Life has a funny way of working out, but not always in the direction that you’d expect. And this is exactly how a Durban Gen Z, Owami Mfeka, has seen reality play out.
She thought she’d become a teacher, but instead she’s learning the ropes in the travel and tourism sector. It’s worlds apart from what she planned, but she said she wouldn’t change a thing. She said that she hustled her way into the job.
“When I applied, I did not meet the prerequisite of having a diver’s licence,” she said. “But I did it anyway, because I just thought ‘if not, why not, try your luck,’ and I did. And I got lucky.”
Side hustle
This was after studying public administration first, as a second choice, because her matric marks didn’t allow her to study teaching. Mfeka’s side hustle while hitting the books was working in a call centre and she said it was a thankless job.
“We had to sell everything from insurance through to cellphone contracts to mostly international clients.
“And apart from having the phone slammed down uncountable times, it was the suspicion during conversations that was not pleasant.”
ALSO READ: Mzansi’s people: From packer to manager
Many people thought the calls were a 419 scam.
“Making sales were really hard,” she added. Mfeka said they were required to make at least four or five sales a day, around 20% of the number of calls anyone could make during work time. It was right after graduation that she decided that life needed a segue.
Mfeka: ‘I was shocked’
Scrolling through job ads, she spotted a vacancy at Pace Car Rental. The post clearly required a licence. She did not have one, yet she applied.
“I was shocked when they called me,” she said. “I kept thinking they will realise I don’t have a licence.”
When she landed the job, to her surprise, she also knew little about cars beyond being a passenger.
“I didn’t know about tyres, jacks or tools,” she said. “Nothing about cars. Except they go forward and backwards.”
ALSO READ: Mzansi’s People: The making of a makeup artist
But the skills she learnt at the call centre, she said, about how to handle customers, ended up being useful. And while she’s sorting out her drivers’ licence, customer service and learning about the broader travel and tourism sector is her priority.
“I’m loving it,” she said, “We are a small team and the vibe is amazing. It’s like going to work with a family, every day.”
‘Settling down’
Mfeka is on the older end of Gen Z and she does not entirely recognise herself in the popular image of her generation. She shared thoughts about a TikTok trend joking about those born in the late 1990s versus the 2000s. The younger crowd, she said, often seemed focused on partying and living for the weekend.
“For me it’s about my education, buying a car, thinking about property and settling down.”
Her grounded outlook, Mfeka said, traces back to her upbringing. She grew up in rural KwaZulu-Natal with her grandmother after her mother fell pregnant at 19.
Only later, once her mother was financially stable, did she move to Durban to live with her. By the time she finished school, she felt the need to support herself and not rely on a parent.
“We all need to become independent as quickly as possible,” she said.
“It’s important to learn how to make your own way through life and not lean on others.”
READ NEXT: Mzansi’s People: Up close and personal with mobile entrepreneur
About the Author
