Billionaires like Aliko Dangote, Nicky Oppenheimer and Patrice Motsepe didn’t get to be among the richest people on the planet on a salary. They diversified, using different streams of income to grow their wealth. In this video, personal finance expert Robert Kiyosaki explains how the rich stay rich by balancing 3 streams of income – earned, portfolio and passive. They use their business savvy and financial acumen to reduce their tax obligations legally by ensuring that money is flowing rather than sitting stagnant in their bank accounts.

Even if you have a job earning a decent salary, it won’t hurt to start thinking like a billionaire and cultivating that money-maker mindset buried inside you to create multiple income streams. Life keeps getting more expensive, and the repeated economic disruptions we’ve suffered since 2020 have shown that you can never have too many sources of income. Hyperinflation in other parts of the world is a grim warning – it’s a shock to see employed people who don’t earn enough money to afford the necessities of life.

If you can spare 2 hours a weekday and 6 hours over the weekend while still doing your full-time job, you have 16 hours a week to devote to other part-time work – a side hustle to earn a bit more cash while employed full time.
 

‘Semigration’ boosts online income opportunities

Apart from the pandemic lockdowns, the South African ‘semigration’ trend has also opened more people’s eyes to money-earning opportunities online. Some people have moved to small towns to escape the stresses of city life, but they still work in a full-time remote job online. If that describes you, you’re already set up with optimum connectivity, so it gets easier to add other online side hustles to your income streams.
 

How to make money and make it smartly

In an interview with Time writer Kimanzi Constable, a Delta Airlines flight attendant said he’s thriving on the side: ‘I started a YouTube channel in March of 2020 when the pandemic got real in the United States. I’m in the airline industry, so there was a lot of not knowing what would happen next.’

David Dilworth, the flight attendant who started the fitness-based YouTube channel, earns around $3,000 (around R55,000) extra a month. ‘He takes advantage of a variety of revenue streams. It even makes him money while he’s in the air for his day job,’ Constable notes.

In South Africa, it’s reported that one in 3 individuals between the ages of 18 and 34 hold down more than one job. The reality is that side hustles are growing in popularity. Digitalisation and the internet have made it easier for people to connect and find part-time work. The unemployed, the working class and even niche professionals can use their skills by taking on part-time jobs or starting side hustles like YouTube channels that cater to the needs of consumers or other businesses.

‘Not only is it possible to make extra money with a side hustle, but doing so can be a way to stay ahead of inflation and add an extra 10%, 20% or 30% to your monthly income outside of your full-time job,’ says Constable. He believes there are several existing side hustles that you can consider if you want to get things going:
 

1. Rent out your car if you work from home

Over the past few years, many forward-thinking companies began allowing their employees to work from home where possible. If you’re one of these employees and your car sits idle all week, you can rent it out to someone who needs personal transport for their daily grind. Of course, it’s essential that you do a thorough check (including proof of identity and address) on anyone you intend to rent it to, and you must have a contract in place stating how the vehicle can be used and what happens if any loss or damage occurs.

You must let your vehicle insurer know that the regular driver of your vehicle has changed, and the person renting the vehicle will also need to provide any documents the insurer requires to approve the change. Depending on the new regular driver’s risk profile, it might affect your premiums, but if you’re earning enough from the car rental agreement, that won’t matter.
 

2. Become an online or in-person coach or tutor

Got some skills with the ball or a musical instrument? Blessed with irresistible cooking and baking expertise? Know your way around power tools? If you can do it, why not teach someone or a group how to do it too? You can list your coaching or tutoring skills online using classified adverts. You can also use social media like Instagram and LinkedIn to market your services.

Depending on your niche, you might be able to register with industry bodies that supply training. Personal trainers, for instance, can consider registering with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, which offers online classrooms that you can rent and access online. If you want to coach in person, speak to local schools to see if there are opportunities to coach sports teams for some extra money.
 

3. Create your own niche YouTube channel

Starting a YouTube channel is one of the best ways to get involved in a side hustle devoted to content creation and creativity. YouTube is more than 15 years old now, and it remains one of the largest social-media platforms in the world after Facebook and Twitter. It’s also growing in popularity as a search engine, as people turn to it for how-to videos and consumer insights.

All you need do is register a Google account for Gmail and use that to register on YouTube and start setting up your channel. Depending on your niche, you can work with other YouTubers on collaborative projects to drive traffic to your channel. The key to monetising your channel is to reach a threshold (which is set and can be adjusted by YouTube) in your number of subscribers and the number of watch-hours those subscribers devote to the channel. Be aware that it may take you a year or more to meet those thresholds, so don’t expect instant earnings – but several YouTube channels, like MKBHD and MrBeast, are now fully fledged entertainment channels that generate millions in revenue.
 

4. Rent out your home or part of it using tech

Airbnb is alive and kicking despite the pandemic’s crippling effect on travel and tourism. You can list your home or a part of it for rental to earn added income. It’s even better if you have a small, detached cottage unit on the property that you occupy, as you can turn that unused main house into a money-generating machine.

Airbnb makes it easy for you to reach potential clients and the technology used to make bookings and payments is also secure, giving you peace of mind that you’re dealing with legitimate renters. The nice thing about using this kind of tech to rent out your property, rather than traditional classified ads, is that property owners and renters are all rated and tracked in the app so that the whole process is transparent.

This concept also fits in with the ‘semigration’ trend. Some ‘semigrants’, rather than work remotely, have bought a home in the country but keep a flat in the city. They live there for 4 nights a week to work in an office, returning home only over the weekend. If you’re in this situation, you may have rooms standing empty at each property for several days each week. With an app like Airbnb to manage your bookings, you could make short-term rentals a profitable side hustle.
 

5. Take on after-hours freelance work

If you have skills that can help other individuals or companies achieve their goals, you can offer your services for a freelance fee. For instance, if you’re a full-time chef, you can help a small business over the weekends or work with a catering team that serves the hospitality industry. The same applies if you’re a photographer – you can supply part-time photographic services after hours and on weekends.

In today’s digitalised world, so many companies need content creation – if you write copy or design content full-time, you can monetise that skills set part-time as a freelance content creator. There are many online businesses that allow you to register for creative work including picture editing, copy editing, proofreading and copy writing.
 

Important: Clear your side hustle with your employer

Provided there’s no conflict of interest between your day job and your side hustle, you shouldn’t have an issue with your employer. Most businesses will ask you to declare any outside interests or businesses you’re involved in, and you can do that through your company’s official systems and processes to ensure that you are working within your full-time employer’s requirements. Most companies allow their employees to have side hustles, but if you’re unsure, get clarity from your employer’s human resources representative.

Of course, it also goes without saying that you shouldn’t let your side hustle steal time from your full-time job. That should remain your priority while you use the side hustle to increase your income and learn about running a business as an entrepreneur at the same time. If you later realise that your side hustle is worth pursuing as a full-time income generator, you should let your employer know well in advance that you’re considering leaving. It’s best to part on good terms, because who knows – your former employer might become a customer of your new business.
 

Banking and finance for side hustlers in South Africa

Nedbank recognises the importance of side hustles and offers a variety of banking solutions that can help you make or accept payments for your venture. Our Startup Bundle is designed for new businesses starting up and offers 6 months of zero monthly maintenance fees. In addition to tailored business banking solutions, Nedbank offers practical tools to guide and support you on your business journey. See our beyond banking services to help your side hustle thrive.