When Jimmy Mathebula attended the ANC victory rally in 2004 he saw a business opportunity which has now changed his life for the better.
There was no one taking pictures of ordinary citizens that they could keep as mementos celebrating their liberation at the big stadiums.
The unemployed 23-year-old sold sweets and used the profit he made to buy his first camera. This marked the birth of his business of taking pictures of people, processing them on the spot and selling them immediately. Then each picture cost R5 and he slowly improved his gear over the years.
Mathebula, now 35, is a registered vendor at all ANC national and Gauteng events. Born in Protea Glen, Mathebula’s parents were from the Eastern Cape. He was one of hundreds of vendors plying their trade at the ANC’s election manifesto launch held at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium on Saturday. The father of two said when he started off, he only managed to make a few hundred rands profit per event.
“(Now) I don’t go to any event and not bring home at least R2500 a day. If there are two events every Saturday and Sunday in a month, you can count for yourself, my take home is not less than R20 000 during very busy months,” he said.
Today he sells each picture for R20 but the price increases at major rugby matches like when the Springboks play to R30 a photograph.
One of his most profitable events was when the Springboks played at Buffalo City stadium two years ago. “On that day I increased my prices to R30 a photograph. I got a shock when I ran out of ink. I thought my customers will complain and say this was expensive, but hell no,” said Mathebula.
His dream is to get a permit that will allow him to follow the Springboks and Bafana Bafana around the country and also have exclusive rights to take pictures at all ANC rallies
Entrepreneur remembers how rally gave him a gap
There was no one taking pictures of ordinary citizens that they could keep as mementos celebrating their liberation at the big stadiums.
The unemployed 23-year-old sold sweets and used the profit he made to buy his first camera. This marked the birth of his business of taking pictures of people, processing them on the spot and selling them immediately. Then each picture cost R5 and he slowly improved his gear over the years.
Mathebula, now 35, is a registered vendor at all ANC national and Gauteng events. Born in Protea Glen, Mathebula’s parents were from the Eastern Cape. He was one of hundreds of vendors plying their trade at the ANC’s election manifesto launch held at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium on Saturday. The father of two said when he started off, he only managed to make a few hundred rands profit per event.
“(Now) I don’t go to any event and not bring home at least R2500 a day. If there are two events every Saturday and Sunday in a month, you can count for yourself, my take home is not less than R20 000 during very busy months,” he said.
Today he sells each picture for R20 but the price increases at major rugby matches like when the Springboks play to R30 a photograph.
One of his most profitable events was when the Springboks played at Buffalo City stadium two years ago. “On that day I increased my prices to R30 a photograph. I got a shock when I ran out of ink. I thought my customers will complain and say this was expensive, but hell no,” said Mathebula.
His dream is to get a permit that will allow him to follow the Springboks and Bafana Bafana around the country and also have exclusive rights to take pictures at all ANC rallies
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