Africa-Press – Uganda. It was one of those hot afternoons in Kampala last weekend—I’d ducked into a roadside restaurant near Acacia Mall in Kololo for some soft drink, quietly sipping my juice when I couldn’t help but overhear a heated conversation.
A group of folks nearby were deep in debate: one swore by his evening gig selling second-hand phones online, boasting it sometimes out-earned his telecom job.
Another scoffed, “I tried that hustle life ended up drained, no family time, and the market crashed. Better to focus on my office job and climb the ladder.” And just like that, I had my topic for the week.
This debate—whether to cling to your steady paycheck or dive into a side business—hits home for so many Ugandans sailing through this economy.
You’re earning a decent 1.5 million a month at your office job in Kololo, but bills pile up, school fees loom, and that dream of a plot in Entebbe feels further away every payday.
So, do you play it safe, pouring all your energy into promotions and bonuses? Or do you moonlight with something extra, like bodaboda rentals, online trading, or even baking mandazi for weekend markets?
Let’s break it down with real talk, because I’ve seen both sides play out among friends and family.
Take Alex, a 28-year-old accountant in a mid-sized firm downtown. He pulls in about 2 million monthly, with benefits like medical cover and a pension match.
But Alex got ambitious last year—he started a small vegetable delivery service using his beat-up Corolla on evenings and weekends. At first, it was magic: 800k extra a month from offices in Industrial Area, craving fresh matooke and greens.
He even hired a cousin to help with deliveries. Fast forward six months, though, and things soured. Fuel prices spiked, the car broke down twice, and juggling it all left him burned out missing deadlines at work and snapping at his wife over dinner.
Now he’s back to just the 9-to-5, wiser but with a few scars.
On the flip side, there’s Lydia, a teacher at a primary school in Kireka earning 1.2 million. She could’ve coasted, focusing on lesson plans and staff meetings for that eventual headteacher spot. But no—Lydia spotted a gap in her neighbourhood for affordable tailoring.
She invested 5 million from savings into a sewing machine, fabrics, and a small shopfront. Now, after school, she stitches uniforms and casual wear, netting an extra 1.5 million monthly.
That’s covered her kids’ fees at a better school and even let her save for a solar panel setup at home. The key? She kept it manageable—no over expansion, just steady orders from parents and local shops.
Lydia’s not exhausted; she’s empowered, with her main job providing stability while the side gig builds her nest egg.
Numbers don’t lie, either. Side hustles can turbocharge your income think of the countless Ugandans running mobile money kiosks, Uber gigs, or even TikTok content that pulls in ad cash.
A quick survey from my circle shows many double their take-home with something extra. But it’s not free money. Time is your biggest cost: that evening hustle means less sleep, fewer family barbecues, or missing out on upskilling courses that could boost your primary salary. And risks? Plenty. Markets shift—remember when COVID wiped out event planners overnight? Or when fuel hikes crushed bodaboda owners?
Sticking to your 9-to-5 has its perks too. It’s predictable: paid leave, overtime if you’re lucky, and that end-of-year bonus to splash on Christmas.
Climb the ranks, and you could hit 4 million in a few years without the headache of chasing clients or dealing with bad debts.
Plus, in a place like Uganda where jobs aren’t always secure, focusing on one role builds your reputation—maybe even opens doors to consultancies later.
But here’s the heart of it: it’s not either-or for everyone. Some folks blend them smartly. Like my neighbor James, a civil servant in Bugolobi who rents out two bodas he bought with a SACCO loan.
He doesn’t ride them himself—a trusted rider handles the day-to-day, and James just collects his cut weekly. It’s passive enough not to drain him, adding 600k to his 2.3 million salary without stealing his evenings.
So where do you land? If you’re young, single, and full of fire—like in your 20s with low responsibilities—dive into that side hustle.
Test the waters, learn from flops, and build skills that could turn into a full business one day.
But if you’re mid-30s with kids, a mortgage, and a demanding job? Prioritise balance. Maybe start small, like online freelancing from home, or partner with someone to share the load.
At the end of the day, it’s about knowing yourself. Don’t chase a hustle because your WhatsApp group is buzzing about it. Don’t stick to salary security out of fear alone. Crunch your numbers, weigh your energy, and ask: Does this move me toward freedom, or just more fatigue?
Because in this Kampala hustle, your shillings—and your sanity—deserve to work for you, not the other way around.
See you next week hopefully hustling smarter, not harder.
Source: Nilepost News
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