Pensioner cycles to work to save money, keep fit

A super fit pensioner draws curious stares from the public every time she rides her bicycle in Cullinan, eastern Pretoria.

Unlike her peers who rely on public transport to get around, domestic worker Selinah Magagula, 69, gets on a bike to move around, keeping fit and saving money at the same time.

Magagula, who lives alone, easily does trips of more than 10km a day as she uses her bicycle to get to work.

She said she started riding a bike with friends as a small girl, aged around 8, in the 1960s while growing up in a farm in Mpumalanga.

Three times a week, Magagula uses her bike to get to her workplace in Magalies, just outside Cullinan.

“I love my bicycle so much. I enjoy riding it for distance trips. It helps to keep me fit and healthy at all times. I always feel young. It helps me to fight unnecessary chronic illnesses,” she said.

Magagula said getting to work was a struggle for her before she bought the bicycle from her previous boss about 30 years ago.

“This bicycle was just in their garage not being used, I then asked them to give it to me but eventually sold it to me for R500,” she said.

Magagula said she's now used to the stares she draws, especially from people who are seeing her on her bike for the first time.

She said using the bike to get to work was initially a financial decision as she doesn't earn enough money to afford taxi fares.

Due to saving money that she would have spent on taxis, Magagula is now building her own home in front of an RDP house she lives in.

“I’m not going to waste money on transport, I have my own transport here. It is very expensive to use public transport and I can’t afford it, that is why I ride bicycle,” said Magagula

Victor Rakololo, who is from the same neighbourhood as Magagula, said she is one of a kind pensioner in their area.

Rakololo said at first he was surprised to see Magugula riding a bike and being comfortable on it at her age.

“This is very unusual, it's often young boys or men who use bikes here, Magagula is known by everyone in Refilwe because she's an old woman who rides a bike,” Rakololo said.