Ronnie Nyakale’s side hustle: how Uber driving helped the actor make ends meet

“You will starve because you are concerned about what people are going to say.”

These are the cautionary words of former “Generations: The Legacy” actor Ronnie Nyakale.

The actor, who played Cosmo in the popular soapie, opened up about the reasons behind why he chose to become an Uber driver.

According to Nyakale, he took it upon himself to have a side hustle so he could subsidise his salary.

The actor was in conversation with John Bazjon Manyike on the “On the Money” podcast, a financial education programme.

While cosmo he is busy doing Uber some celebrity are busy asking donations pic.twitter.com/dDdqozC6C4

— Mageba (@Sadmethod) August 23, 2025

A clip of the conversation has since gone viral.

In the clip, Nyakale says: “You will starve, my brother, because you are concerned about what people will say. Your child will go to school on an empty stomach because you are concerned about what people will say.

“So when I took the decision to drive e-hailing services, I wanted to have extra cash so I could do my things on the side.”

“Extra cash that would help me repay my debts. Because now I’m an embarrassment, and people are feeling sorry for me. I have put myself into debt, so I have to hustle,” he added.

The actor also said that when he did his calculations and looked at his salary, his pay was no longer enough to meet his needs.

“I needed to get money that would help me to pay off my debts so that I would also be able to maintain myself,” he said.

His words caught the attention of netizens, specifically following the death of veteran actress Nandi Nyembe, 75, who, despite her veteran status, died facing financial struggles.

Her passing once again exposed the deep structural failures within the country’s entertainment industry.

Commenting on Nyakale’s clip, this is what netizens had to say:

@Sadmethod said: “While Cosmo is busy doing Uber, some celebrities are busy asking for donations.”

@GodPenuel said: “I love stories like this. Power to him 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽.”

@IndiphileG86656 said: “The bigger question here is why an actor of his stature is not getting paid enough to the point he has to hustle for extra cash.”

@philani_donald said: “I recall how people used to criticise celebrities for performing multiple roles, influencing, presenting, and acting. I hope they now realise that being multiskilled is necessary in this industry.”

While @IAmNotDJVoodoo said, “He has the right attitude. Work hard. No pity party. God bless his hustle. 🙏🏾🙌🏽.”