While other young men and women were enjoying the festive season, 36-year-old Lungisani Viane spent last month doing odd jobs, preparing for the financial reality of sending his child back to school this month.
Viane, a single father from Mafemane Trust, a village and township in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, told Sunday World that raising a daughter alone has been his hardest responsibility ever.
“There was no way I could sit back like a gayiza fresh from the city lights,” he said, in reference to those who work in the city and occasionally go back to the village to show off to those they left behind. “I had to work hard to make sure that when schools reopen, my daughter is not frustrated or left behind.”
Viane moved back to his parents’ home in 2020 after losing his job as a security guard in Tembisa, Gauteng, during the strict Covid-19 lockdowns.
Since then, stable employment has remained out of reach.
What has sustained him is menial work to support himself and his 16-year-old daughter. He also has a son in Gauteng who is taken care of by his mother.
“As a handyman, you never know how much you will make on a given day,” Viane said. “But I scraped and saved until I managed to set aside about R3 000 just for school uniforms for the 2026 academic year.”
The money could only cover several items of school uniform – a skirt, a pair of trousers, two different coloured shirts, socks and shoes, sportswear required on designated school days, and a schoolbag costing R200.
“Right now, I’m sitting with two stresses,” Viane said. “Transport and lunch money. Transport is manageable. It costs R450 per month.”
While government provides daily nutrition at school, his daughter asks for daily pocket money.
“Our government provides food for children in rural areas like Bushbuckridge, but peer pressure is real.
“Children want to be seen buying what others are buying at the tuckshops. That means about R40 a day. It sounds small, but it adds up quickly.”
In Gauteng, 44-year-old single mother Peaceful Mthembu is facing her own money worries his month.
“I recently moved to Johannesburg after getting a job at a casino,” she said.
“The job is a blessing for my 16-year-old son and me, but I had to leave him behind at home in Nelspruit.”
Mthembu said leaving her son was emotionally difficult, but two years of unemployment due to illness has reshaped her outlook.
“Being without work for that long makes you appreciate any opportunity that comes your way,” she said. “The challenge now is that his uniforms and stationery will have to wait until I get my first salary at the end of the month.”
Beyond relocation costs, Mthembu now carries the monthly responsibility of her son’s upkeep, including uniforms and school necessities, which she estimates will cost more than R2 000.
“Times are tough, but we have to do everything we can for our children,” she said.
The costs of school uniforms keep escalating each year, putting parents under pressure.
At one of the most affordable stores ordinary South Africans turn to for uniform shopping, a primary school sleeveless jersey costs R119.95, while boys’ school shorts sell for R168.95. Girls’ skirts range from R149.95 in black to R169.95 in grey.
Shoes for girls start at R379.95, with some priced as high as R559.95. Other brands range from R319.95 to R389.95. Socks add a further strain, with short packs priced between R54.95 and R69.95, while long socks cost up to R99.95. Schoolbags range from R169 to R400.
