South Africa’s side hustle economy is increasingly being run out of home kitchens, on pavements and through neighbourhood networks. Among Atlas Finance customers who hustle on the side, 55% operate in food and beverage, making it by far the largest informal income category.
That places food well ahead of services and manual labour (20%), sales and reselling (15%) and recycling (10%), offering a revealing snapshot of how working-class South Africans are responding to persistent financial pressure.
“The kitchen has become one of South Africa’s most accessible start-up spaces,” says Niresh Gopichand, Risk Director at Atlas Finance. “It requires very little upfront capital and allows people to turn everyday skills into income. For many households, these small enterprises are helping bridge the gap between earnings and essential expenses.”
Kasi cuisine leads, with atchaar a quiet standout
Among Atlas Finance customers operating food businesses, kotas, amagwinya, chips and chicken feet are the most sold items, underscoring the enduring appeal of affordable, convenient township food.
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Baked goods are equally prominent. Scones lead the category, followed by muffins, banana bread and biscuits. Mango atchaar also stands out appearing repeatedly across the responses and reflecting both its popularity and its low barrier to entry as a home-based business.
Other food hustles meet everyday community needs – eggs, homegrown vegetables, and tea or coffee sold in small affordable servings.
The shopping basket reveals the pressure behind the hustle
Many of these hustles are less about generating extra spending money and more about covering essentials. Participants repeatedly referred to using additional income to pay for groceries, electricity, transport and mobile data.
Flour and cooking oil appeared frequently in conversations about how additional income would be used, highlighting their importance both as household necessities and as business inputs. Maize meal, by contrast, featured far less prominently, suggesting that many respondents are thinking not only as consumers, but as micro-business owners focused on sustaining their income-generating activities.
“Hustling at this level isn’t about luxury spending,” says Gopichand. “It’s about keeping households moving forward funding transport to work, data for studying, electricity at home, or food on the table. That speaks to both the pressure people are facing and their determination to create solutions for themselves.”
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A reflection of broader consumer pressures
The findings align with broader consumer trends. According to TransUnion’s First Quarter 2026 Consumer Pulse Study, inflation on everyday goods remains the leading financial concern for 41% of South Africans, while 35% expect they may be unable to pay at least one bill or loan in full. At the same time, more than half of consumers have reduced discretionary spending as households adjust to rising costs.
Against this backdrop, side hustles are increasingly serving as a financial buffer helping households generate additional income while managing day-to-day expenses.
Beyond food: services, reselling and recycling
Outside the food category, laundry services and sneaker cleaning are among the most common hustles, particularly among younger respondents. Hair braiding, nail services and make-up artistry lead the beauty sector, while tutoring, especially in mathematics and science including assistance with university applications anchor education-related services.
In sales, perfume reselling is the most frequently mentioned product, alongside data bundles, SIM cards and electricity vouchers. One in ten respondents reported collecting cans, plastic bottles and cardboard for recycling as a source of income.
More resilience than trend
The hustle economy is often celebrated as entrepreneurial spirit. Among Atlas Finance customers, however, the findings suggest it is equally a story of resilience, small enterprises sustaining households through a challenging economic environment.
“These may be small businesses, but their impact on households is significant,” concludes Gopichand. “The conversation about the hustle economy needs to move beyond admiration and towards support. Access to financial education, appropriate funding and opportunities for growth can help transform many of these enterprises from survival mechanisms into sustainable businesses.”