*Priscilla Ngwenya, pictured with the scones she sells around Joburg, turned to baking after struggling to land the well-paying job she had hoped for. Picture: Simon Majadibodu / IOL
*Priscilla Ngwenya’s journey from job seeker to scones seller in Joburg highlights her resilience and creativity and inspires women to turn adversity into opportunity.
When this brave woman arrived in Gauteng’s City of Gold, she aimed for a stable job to support her children. However, things did not go as planned, and she had to start a small business to make ends meet.
Ngwenya, 35, originally from Zimbabwe and now living in Yeoville, Johannesburg, came to South Africa in 2015 hoping for a better life.
Like many who flocked to the City of Gold seeking well-paying jobs, Ngwenya came with high hopes, but unfortunately, things did not go as planned.
“Upon arrival, I stayed with fellow countrymen, believing the stories about plentiful job opportunities. I decided to pack my bags and see what it had in store for me.”
The mother of two, girl, 13 and boy, 10, wasted no time after arriving, immediately hitting the streets of the City to knock on doors and search for a decent job.
However, despite her efforts, she did not secure any of the well-paying jobs she was hoping for.
“That started to stress me out because I was staying with someone and did not want to be a burden or rely on her for too long. The fact that I was waking up early every day to hunt for jobs without any response added to my stress,” she said.
With a nostalgic look, she remembered that after a long day of job hunting, she sat down and had a serious moment of reflection. It was then that her passion for baking reignited.
Ngwenya said she then decided to turn to baking scones and selling them as a means to make a living.
“I remembered I could bake, thanks to my sister who taught me how to make delicious treats. That’s when I decided to start a small business making and selling scones to earn a living.”
She said she wakes up at 3am every day, gets her hands dirty with flour, bakes, and then hits the streets of Joburg at 6am with her fresh scones.
“I put 15 packets inside the bowl, inside of each is four scones and after selling them I earn a profit of R200 per day.”
She said that despite waking up early and selling scones on the streets, she faces financial hurdles that hit her hard.
“The challenge is that sometimes people don’t buy the scones, and leftovers can’t be sold the next day because they’re no longer fresh, leading to a loss of money.”
She added that people often underestimate street vendors without understanding the struggles that led them to this point.
“Sometimes people dismiss us when we’re selling on the streets, undermining our efforts and thinking we’re just bored or clueless. It’s painful because they don’t realise we’re here out of necessity, not choice,” she told IOL News.
Ngwenya said she’s driven to keep going by such challenges and difficulties she endures in the streets
“The struggle to find a job and the way people undermine my hustle push me to go to tough spots around Joburg to sell all my scones because otherwise, it’ll hit my finances hard,” she said.
Despite the hardships, she praises her perseverance and determination for enabling her to achieve things on her own with her hard-earned money.
“With the money I make from selling cookies, I can now pay rent and buy groceries for myself,” she said with a smile.
Driven by her zeal and the challenges she’s faced, Ngwenya said her biggest wish is to see other women empower themselves and create a living from nothing.
“To all unemployed women at home with different talents, my advice is to stay active, use your skills to earn money, and ensure your children don’t go to bed hungry,” she said.
She expressed that her greatest wish is to find a sponsor who will fund her business, support its growth, and help her employ others to sell scones in areas she can't reach.
Ngwenya’s story highlights the ongoing struggles many women face to make ends meet, showcasing their bravery in creating opportunities from nothing to improve their lives.
IOL News celebrates women like her who, despite hardships, find ways to keep moving forward and transform their lives.
*Priscilla Ngwenya is not the real name of the woman.
IOL has embarked on a campaign called Elevate Her to highlight the plight of homeless women of South Africa. IOL is also collecting items for dignity packs to be distributed across the country. To get involved, email info@iol.co.za
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