In this edition of My First Pay Cheque, KickOff catches up with former Orlando Pirates player Bruce Ramokadi, who reveals how much he earned when he started with the Soweto Giants.
Ramokadi was part of the legendary Pirates team that won the 1995 African Champions Cup.
"Who did I sign for?"
"Orlando Pirates. The year was 1993."
"How much was it?"
"It was R500. It was raised to R1500 when I started featuring in more games.
"R500 carried some weight in those days because I was still in High School, doing Standard 8. In our school, I was the only student receiving a salary (laughs).
"Back then, we used to get paid in cheques, and then we'd go to the bank to change it into cash.
"Sometimes, you would go to the bank only to find that the club's money had run out, and your cheque would bounce.
"Those days, Pirates didn't have much money. You would wait for the club to tell you when you could go back to the bank again. Sometimes it would take a whole month."
"How did I celebrate?"
"I didn't celebrate. I just took it home to my elders, who would then give me and my siblings some pocket money.
"Those days, there was no pressure; people respected you for the fact that a Pirates kombi was coming to collect you for training."
"What did I buy with it?"
"I only bought myself some sneakers after the club raised my salary to R1500. I also bought a music system for my family. I also built a wall around my house."
"Did it last the full month?"
"I'd take R1000 home and keep R500 for myself. I didn't see a need for money in those days because I was still at school."