Many South African women running side hustles are already applying advanced problem-solving methods used by top innovators, without realising it, says Alvira Fisher, an MBA graduate at Stellenbosch Business School.
Fisher’s research highlights how informal businesses, baking at night, crocheting goods for export, running a mobile beauty salon, or renting out a spare room, often thrive on “social capital”, the networks of trust, support, and connection women build daily.
“These businesses, born from necessity, talent, intuition and care, are hidden in plain sight, yet they thrive on something powerful called social capital,” Fisher said.
Design thinking in action
Design thinking, a five-step process widely used in startups and innovation labs, is often followed instinctively by women entrepreneurs: empathising with customers, defining problems, generating ideas, prototyping, and testing solutions.
Fisher illustrated this through a simple case: a homemade rooibos balm created to help a friend’s child with eczema. The maker listened to the problem, refined the product based on feedback, and grew interest through her community, mirroring the design thinking model.
Five steps to launch with purpose
Fisher offers a practical checklist for turning side hustles into structured businesses:
- Scan your world daily - Look for pain points and unmet needs in your community.
- Activate your network - Share ideas with trusted people and gather feedback.
- Prototype together - Offer samples or trial services early.
- Iterate openly - Adapt based on feedback, not assumptions.
- Reinvest trust - Turn early supporters into ambassadors.
“The bottom line is that women who have side-hustles already know how to do this,” Fisher said. “You already have what it takes.”
