By Ashante Manetti
There was a time when having one job was enough. You’d go to work, earn your salary, and manage your responsibilities as best as you could. But for many Namibians today, that model simply doesn’t cut it anymore.
The numbers say it plainly: nearly a third of working Namibians are juggling more than one income stream. Some have side hustles after hours.
Others run small businesses alongside their nine-to-five. A growing number freelance, rent out rooms, sell goods online, or tap into gig work just to make ends meet.
This trend, often referred to as “poly-jobbing”, isn’t just about ambition. It’s about survival. With income levels largely stagnant and the cost of living constantly rising, many people have had to become their own plan B.
The 2024 Old Mutual Financial Services Monitor shows that 28% of working adults are poly-jobbers, and 1 in 4 own or co-own a business. That’s a strong signal that the hustle economy is no longer a trend, it’s a lifestyle.
For some, it’s empowering. There’s pride in building something of your own.
There’s a sense of possibility when you realise you’re not limited to one stream of income. That flexibility and creativity can be deeply rewarding — especially for younger Namibians eager to rewrite the rules and shape their own success stories.
But there’s another side to the story. The hustle that fuels opportunity can also lead to burnout. When weekends become working hours, and rest is constantly postponed, the line between ambition and exhaustion gets blurry.
People are showing up to their main jobs tired, emotionally drained, and sometimes resentful. Time with family suffers. Mental health takes a knock. And the pressure to always be “on” can quietly erode the very freedom that side hustles promise.
There’s also risk involved. Many side businesses and freelance gigs run informally, without contracts, protection, or contingency plans. A delayed payment from one client or a slow month in sales can trigger real financial strain. And when there’s no insurance or savings to cushion the blow, the weight of being a “one-person economy” becomes too heavy to carry alone.
So, what’s the way forward? It starts with recognising that multiple income streams are here to stay, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
But hustle needs structure. A good side gig needs the same care and planning as a full- time business. That means thinking about cover for the risks, budgeting realistically, keeping records, and investing profits, not just spending them to plug monthly gaps.
If you’re one of the many Namibians running a small business on the side, this is your reminder that your hustle deserves protection. Whether it’s a stall at the market, a digital service, or a small livestock operation, if it earns you income, it deserves to be safeguarded. Planning for the unpredictable doesn’t mean you expect failure, it means you believe your hustle has value.
The rise of the poly-jobber reflects our resilience. But resilience shouldn’t always mean doing more with less. With the right tools, advice, and support, doing more can also mean building better.
* Ashante Manetti is a Foundation and Retail Business Marketing Manager at Old Mutual Namibia.
