“Thank You for Business Ideas”: Student Inspires Mzansi With His Side Hustles
- A university student shared a candid slideshow detailing his various side hustles to fund his lifestyle, including selling food, snacks, and electronic gadgets
- The motivational post was shared on the video streaming platform TikTok and attracted massive views and praise for his impressive entrepreneurial drive
- Many viewers were inspired by his initiative, praising his business mindset and asking for details on his most profitable ventures
- Briefly News spoke with Luhle Mgandela, a second-year BCom Accounting student at the University of Johannesburg, about balancing academics and entrepreneurship
Source: TikTok
A young entrepreneur's transparency about his multiple side businesses as a student captured the attention of social media users, turning him into an instant inspiration for aspiring business owners.
The informative clip, shared on TikTok by @n.kat.eko, gained massive views and comments from viewers who shared their admiration and support for the man's hustle.
The man, TikTok user @n.kat.eko's video began with a picture of him sitting in a chair, preparing to rate his various ventures. Above his head, he included a screenshot of his bank balance, which showed a R15.4K transfer alongside a smaller R1.7K allowance, likely NSFAS funds, providing that his hustles were financially supplementing his student life.
The university student ventures into entrepreneurship
He then provided a straightforward breakdown of his various revenue streams. His first hustle involved selling large packs of homemade popcorn for R5 and R15, which he rated at two stars. Next, he showed ice lollies, which he noted were highly profitable but only seasonal, earning them a three-star rating.
He then showcased a delicious-looking meal prep of a burger, chips, and wings combo, which he rated at four stars. His best-rated hustle, achieving five stars, involved selling electronic gadgets, such as cellphone chargers, AirPods, and charging cables, which he crowned as the best student business. The final slide showed a dedicated storage space, which he gave five stars.
Source: TikTok
The hustle vs. The syllabus
We at Briefly News spoke with Luhle Mgandela to get a student’s perspective on the viral entrepreneurial student and to discuss the academic pressure that prevents many students from pursuing money-making side hustles.
The team asked what her reaction was to seeing the video of the hustling student. She said:
“I was impressed, but also overwhelmed. It shows incredible drive, but as a second-year BCom student, my initial thought was, ‘Where does he find time?” My demanding course keeps me locked in my textbooks.”
We asked how much of a barrier her course workload is to starting her own business venture on campus. The student shared:
“It is the biggest barrier. We have constant assignments, tutorials, and presentations. Accounting requires so many hours of studying that even if I had a great idea, the time commitment alone prevents me from setting up a reliable business.”
When asked if students feel the pressure to start businesses to supplement their NSFAS allowances. Luhle responded:
“They do. NSFAS is important, but it rarely covers everything, and it can sometimes be inconsistent, too. The pressure to be self-sufficient is huge, making entrepreneurship almost a survival requirement rather than just an extra source of pocket money.”
SA applauds the student for his hustling efforts
The comments section was flooded with positive responses from viewers who praised the young man's entrepreneurial spirit and transparency. Many users thanked him for providing tangible business ideas, with several promising to implement his hustles at their own campuses.
One woman commented that she wished she had had his business mindset when she was his age, noting that she would have been self-employed instead of struggling with unemployment now. Others, keen to replicate his success, flooded the comments with requests for his suppliers.
User @Mduduzi9061 shared:
"Don't stop, bro! Continue where we left off next year, you'll never regret 🙏."
User @HloniCharmaine added:
"Well done, bro🔥. Please share more side hustles that are female-friendly."
User @Gomolemo Ranoto commented:
"Don't take people seriously, people will always talk, no matter what you do. They won't help you when you need help, and everyone should pay no attention to family friendships and relationships in a business."
User @Mᥫ᭡ shared:
"Thank you, stranger, for business ideas😌!"
User @donald_dlamini said:
"I'm interested in selling earpods and cables. Plug me with a cheap supplier, brother."
User @Gomolemo Ranoto added:
"Don't rush the small amount you get. After everything, it makes a big difference! One step at a time."
Watch the TikTok video below:
3 Briefly News articles about university students
- A young student was filmed confidently running his small business, selling food to fellow residents at his university accommodation, impressing many social media users.
- In another Briefly News article, a university student had the online community touched after sharing a post thanking her parents for getting her the essentials.
- A young student shared a candid video about her broken relationship with her father and stepmother, adding that he swore at her before telling her to get out of his life.
Source: Briefly News
