For party members, elective conferences are for electing their preferred leaders into positions. However, for people like Nosipho Mafilika, these events are the source of their bread.
Sitting on a chair at her stall, wearing an ANC jacket with a thick blanket branded in party colours covering her legs, Mafilika engages potential customers as they walk by.
The 34-year-old was one of six people selling ANC merchandise at the 15th ANC Johannesburg regional elective conference at the Idle Winds Conference Centre in Centurion at the weekend. She was selling from two stalls.
Mafilika said she set up her stalls every day during the three-day conference, selling hats, caps, jackets, t-shirts, overalls, beanies, ties, blankets, tracksuits and dresses in ANC colours and logos. Mafilika also sells regalia of Cosatu and the SACP, alliance partners of the ANC.
The mother of two who lives in Tshepisong, Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, has been an official ANC merchandiser since 2019.
Mafilika said she would sell at three to four ANC events in a week ranging from branch general meetings to memorial services, funerals, provincial and national conferences.
“I make a decent profit,’’ said Mafilika when asked how much she makes per event.
She said for the past three years she has been able to pay her child’s school fees a year in advance through the assistance of her business.
“I am able to pay my daughter’s school fees annually. I make sure that in November of every year I pay the total fees for the following school year. The reality is that in SA a lot of people pay their children’s fees on a monthly basis. I pay for mine for the whole year in advance and get a discount from the school,” said Mafilika.
The annual school fees for her teenage child in Grade 12 is R14,400. Since she paid the amount in November last year she got a R1,200 discount.
“The money I get from paying my child’s fees in advance goes to the other bills that I need to take care of. The cost of living is high, food prices are increasing and so are scholar transport fees. So I use this R1,200 to buy groceries, pay for her transport and stationery in January.”
Mafilika said she took the decision to sell ANC regalia because her mother was in the business.
“My mother was already doing this, so I decided to be part of it as well. The other reason is because everyone in my family is an ANC comrade. This business has given me the mind to create my own stuff. It is easy to buy a hat and put a logo on it but with me I make the items from scratch. I am doing something for myself and excelling at it.”
Mafilika said to sell ANC regalia at events one has to be ANC member and then apply for a permit to sell at Luthuli House.
The permit application comes with a once-off annual fee of R2,500.
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