The Rockstar Hustle Fund has proven what we all already knew – South Africans are dominating the side hustle. For many, the need for another stream of income is borne from the need to make more money, especially given the current tough economic climate and rising cost of living.
According to the McKinsey Global Institute, about 63% of the labour force in Africa is involved in some type of self-employment. What the Rockstar Hustle Fund has shown is just how creative, motivated and innovative these hustlers in South Africa really are.
The campaign, which ran for 6 weeks from early August, asked contestants to post an original, entertaining and engaging video showing their side hustle, and posting it to Instagram or TikTok while tagging @RockstarEnergyZA and #HustleFund.
Musicians Moozlie and Shimza
Meet the three rockstars: Chantel Tisha
Chantel Tisha Ben is a 23-year-old rising star on the SA dance scene. She was nominated in the Best Dance category in the Glamour Youth Choice Awards in 2021. In 2022, she has been nominated in the Zikomo Awards, DSTV Content Creator Awards and ASEA Awards. This creative professional dancer and choreographer with experience in Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, Amapiano and modern contemporary dancing, has been dancing professionally for three years. Along the way , Chantel fell in love with content creation and has been posting her work on social media to reach a wider audience.
She has expanded her craft and ventured into other areas including video editing, working with brands such as FNB. Chantel also offers dance classes to both adults and children and holds an Honours Degree in Accounting and Finance from Sheffield Hallam University.
Najma Williams
Najma Williams is a singer-songwriter and fine artist, born and raised in Qwa-Qwa in the Free State and currently based in Pretoria. In 2021, Najma graduated with an Honours Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria. As a self-taught pianist and guitarist, Najma has actively been pursuing her musical career since 2018. Her style is a mix of R&B with a bit of neo soul and her inspiration comes from artists including Jhene Aiko and Sabrina Claudio, amongst others. Collaborating with various musicians across the globe is her dream.
Being one of the winners of The Rockstar Hustle Fund will assist Najma to purchase equipment to continue her musical endeavours. “I believe that my talent doesn’t only belong to me, but also to my audience because there is no point in creating music if I’m not impacting someone or becoming an inspiration,” she says.
Xavier Thxmas
Sabelo “Xavier Thxmas” Thabethe is a Hip-Hop/Trap artist born in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga. His hustle in rap began in 2017 and, through hard work and dedication, he has created a great deal of momentum behind his name, specifically over the last two years. In 2021, he won the Respublica Rising Stars Competition and has reached a milestone of attracting over 10 000 views on his YouTube channel.
More recently, his latest hit ‘SPILLION’, landed his first radio airplay on BMH Radio and led to him being scouted by DJ Switch for his 'Put Me On Switch' Podcast, where he was crowned this year’s two-time champion at the SHOOTURSHOT Cypher Battle, hosted at AMPD Studios.
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