SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST…It’s all about survival. It’s the only gospel that “Sam” knows. And it’s what he lives by since arriving in South Africa. He came to this country illegally from Zimbabwe in 2002. (I am using an alias to protect his identity.)
“I laugh when I hear about the Mexicans [in the US],” he jokes to me, cracking a small gap-tooth grin. His smooth dark skin, squinted eyes, and trim chiseled physique make him look like a debonair twin of rapper 50 Cent.
Though he seems a little rough around the edges, “Sam” has a gentle spirit and steadfast resolve. His primary goal is to go back to school. He left Zimbabwe while pursuing a business degree amid rising political and economic tensions. (For more info, click here.)
Today, the country has disintegrated into fiscal ruin with an 80 percent unemployment rate and hyperinflation spiking above 1700 percent. According to some who still live there, basic goods and services like a loaf of bread or taxi fare can cost thousands of local dollars that seem to require a wad of cash so thick, one might feel as if they are making a down payment on a house.
“Even if [President] Mugabe dies today, people won’t rush back,” he explains, referring to the estimated 3 million Zimbabweans living in South Africa. “It will take time…at least 10-20 years to rebuild the economy.”
Rebuilding his own life has not been easy. In spite of his educational background, “Sam” has resorted to taking odd jobs “that no one else wants” to pay the bills and send money home to his mother and siblings in Zimbabwe. He landed his fist gig as a repairman, fixing beverage refrigerators in convenience stores. Then he moved on to an apprenticeship as a plumber. Unable to earn a steady paycheck, he joined a car service company last year. Despite the long hours, he was disappointed to learn that his income still falls short of what’s needed to resume his education. Enrolling in a business program at a local college costs about 12,000 rand ($1700) for a semester.
“I was barely able to raise 300 rand ($43),” he remarks. But even with his dream deferred, he resurrects his entrepreneurial vision with the idea of one day owning his own car fleet.
Until then….it’s all about survival.
“I laugh when I hear about the Mexicans [in the US],” he jokes to me, cracking a small gap-tooth grin. His smooth dark skin, squinted eyes, and trim chiseled physique make him look like a debonair twin of rapper 50 Cent.
Though he seems a little rough around the edges, “Sam” has a gentle spirit and steadfast resolve. His primary goal is to go back to school. He left Zimbabwe while pursuing a business degree amid rising political and economic tensions. (For more info, click here.)
Today, the country has disintegrated into fiscal ruin with an 80 percent unemployment rate and hyperinflation spiking above 1700 percent. According to some who still live there, basic goods and services like a loaf of bread or taxi fare can cost thousands of local dollars that seem to require a wad of cash so thick, one might feel as if they are making a down payment on a house.
“Even if [President] Mugabe dies today, people won’t rush back,” he explains, referring to the estimated 3 million Zimbabweans living in South Africa. “It will take time…at least 10-20 years to rebuild the economy.”
Rebuilding his own life has not been easy. In spite of his educational background, “Sam” has resorted to taking odd jobs “that no one else wants” to pay the bills and send money home to his mother and siblings in Zimbabwe. He landed his fist gig as a repairman, fixing beverage refrigerators in convenience stores. Then he moved on to an apprenticeship as a plumber. Unable to earn a steady paycheck, he joined a car service company last year. Despite the long hours, he was disappointed to learn that his income still falls short of what’s needed to resume his education. Enrolling in a business program at a local college costs about 12,000 rand ($1700) for a semester.
“I was barely able to raise 300 rand ($43),” he remarks. But even with his dream deferred, he resurrects his entrepreneurial vision with the idea of one day owning his own car fleet.
Until then….it’s all about survival.
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