In the latest edition of the feature, Where Are They Now, KickOff catches up with former Moroka Swallows player Patrick "General" Ningiza, about life after football.
Who am I…
"Patrick Ningiza grew up in Katlehong, at that time we were not even aware that people do get paid to play football.
"All we wanted was to appear on television. Orlando Pirates were the first club to sign me, for their first team. The likes of Innocent Mncwango when they arrived from Jomo Cosmos, they find me there, when Steve Lekoelea arrived from Swallows he find me there. Guys like Peter Rabolele and China Masondo I found them there at Pirates when I signed in 1992."
My playing days…
"I'm happy with my playing days, I don't blame anyone I don't blame anything. I'm just grateful for the start football gave me in life."
Did I make money from soccer?
"No. I cannot say I made enough money to set me up nicely for life after football.
"I was lucky to own a property while I was still playing. I was lucky to have a life partner who shared a similar vision to me. She was 13 and I was 17 when we started dating at school. Today I'm 49 and she is 45. We grew up together. She helped me a lot in life. We are not rich we are not poor; we are just all right."
Where I'm living…
"I'm in Eden Park, just after Thokoza. I have my own family."
Jobs since playing the game?
"My first job was at Kia Motors, that was after football. Maybe I worked there for four years. I was a picker.
"After that, I worked in a steel company in Tembisa where I was operating a machine."
My current job?
"I bought myself a Bus, Volkswagen T5. I've been transporting school kids ever since. I also added another car a Honda to my transportation business. My oldest son is helping me. He drives the bus I drive the smaller car. And my wife has opened a big Day Care."
If I could do it again…
"It's difficult to say because some of the things were difficult for me to control. In our time we only wanted to be seen on TV.
"We realised very late there is money in football. Those days we were not aware we were being robbed.
"So if I could do it again the first thing I'd change is finance."