Goodman Zenani

Love will always find its way to our hearts. This is something that Goodman Zenani knows all too well. The 44-year-old Big Issue vendor is determined to save some money to marry the mother of his three children.

“I’m striving to save enough money for lobola and a white wedding because we’ve been together for so long and I love her,” he says.

Goodman has been selling The Big Issue from his pitch in Claremont since 2008. The loyal vendor grew up in Gugulethu and now lives in an informal settlement in Lotus River.

Like many of his fellow Big Issue vendors, Goodman has had a tough upbringing. He had to drop out of school when he was in Grade 9 due to financial constraints.

“I had to quit school because my parents couldn’t provide for me and my younger brother. My first job was at a retail store where I worked as a packer for almost two years. I was 16 years old at the time. Although I was underage, I was well-built so I could handle all the hard work and customers could not recognise my age,” he recalls.

When he was later retrenched from that job, he was forced to make ends meet by doing odd jobs. “When I was 20 years, after hustling for so long I landed a garden job, which was very sustainable. It enabled me to help out at home since my father was no more,” he says.

Goodman worked as a gardener for 13 years. “This job helped me a lot until my employer moved overseas.” Before Goodman’s employer left the country, he introduced him to The Big Issue.

After selling the magazine for nearly 11 years, Goodman is grateful for the opportunity to sell the magazine. “Selling The Big Issue has changed my life for the better. I would not have been able to provide for my family, including my three kids,” he says.