In our latest feature of My First Pay Cheque, KickOff chats to former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates star Thabo Mngomeni on his first salary as a professional footballer.
Who you signed for...
"It was with Cape Town Spurs in 1992. They signed me from Liverpool, an amateur club which was owned by UDM leader Bantu Holomisa."
How much was it?
"R500 per month. There were no negotiations. I was around 24 or 25 years old at the time. The others were earning from R4 000 upwards."
How I celebrated?
"How could I celebrate with an R500? All of it went straight to my mother at home. I didn't spend even 10 cents of it. All of it was used to buy stuff that we needed at home."
What I bought with it?
"I don't know what my mother used it for, I just went back to Spurs to work more."
Did it last you the full month?
"How can R500 last the full month? Only those who were getting an R4 000 salary upwards their money lasted the whole month.
"In those days we were paid in cash, and because of that, I could tell from a distance which envelope was mine on the chairman's desk. My envelope was so thin it looked like it contained a letter while my teammates' envelopes looked big or full. You would be forgiven for thinking my teammates' envelopes had stones inside. Mine was so thin and looked like a one-page letter that contained a message I was about to send to my parents.
"So, for the whole month, I would depend on my parents. What else could I have done? That time you appear on television, but you are always broke. In fact, let's not go far, even recently at Orlando Pirates most people thought I was well looked after. At Pirates, youngsters who were not even making the 18-man squad were earning more than me.
"Pirates were paying me R13 000 a month. I'm sure you also find it difficult to believe this. People don't know how dirty the football industry is. I can proudly say playing for Bafana Bafana bailed me out of the situation a bit. Today I have my own house because of Bafana Bafana. At least there besides the allowances, when you made the team or played a game, they paid you R20 000, R10 000 for just being selected, and plus another R20 000 as a bonus for winning a match. So, I saved all that money and bought myself a house."
