Starting a business can be expensive, but it does not always have to be. You can start where you are and grow your hustle.
Even if you have a traditional job, the entrepreneurship path can provide extra cash you can use amid the rising cost of living.
According to a survey conducted by BrandMapp on households with a monthly income of more than R10 000, 43% have a secondary income, and for 30% of them that comes from side hustles.
“In 2019, 63% of our respondents had just one source of income, their job. By this year, that percent has gone down to 57%. In the current economic conditions, it would not be surprising if many of these side hustles are simply helping people make ends meet,” says BrandMapp Director of storytelling, Brandon de Kock.
The Household Affordability Index reports that the average cost of the household food basket is now R4 787.83. These price hikes coupled with inflation make it a necessity to come up with ways to earn additional income.
Here are some side hustles you can start for less than R500:
1. Car washing
South Africa is a water-scarce country, which scientists have been warning about for years. So, for this side hustle, you’d need to devise a novel way to wash cars without wasting water.
Having this distinct feature will set you apart from the competition, resulting in a successful service.
2. Teach music classes
If you have a wonderful singing voice, you can assist others in bringing out the best in their own. You can help with vocal exercises to help people project their voices better, expand their vocal range, and improve their delivery.
Similarly, if you know how to play a musical instrument well, you could teach others how to play it as well.
3. Bake and sell bread
With the recent price hikes, even the cost of a loaf of bread has shot up. With this side hustle, you can not only provide the daily essentials for yourself but for others as well, for profit.
Bread makers costs start from R1300. You will also require some minimal baking experience. Alternatively, you can watch tutorials on how to perfect this skill.
Once you have the know-how, you can go ahead and buy the bread maker and the baking ingredients.
Deliver food with your motorbike
If you do not have a car and own a bike, you can still make money by delivering food. You can simply sign up for Uber Eats or Mr D and start earning cash.
However, with petrol price hikes at an all-time high, you will need to be smart with the number of kilometres you are willing to drive. Position yourself in a suburban area with a shopping centre that has numerous restaurants and create a radius in which you will deliver.
Simply sign up to the food delivery service sites and follow their prompts.
4. Become a translator
With 11 official languages, South Africa is linguistically rich.
If you are a polyglot (someone who is fluent in several languages), this is the side hustle for you.
A translator is a person whose job is translating writing or speech from one language to another.
The average rate for a translator is R98.26 per hour.
