Capitec picked up on Betty’s Retirement story and reached out to us to get her details. The article struck a chord with the bank, which wanted to help this incredible South African in some way.
Johannesburg, South Africa (26 July 2022) – A story about a Mealie Lady and a community raising funds for her retirement captured South Africa’s hearts… but that was just the beginning as Betty just got an even happier ending.
Betty Nduli is no stranger to Good Things Guy readers or the Melville community where the South African spent 57 years selling Mealies. She had been featured before after a Melville neighbour designed and donated a new trolley to the hardworking Mealie Lady, but the story that really captivated South Africa was how the entire neighbourhood rallied together to give Betty the retirement she deserves!
“Mealie Lady” is a title synonymous with the many hardworking women who walk the streets of South Africa selling their fresh produce… and a familiar sight to most South Africans who have grown up with the well-known sound and the delicious farm-fresh Mealies that they sell (Mealies are also known as Mielie in Afrikaans and Corn on the Cob in some parts of the world).
Betty started selling Mealies in 1965 but packed up her trolley on the 8th of April 2022. We reported on how community members had created a fund for her retirement, and this is when the impact of telling positive stories proved to be so phenomenally powerful.
Capitec picked up on the Good Things Guy article and reached out to us to get Betty’s details. The story struck a chord with the bank, which wanted to help this incredible South African in some way.
“Betty’s story struck a chord with us at Capitec because she’s been selling mielies in Melville for over six decades, trying to feed her family and the people of her community, ” comments Esona Ndongeni, Content Marketing and Production Specialist at Capitec.
“We saw in the media that the people were banding together to raise funds for Ma Betty’s retirement, and we thought why not chip in – seeing as she has been a Capitec client for over nine years,” adds Esona.
They learned that even though Betty was retiring, she was incredibly concerned about how she would continue living and feeding her family.
Capitec thought long and hard about how they could make a difference for her entire family, not just with money but with something sustainable and realised that they could use the Matriarch’s skills to empower everyone in the household.
The banking group custom-built a kitchen/spaza shop in order for Betty and her family to start a new business… which they handed over to her recently.
“To ease her burden, this mobile kitchen/spaza shop can be operated by Betty or anyone she chooses; from her home or anywhere she pleases. I’m most excited for Ma Betty because now she doesn’t have to go to the big streets of Johannesburg as she has her own spaza right here in her own community,” shares Esona.
We look forward to seeing Betty’s retirement business grow from strength to strength and cannot wait to report on her next update.
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