Selling fruit and vegetables can be a major source of income if you do proper planning and have good business skills, said Dimakatso Mangomeni, a popular mobile vendor who operates in Louis Trichardt.

Mangomeni, who comes from Muraleni village in the Sinthumule area, has been a street vendor for the past decade. Every workday, he fills his trolley and pushes it through the town’s streets, selling fresh produce to his regular customers.

He explained that there are many ways to make money, but people are often too lazy to come up with unique plans and techniques. “I became actively involved in selling fruit and vegetables in 2014. That was when I realised that I could not just relax at home,” he said.

Mangomeni believes that the success of any business depends on proper planning and good customer care. “You have to be friendly with customers to succeed in this type of business. You must have proper communication skills and wear a smile, because sometimes you have to persuade a customer to buy from you,” he explained.

But if done properly, he said, the results are quickly visible. “I am able to do many things. I put my children through school, and I built a house. I’m supporting my children with the money I make here,” he said.

Mangomeni added that people often thought it was more expensive to buy fresh produce from a street vendor, but this was not true. “We are normally cheaper, and the produce is fresh,” he said.

He noted that the work of a street vendor is not easy. He works six days a week and only takes a break on Sundays. Each day's shift lasts around 11 hours. In spite of the pressure, he would not want it any other way. “I have gotten so used to running my own business, and I want to continue working for myself.”

He hopes to one day have a shop of his own. For now, he is a street vendor and not always respected, but he attributes this to stereotyping and a lack of knowledge and insight.