Street vendor’s fighting spirit sees her win ‘hustler’ award
A small act of kindness from a Gqeberha businessman has gone a long way in putting a smile on the face of a local street vendor.
When Bobza Nzirawa met Barbra Kambanga at the Gqeberha Zimbabwe Business Excellence Awards earlier this month, her positive attitude reminded him of his mother who had sold fruit and vegetables on the side of the road to provide for her family.
That was when he decided to dip into his own pocket and handed her R5,000 to make her Easter a little brighter.
Kambanga received the Hustler Award at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on March 9 after being nominated by Zimbabweans now living in Gqeberha.
She said she believed she was nominated for the award because people knew how hard she worked.
She also encouraged other women not to sit idle at home, waiting for their husbands to provide or for a job to come to them, and to instead start their own little business.
“I think one of the reasons people voted for me is because when there are funerals in the community, I always offer to help.
“If people do not have a place to sleep, I help provide accommodation.
“Growing up, I always watched how kind my mother was.
“During the hard times of the Covid-19 pandemic, I assisted by buying food for about 30 single women in my area,” Kambanga said.
Having arrived in Gqeberha in 2000, she started off selling soccer balls, toys and clothes in Newton Park, but struggled to make a profit.
She then moved to Rink Street to sell fruit and vegetables. She now makes enough to help pay her grandchildren’s creche fees.
There are 13 family members dependent on her.
Kambanga said when she went to the awards, she did not expect to win, let alone walk away with R5,000 in cash.
“I am battling to put how I feel into words, but I am so grateful to Bobza,” she said.
She said rain and the glaring sun made her job difficult at times, as well as falling victim to thieves.
Nzirawa, the owner of Bobza Holdings, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award on the same night, said he was inspired to make the donation when he heard people question why a hawker had been nominated.
“My mother was a vendor, I know how hard it can get.
“She [Kambanga] is running a business, and in business you have to start somewhere for it to grow.”
Nzirawa knows this better than anyone.
“I lived in a refugee camp when I first arrived in SA and worked as a car guard though I was a civil engineer.
“Now my civil engineering company is successful,” he said.
The awards were organised by Graham Pengapenga, through his company, Luan Events SA, in partnership with various sponsors.
He said he was inspired to host the event to show appreciation to all the hardworking men and women from Zimbabwe.
“I wanted to celebrate personal, social and community achievements, and the various collaborations between Zimbabwe and SA businesses.
“These businesses have contributed immensely to the economic growth in our metro and the province as a whole.
“It was an emotional moment seeing these people receive their awards,” he said.