Kaizer Chiefs great Zebulon 'Sputla' Nhlapo opens up about his very first salary at the Soweto giants, in this edition of My First Pay Cheque.
Nhlapo joined Chiefs in 1980 and made a name for himself, despite still being in school at the time.
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When did you arrive at Chiefs?
"I was signed by Chiefs in January 1980, having joined from Springs Home Sweepers. It took only two days for Chiefs to finalise my signing."
How much was it?
"It was R800. That was a big amount back in those days. I was still in school and earning more than my teachers."
So, how did you celebrate your newfound fortune?
"I didn’t celebrate. I gave all of it to my mother, who was a single parent after our father passed away when we were very young.
"That was the first time I ever touched a bank cheque. We were sponsored by Iwisa. I was 17 years old at the time. My mom kept everything for me, including my bank book. I was young and didn't care much about money. I became a breadwinner at an early age."
What did you buy with your first pay cheque?
"I bought some clothes with what my mother allocated to me. As a clever kid from KwaThema, I mostly bought Brentwood trousers. However, I was quickly advised to stop wearing those now that I was a Kaizer Chiefs player and to adopt my new teammates' style of wearing bell-bottom trousers.
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"Players like Teenage Dladla taught me what to buy and how to dress as a Kaizer Chiefs player."
If you were still playing today, how much do you think Chiefs would be paying you?
"Probably R500,000. That's how good I was. Kaizer Motaung held me in high esteem."
