Not broken, just unemployed
PIET Kgaditse (55), a street vendor from Greenside Ext 78, did not let the fact that he could not find employment or that he came from a disadvantaged community stand in his way.
Desmond Boshego
LIMPOPO – PIET Kgaditse (55), a street vendor from Greenside Ext 78, did not let the fact that he could not find employment or that he came from a disadvantaged community stand in his way.
Originally from Ga-Masemola village in Sekhukhune he has lived a hard life filled with challenges. His journey as a street vendor started eight months to put food on the table for his family, and now he enjoys being in control of his own financial security. He moved to Polokwane to look for a job several years ago, but was unfortunate and did not get employment. “I realised that staying at home drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes was not going to change my life for the better, it might lead me to a life of crime. That is when I decided to start my own business and started selling sweets and snacks to pedestrians,” says Kgaditse. He says that even though his business is small, he is glad to be able to provide for his family.
“With the money I am able to buy maize meal and bread for my family, we don’t go to bed hungry.”
“As an old man with some life experience, I always encourage the youth who failed school to start their own business rather than walk around and do nothing,” he says.
Kgaditse’s dream is to one day have his own supermarket where he can employ people and help them fight poverty.
