Hustle is a word that typically means different things to different people, but whisper it on the streets of a rural village or township and it means just one thing – opportunity! The informal or “Hustle Economy” offers 1 out of 6 South African’s a chance at earning an income in areas where formal sector jobs are just not available. Hustling for a living or having one (or several) side-hustles has become the informal sector’s answer to some form of job security in a market riddled with unemployment and lack of opportunity. Africans are the quintessential entrepreneurs and have always used whatever skills they have at their disposal to eke out a living whether as farmers, herders, crafters, artisans or micro-business owners.
Below is a list of “Hustle-preneurs” in the iSimangaliso landscape in KwaZulu-Natal and Greater Kruger Landscape in Mpumalanga who are running successful hustles in their local communities. Check out their profiles and maybe you can find somone who can provide you with a product or a service.