Selling the hand sanitiser has been my priority for the past month. (Paul Botes/M&G)
“I was trying to buy a subscription to the Mail & Guardian when I first came in here. I overheard one person complain that they have been unable to find any hand sanitiser in the stores since they were all sold out.
I took my chances and told the person that I actually sell sanitiser , which is available in different sizes. This turned out to be a stroke of luck on my part, because just this week alone I have sold 788 units of the hand sanitiser. Usually, I sell just under 60 units of the product a month.
My biggest customers since the virus have been small businesses, hospitals and the local municipal offices. Since the virus started I have been knocking on the doors of these businesses, telling them about the product. I only enter if they allow me to and so far all of them have welcomed me.
Selling the hand sanitiser has been my priority for the past month.
I work in construction, but that has taken a backseat because the product is selling like amagwinya (vetkoek) on a cold morning. I work with three other men who all work in different parts of Johannesburg. We all meet at the factory every morning where they manufacture the product.
We all have been able to feed our families through the sale of the hand sanitiser. I am sad that business has picked up because of the virus, but I believe that it is all a part of God’s plans. — Senzo Jiyane, 32, as told to Thando Maeko