Family of Mavis Namba
Mavis Namba, a woman from South Africa, resides with her daughter, son, mother, brother, and four nieces. In total, there are nine, including her elderly mother and a son who battles drug addiction. Mavis, a single mother, is the only source of income in the household expenditure. She manages a nine-person household on $100 per week
Residence: In Gugulethu, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, a low-rent, government-owned home. Mavis shares the 40-square meter, two-bedroom brick home with her extended family. There is no water heater and only one outside toilet. They must boil water on the stove to take a bath because they do not have hot water.
Monthly income for the family
Mavis has been employed full-time since February 2023, earning 1,900 South African rands ($104) each week. This equals $416 per month. Mavis’s ailing mother receives a monthly state pension of $1,650 rand ($90). Mavis has no savings at all. Her monthly outlays total $6,560 rand ($360).
Mavis’s drug-addicted son
Her son is a drug addict who also struggles with mental illness. Mavis claims that she has been unsuccessful in her attempts to get him admitted to a mental hospital. He constantly worries about her. The father of her children claims she never gets his support and that her son’s drug use causes her to have restless nights. When he’s out at night, she never sleeps and never falls asleep. She sleeps better if he’s in rehab.
What career did Marvin select?
Mavis had the desire to become a nurse when she was younger. She had to give up that dream, however, because she failed her final year of high school. She sought employment. She decided to pursue her second career choice, hairdressing. Mavis has always taken great pleasure in styling people’s hair and making them feel good about themselves. She was skilled even though she had no training. In 1994, she began working as a hair assistant, and in 2006, she earned her stylist certification. Despite having training, some salon owners pay her quite enough. She applied for an assistant position after failing to secure employment as a stylist.
Mavis has experience working in various salons in and near Cape Town. She has spent seven years working part-time at the “Crown of Beauty’s hair” salon. She was promoted to full-time employment in February and now works five days per week. Mavis requested a weekly payment rather than a monthly one because of expenditure. Because she must purchase food every day due to a lack of funds.
Mavis’s Expenses
These are the costs that really put a strain on her finances.
- Bread
The price of bread is extremely high. The Reserve Bank of South Africa increased the country’s food price inflation rate in February from 6.2 percent to 7.3 percent.
She claims that she tries to buy bread from a less expensive store to save expenditure because the family goes through two loaves every day. But in order to get there, she ultimately ends up having to pay more in taxi fares. Three loaves of bread cost 38 rands ($2) at Boxer, a low-cost store, and 20 rands ($1.09) at the bakery closest to where she works.
- Transport
According to Mavis from Transport, taxi drivers constantly raise their rates. because there are no regulations and no government subsidies for the industry. Taxi fares are impacted by the rise in fuel costs. She spends about $4 per day, or 70 rands, of her pay on transportation to and from work.
- Electricity
She claims that her daily purchase of 30 rands ($1.64) in pre-paid electricity hardly keeps the lights on when there is power. She used to receive 9–10 units of power for the same amount a year ago, but now she only receives 6-7 units.
- Food
A household food basket in Cape Town went from costing 4,023 rands ($221) to 4,942 rands ($271). A local supermarket sells a combination pack of vegetables, which Mavis purchases. She typically spends 180–200 rand ($9.87–$11) on this combination, which she purchases every other week.
Mavis’s Favoritism
Mavis Namba adores wearing lipstick in a vibrant red or pink shade. The 53-year-old single mother of two occasionally treats herself to a new one. She spends about 150 rands ($8) on lipstick and other cosmetics, which make her feel better. She enjoys having bright lips because they make her feel confident. She is the sole provider for her family of nine, which includes her ailing mother and a son who battles drug addiction. She manages her family’s expenditures. It’s a rare indulgence in her otherwise strict and demanding daily life.
Conclusion
A single mother in South Africa can sustain a household expenditure of $100 per week. There are nine people in the family, including her ill mother and a son who abuses drugs. She acquired hairstyling training on her own and started working at Crown of Beauty. She puts in a lot of effort to support her family.