Ethiopia’s Side Hustle Boom is Creating a New Work Culture

A (formerly) typical view of life looked something like this: you go to school, you get a 9-5 job with benefits, you have a family, then you retire. Nowadays, it’s not an exaggeration to say that young folks have ditched this narrative, more specifically, the 9-5 job part. It’s true that many young people still work 9-to-5s, but the idea of working only one job is fast disappearing from the minds of young people. Side hustles are the norm now. Young people juggle two, three, or more jobs alongside education and other responsibilities. 

The reasons young people give for the rise of side hustles are as diverse as the jobs they take. For some, side hustles are just a matter of making ends meet. The monthly salary they get from their 9-5 job just isn’t enough to cover basic necessities. Others do so to improve their lifestyle and career prospects. After all, who wouldn’t want a little bit more money? Gaining extra income means being able to afford better clothes, better gadgets, and better homes.