By Janelle Denae Govender
On any given afternoon at the Durban University of Technology, 23-year-old Smangaliso Mduduzi Hintsho can be found juggling assignments and business deals. While many students are worrying about overdue submissions and readings, Hintsho is reviewing luxury cars for thousands of followers online.
“We are an automotive reviewing company. I am an automotive reviewer,” he explained. “I started it back in 2020, but I hadn’t started filming. I started filming in 2021, that was when there was COVID… I got a lot of time on my hands and decided to start filming, and that’s how I started Bonabay Universe.”
Hintsho’s company, Bonabay Universe, trading as Bonabay Cars (Pty) Ltd, has grown into more than just a hobby. With a TikTok following of 42,700, Facebook 33,000, and YouTube 3,000 subscribers, his reviews have reached an audience far beyond campus.
“Oh, very important, if it weren’t for TikTok, I wouldn’t be relevant, nobody would know me,” he admitted.
For Hintsho, his side hustle wasn’t born out of financial desperation, but out of childhood passion.
“I grew up watching Top Gear and I always wanted to be Jeremy Clarkson, always wanted to be Richard Hammond and James May. It was the coolest job in the world … I just did it for the little boy inside of me who got so excited seeing these three men talking about cars, seemingly doing what they enjoy most.”
His passion soon became profitable. Through dealership sponsorships, Bonabay Universe earns enough to cover Hintsho’s essentials like groceries and clothing. He spends about six hours a day working on his business.
“My camera guys get paid, and I get paid. That helps with groceries and clothes and food … it helps,” he explained.
But behind the glossy cars and exciting test drives lies a challenge faced by many students with side hustles, which is balancing academics and business.
“It’s very hard to balance my studies and hustle, I’m not going to lie. The very reason I’m doing my second year for the second time. My work overpowers school, and I’m just left behind … falling short and just dropping ridiculous marks.”
While Hintsho dreams of one day working for the BBC’s Top Gear or having his own motoring show on SABC 3 for everyone to be able to watch, for now, he admits that his business often overshadows his studies.
Across South Africa, many students are turning to side hustles to supplement their NSFAS stipends and cover the rising costs of living. From selling baked goods to reviewing cars, side hustles are no longer optional luxuries but rather tools of survival.
“I feel very sad that students need side hustles to survive,” Hintsho said. “The NSFAS money that we get is not entirely enough … imagine somebody who is not getting money from home, it must be very, very tough for them.”
For Hintsho, his hustle is both survival and self-fulfilment. His most rewarding moment so far? Not the money, not the recognition, but driving his dream car.
“My most rewarding moment so far was driving one of my dream cars, the Mercedes AMG C63s. That moment to me was the greatest by far.”
Despite the struggles, he encourages fellow students to start something of their own:
“My advice to a student trying to start a side hustle is go for it! 100% go for it! Just ensure you don’t leave your studies behind … give yourself some school time and then give yourself some business time.”
For Hintsho, Bonabay Universe is more than a hustle. It is an “empire in progress.” And while he admits his academics have taken a hit, he remains committed to chasing both a degree and a dream, one review at a time.