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Key Highlights
- Africans in the U.S. are turning their kitchens into profitable mini-restaurants
- Offering hair services from home can bring in hundreds weekly
- Physical hustles like mobile car detailing and party decoration are thriving.
Ah, the American dream. You stepped off that plane with high hopes, two bags, one winter jacket, and maybe a tub of Egusi your mum smuggled in.
But alas, you quickly discovered, rent is not paid in vibes, and groceries aren’t bought with “God go provide.”
Before you can say “Na small small,” your wallet is already sounding like an empty drum at a village meeting.
And that’s when it hits you—you need a side hustle. Not just any side hustle, but the kind that’ll make your bank account sing like Burna Boy at the Grammys.
Let’s break down 6 profitable side hustles Africans in the diaspora (especially in America) are crushing right now.
1. Cooking African Meals for Delivery or Pickup
One of the most booming side hustles is cooking African food from home. Picture this: someone gets off work, it’s snowing, they miss home, and all they want is some spicy Egusi with pounded yam.
They go online, find your page, place an order, and just like that, you’ve made $25 from a bowl of soup you could cook with your eyes closed.
Africans all over the U.S., especially in cities like Houston, Atlanta, and the DMV area, are turning their kitchens into cash machines. Some take orders on WhatsApp or Facebook, while others use UberEats or DoorDash through ghost kitchen setups.
The real money comes when you build a regular customer base, students, workers, and families too tired to cook but too proud to eat McDonald’s for the fourth time that week.
2. Braiding Hair and Barbering
Hair is recession-proof. In every city with Africans, you’ll find people searching for someone who can braid tight, fade clean, and keep to time. And if you’ve got the skills, you can turn that spare room in your apartment into a mini salon.
One lady I know in New Jersey earns $1,000 a week just from weekend braiding appointments. Box braids, knotless, twists, she posts before-and-after pictures on Instagram and books up two weeks in advance.
Meanwhile, a Ghanaian student in Dallas cuts hair after class and makes enough to pay his rent, $25 per cut, three cuts a day, five days a week. That’s $375 minimum per week, and he hasn’t even touched Saturdays.
You’ll need your tools: quality clippers, shears, combs, braiding gel, and of course, reputation. What will kill your hustle fast? Lateness. Untidy workstations. And doing someone’s hair like you’re kneading dough. You’re not just selling a hairstyle, you’re offering an experience.
3. Selling African Clothes and Accessories
Ankara isn’t just for Sunday service anymore. Diaspora Africans, especially women, are rocking cultural pieces everywhere; work, birthdays, graduations. If you have a tailor back home or can sew yourself, you can create fashion that stands out and sell it from your living room.
There’s a Kenyan designer in Minneapolis making custom bonnets, handbags, and two-piece Ankara sets. She sources fabric from Nigeria through her cousin, sews on weekends, and sells through Etsy and Instagram.
On a good month, she clears $2,000 just from online orders. She also sets up a booth at Afro festivals, African church events, and summer carnivals.
What makes the business thrive? Offering quality. Africans know fake fabric when they see it. And if your stitching looks like it was done during an earthquake, don’t even try.
4. Mobile Car Wash & Detailing Side Hustles
Here’s a hustle most people overlook—yet it pays clean. Mobile car washing and detailing is booming, especially in suburban areas where people don’t have time to drive to a car wash.
There’s a Nigerian guy in Maryland who started with just a few supplies; buckets, microfiber cloths, soap, wax, a small vacuum—and now earns over $200 a day washing cars on weekends. He pulls up to homes, washes SUVs, sedans, and even motorcycles.
You don’t need a fancy van to start, just hustle and good service. Americans love convenience, and if you’re punctual, friendly, and make their car look brand new, they’ll call you back and tell their friends.
Just make sure you know what you’re doing, using laundry detergent on car paint is how side hustles become lawsuits.
5. Event Decoration and Rentals
Africans love a good celebration, and you can turn that love into income by doing event decorations. From balloon arches to flower walls and canopies, if you’ve got an eye for beauty, you can start this business from your garage.
One lady in Georgia started by decorating her cousin’s baby shower. Now she charges $600–$1,500 per event, depending on size.
She owns her own chairs, drapes, lights, and backdrops, and rents them out in addition to setting them up. Clients include churches, birthday celebrants, small weddings, and naming ceremonies.
The work is labor-intensive—carrying chairs, assembling arches—but it’s rewarding. Weekends are your bread and butter. You’ll also need to be organized.
Showing up late or forgetting balloons is a fast way to lose clients. But once your photos start circulating on Instagram, you’ll have people calling you from all over town.
6. Personal Errand Services
Busy professionals, elderly African aunties, and even other immigrants are always looking for someone to help them with small errands. That’s where you come in.
If you have a car and time, you can run errands—pick up African groceries from the market, deliver party trays, help families move furniture, or assemble those devilish IKEA pieces.
One guy in Ohio helps African moms with school pickups for $20 a ride. Another lady makes runs to African stores in bulk, then delivers orders to different households on weekends for a $10 fee each.
Apps like TaskRabbit or Facebook Marketplace are great places to promote yourself. But the best marketing is word of mouth. Once you prove reliable, African families will keep you on speed dial.
Conclusion: Don’t Hustle Blind, Hustle Smart
In this Diaspora life, there’s no shame in having side hustles, just don’t hustle foolishly. Not all side gigs are worth your sweat. Avoid anything illegal, anything that burns you out, or anything that leaves you broke after “investing” in fake mentorships.
Start small. Be consistent. Build trust. Whether you’re serving stew, laying edges, or making balloon garlands under pressure, do it well. You’re not just surviving; you’re building your path to financial stability, one hustle at a time.
