"We've tried searching for jobs but have come out empty-handed, so were forced to see what we could create with our own hands."
Three informal traders are trying to uplift themselves using materials that most people would throw out.
Njabulo Zikalala and Linda Mbathane from KwaDukuza and Sizwe Mnisi from KwaMashu can be spotted walking Ballito’s streets in hope of selling their products.
They produce bags, rings and dioramas respectively, using nothing but materials freely available in dumpsites or what they collect on the streets of their communities.
“It’s the same old story for all of us really,” said Mnisi, speaking on behalf of the trio because of his command of English.
“We’ve tried searching for jobs but have come out empty-handed, so were forced to see what we could create with our own hands.”
Zikalala and Mbathane see their products as practical, while Mnisi has tried to create an art piece targeting foreign visitors to the North Coast.
Zikalala’s bags are made from masonite boards and are decorated with seashells collected on local beaches.
He adds a strap or handles depending on the size and produces handbags and overnight bags which cost between R400 and R600. Mbathane’s rings are made from brass pipes which he cuts to size, later polishing them with sandpaper and a sharpening stone. They sell for R50 each.
“None of us are set up in one location and we carry most of our stock with us,” said Mnisi.
“We are looking to obtain permits for the beaches but because we have so little stock it does not make sense for us to pay an annual fee when we could be sold out in one day.”
Mnisi has a stock count of one, a diorama crafted from cardboard, toothpicks and plastic.
He calls the piece the Utalagu Lighthouse, which means mirage in isiZulu, given it has a lighting element that can be switched on.
It is a bulb housed inside a cut-off vodka bottle, with the inside of a NikNaks packet stuck to the side to reflect light throughout the main structure.
There is also an old watch placed in the top floor to tell the time.
“We don’t have set dates or times we will be here as we move every day, but you might bump into us in December.”
You can contact Zikalala at 066 006 1273, Mbathane at 079 985 2793 or Mnisi at 063 317 4788.
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