By Y.M
The constant nagging of “Soyas” (plural of Sayes) is a common problem faced by most car owners. Basically, everywhere you go, you pay from 5-10 pounds (depends on the place) to a man doing absolutely nothing with his life but shouting: TA3ALA TA3ALA! The phenomenon is not only present in the Downtown area where they are plenty of “Soyas”, but in new districts like October and Tagamo3 as well.
To be honest, a few really help you park your car (*cough *cough girls who can’t park), but the rest of them think of it as a deserved fee, even though they might have not helped you at all! I was once waiting for someone in the street and had the chance to observe the “Sayes” for a short duration of not more than 15 minutes. During this time, 3 people paid him around 5 pound each, in just a quarter of an hour!
Can the “Sayes” be earning more money than a fresh grad full time employee?
Initial Investment (Uniform)
In order to become a “Sayes”, you need to be wear a uniform to look (Brofessional) in front of the client. A yellow safety vest, a whistle to draw attention and a cap to protect you from the sun is all you need. Around 150 pounds if you buy these online.
Job Requirements
The “Sayes” job requirements are simple. You are required to be a bully, not so good looking so that people fear you (remember that time?) and a fast runner to move quickly in your “parking area”. It’s a plus to have a loud voice, but practice makes perfect.
Let’s talk money!
The known pay for a “Sayes” averages between 5-10 pounds. In busy crowded areas like Downtown and Giza, a fee of 10 pounds is acknowledged, while some “Soyas” can charge you per hour, elly howa parking el Four Seasons ya3ni!
How much he earns depends on the kind of arrangement he’s working under: whether a “Sayes” is employed by a “Me3alem” or working as a freelancer. According to Wafd Online, a “Sayes” can make around 80 pounds not less if managed by a Me3alem, while a freelancer’s case is different.
A freelancer “Sayes” usually pays an “X” amount of money as an “Etawa” whether to someone from an authority (GEHAZ) or the local “Me3alem”. Yes, he has costs to pay. However, how much does he earn per month?
Based on assuming/calculating the following variables:
a) People’s flow in and out of a mall for example
b) Average stay time
c) Working hours by the “Sayes”
d) Pay/car
A Sayes can earn between 350-400 EGP daily which is 7000-7500 EGP per month.
P.S: Skip the next section if you hate MATHS.
A mall with 6 restaurants can serve well as a case study, assuming a restaurant serving 6 hrs/daily with 40 occupied seats at all times, with average stay/user around 1 hour which makes it about 1400 people daily in the mall. Around 40% of them will park their cars which are 570 cars; 570 x 5= 2850 EGP gathered daily in parking tips! The case study mentions it’s a mall, so there are probably more than 1 “Sayes” to manage the huge traffic, around 8 “Soyas”, which makes it to 350 EGP/day/Sayes which is around 7000-7500 EGP/month.
The amount of money can increase/decrease depending on the season, the area he works in and how much “Etawa” he pays. An old post on FB calculated a famous female “Sayes” netting around 400,000 EGP/yearly from the job!
