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IN PICS | 'No need for a lazy mindset': outdoor workers layer up for Jozi cold snap

10 June 2025 - 14:44
By Khodani Mpilo and Seipati Mothoa
A car guard braving the cold in central Johannesburg.
Image: Mukovhe Mulidzwi A car guard braving the cold in central Johannesburg.

Outdoor workers in Johannesburg, where temperatures were hovering at 5ºC at the start of the workday on Tuesday, brought gloves and thick coats out of storage to cope with the chill.

Petrol attendant Johanna Nxlala said it feels like his hands are holding blocks of ice whenever someone needs their tyres pumped.

“I’m wearing three jerseys, two trousers, two hats and two socks, but it feels like I’m not even wearing shoes,” he said, adding he and his colleagues take turns during their breaks to warm up with cups of tea.

It is worth it, though, as earning money and having a job is a privilege, Nxlala said.

“When you know what you want, you can’t stay in the house. That’s a lazy mindset. We have to be out here. There are people who don’t have houses to stay in so you can't complain about being cold.”

Though he feels the cold in winter, petrol attendant Johanna Nxlala says he feels lucky to be working.
Image: Seipati Mothoa Though he feels the cold in winter, petrol attendant Johanna Nxlala says he feels lucky to be working.

Bheki Ngema, a cleaner at flats on Empire Road, said he was supplied with a long warm jacket to wear in cold weather by his employer and is free to go indoors to make coffee when needed.

After finishing his outside work, he plans to warm up with a hot drink and a heater.

At a nearby construction site, community liaison officer Thembisile Nikelo said morale is affected when temperatures drop so low due to discomfort, but they offset this by brewing tea and using heaters when possible.

Sibusiso Ngwenya, a night shift security guard, said: “I work in an office but I am still struggling with the cold.”

“I drank two cups of coffee during my shift. Our company gives us warm clothes. We also have a heater.”

Street vendors must support their families, leaving them with no option but to work in the biting cold.
Image: Mukovhe Mulidzwi Street vendors must support their families, leaving them with no option but to work in the biting cold.
A man crossing the street in central Johannesburg during a cold snap.
Image: Mukovhe Mulidzwi A man crossing the street in central Johannesburg during a cold snap.
An elderly woman wrapped in a blanket sips tea to stay warm in the chilly weather.
Image: Mukovhe Mulidzwi An elderly woman wrapped in a blanket sips tea to stay warm in the chilly weather.
In the city of gold, everyone needs to hustle to make a living, no matter the weather.
Image: Mukovhe Mulidzwi In the city of gold, everyone needs to hustle to make a living, no matter the weather.
Bheki Ngema, a cleaner at flats on Empire Road, covers his face with a mask and wears a long coat to protect himself from the cold.
Image: Seipati Mothoa Bheki Ngema, a cleaner at flats on Empire Road, covers his face with a mask and wears a long coat to protect himself from the cold.

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