A job-seeking advert placed in the Courier 18 years ago gave Dorothy Neganje a life-changing start in the hospitality industry.

Zimbabwe-born Neganje (43) moved to South Africa in 2007 in search of work. Unable to speak the local language and unfamiliar with the area, she and her cousin travelled to Ballito hoping to find housekeeping jobs.

With most houses hidden behind gated estates, they did not know where to begin, but a municipal street sweeper offered the some advice.

“Go to the Courier and tell them you are looking for a job,” the woman said.

Neganje was broke at the time but while walking, she found a R50 note on the ground and was able to use some of the money to place a job ad in the Courier.

A week later she received a call for a few interviews. A Ballito family, Gavin and Shannon Kuiper, offered her work as a housekeeper and welcomed her into their home.

With no prior experience, she accepted and was soon introduced to hospitality. The Kuiper’s helped her to find a second job at a local coffee shop where she worked as a cleaner, progressed to barista and then to restaurant service.

In 2009, she responded to another Courier advert, for the opening of Fairmont Zimbali (now Capital Zimbali). Despite no formal qualifications, her experience, passion and work ethic earned her a job as a waitress. She worked her way up the ladder and is now Banqueting Operations Manager.

“You have to want more for yourself, work hard and show up,” she said.

Now living in Thembeni, Neganje trains four young people each year and helps place them in permanent hospitality roles.

“If you remember where you come from, you look for others who need help,” she said.

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