In this edition of My First Pay Cheque, KickOff catches up with former Kaizer Chiefs striker Kanga Nzenza.
The Democratic Republic of Congo-born former striker reveals how he didn't spend even a single cent from his first salary at Kaizer Chiefs.
Who did you sign for?
"I had signed for Kaizer Chiefs in 1995 when I received my first pay cheque from the club."
How much was it?
"It was R3 000. In those days, it was a lot. My other friends who were playing for smaller clubs were earning somewhere around R1 200 and R1 500.
"At home, I was earning something like R500. In Congo, it was more about bonuses; if you win, you get paid bonuses. The League was not sponsored.
"The presidents of clubs paid you from their own pockets if you win, right after the match, and at the end of the month, we would be paid R500 each as salaries.
"But at Chiefs, within a year, you could have more than five pairs of soccer boots, more than four pairs of takkies, and more than four pairs of tracksuits."
How did you celebrate?
"I couldn't celebrate with my first salary, I sent all of it back home to my parents. It was a sacrifice. I gave to my parents because my mother was a widow, and when I joined Chiefs my father had just passed on.
"What I celebrated was my first cup with Chiefs. I have just forgotten the name of the cup competition, that was something huge.
"They gave us R10 000 each. It was my biggest cheque ever in soccer. It was a lot.
"At Chiefs, food was nothing, they were taking care of me. I was staying in a hotel, and I was eating there, the team bus used to fetch me there. Hence, I took nothing from my first salary, I just handed it over to my Mom."
What about the girlfriend allowance?
"By that time, I was concentrating on my football career; I only thought about girlfriends later on after some friends took me to Soweto.
"Eish, once I got there, I could see some hot stuff, man, stuff different from my usual taste. Then I said to myself, 'Wow! There's some hot things here in South Africa' [laughs]."