Ayanda Gasa

I am the second youngest in a family consisting of a sister and two brothers. My father passed on when I was 4 years old as my mother was completing her studies to become an educator. As result, she was forced to leave my siblings and me in the care of our grandparents until I was eleven years old.

I grew up with my grandparents in Parlmaton – the rural area of Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape. Witnessing their charitable work in the community, my siblings and I were taught the importance of helping, selflessness, empathy, integrity, humility, and self-sacrifice. This seeded my passion to serve the community. In our household, hard work was always the order of the day. We were made aware that in order to achieve success, we had to apply ourselves, take responsibility, and persevere. Hence, I have worked from the age of fifteen to help my single mother maintain our household.

My first two jobs were at Steers and Wimpy as a seasonal waitress. After matriculating in 2004, I started a family and relocated to Cape Town where I worked for TFG (@home) on a flexible work schedule. Here I was promoted annually until I became branch manager in 2008. The passing of my husband in 2011 placed me in a state of shock, leaving me a single mother of four children now aged between 10 and 15. I had to fight through the heartache of losing my husband but stand firm for my children. I decided to relocate back to KwaZulu-Natal later that year where I had a better support system in the form of family and friends. I wanted my children to grow up with a strong family structure after having lost their father (my youngest only being three months old at the time).

Despite my best efforts, I soon realized that it was extremely difficult caring for four children on my own – especially if they were going to have the life their father and I envisioned for them. Drawing strength from my family, I worked harder and longer hours. This, however, left me with very little time to spend on my children. I knew that I needed a change.

In 2017, I was recruited to Margate Health Consortium (MHC) where I used the customer care, management, and training skills I learned from TFG (@home) to assist the vulnerable. This was a whole new ball game. I became proficient in diagnostics, stress electrocardiograms, lung function testing, resting electrocardiograms, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, 24-hour electrocardiograms, sleep studies, and titration. Furthermore, I gained valuable experience in handling patients’ medical aid queries; making utility payments; salary administration; drawing payslips; petty cash management; Pastel and Pay As You Earn (PAYE); VAT repayments; contracts; and the training of staff.

I was given an opportunity in 2018 to develop entrepreneurship skills through MHC and IESHER. I was able to secure financing to start a local and online pharmacy with a strong delivery system. I started the business with the intention of creating a better future for my children and generating employment opportunities in the community. Most important of all to me, however, is empowering other single mothers such as myself. I employ a young professional team of black individuals comprising of two black female administrators, a black driver, and a highly competent black female pharmacist. The main aim of the pharmacy is to provide rural communities (such as Lusikisiki, Bizana, Flagstaff Harding, Izingolweni, and Kokstad) with high quality and affordable medication that is delivered to the doorsteps of the most vulnerable. Through Phila Pharmacy I am able to pursue my passion for servicing vulnerable communities while securing my children’s future. I hope to pay forward the opportunity given to me by MHC and IEESHER to other young, black, and single-parented visionaries. In turn, I wish for this to create a snowball effect of successful entrepreneurship in black communities.