By Mumtaz Moosa-Saley
01:02:2022

Over the last few years, on a busy street in the north of Johannesburg, a local car guard has gotten to know me, and I got to learn about his story of why he is a car guard.

When the hard lockdown happened, I was worried about him and his livelihood, as this would mean zero income and no help whatsoever for him and his family. Usually, he would chat to my husband and me, and he spoke about finding a gap in the market and how he plans to take full advantage one small step at a time, but he was trying to find that extra cash to start a side business.

2022 was indeed this humble souls’ year, as he found his niche in the market that saw him working work two jobs at the same place simultaneously. Our local dreamer as I  would call him had a dream of opening up a small shop or a spaza; this would allow him to sell inexpensive snacks to restaurant staff members on their way to or from work daily. This year, with the community’s help, he was allowed a small space to sell to make that dream a reality. His idea and the need for finding that gap has paid off well.

As I walked down the road, the moment he spotted me, he called my family in for snacks and treats and to show us his unique store where all the displays are made out of cardboard and paint. A simple idea that has made one car guard earn the community’s respect.

When writing this article, our local dreamer asked to remain anonymous.