From passion to paycheck: how Kenyan youth are turning hobbies into businesses

From tailoring and fashion design to baking, photography and digital content creation, hobbies that once filled spare time are increasingly becoming sources of income for many young Kenyans.

As the country grapples with youth unemployment, more young people are turning their talents into businesses, choosing entrepreneurship as a pathway to financial independence instead of waiting for formal employment.

The trend comes at a time when Kenya has one of the youngest populations in Africa.

According to the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), young people aged 15 to 34 make up about 35 per cent of the country's population. In comparison, more than 80 per cent of Kenyans are aged 35 and below.

The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) estimates that unemployment among people aged 15 to 34 stands at 67 per cent, compared to the national unemployment rate of 12.7 per cent.

More than one million young people enter the labour market each year.

As formal employment struggles to keep pace with the growing workforce, many young Kenyans are monetising skills in tailoring, fashion design, baking, photography and digital content creation.

For Bridgit Gabriela, that journey began in a high school Home Science classroom.

"I started back in high school because I liked Home Science. I used to spend most of my free time tailoring in the Home Science lab," she recalled.

After completing high school, Gabriela enrolled in a tailoring certificate course, where she realised her passion could become a career.

"We weren't just being taught hobbies or skills. We were being taught that apart from having those skills, you could stand on your own feet and open your own business," she said.

She began by repairing clothes before reinvesting the proceeds into making scrunchies and bonnets, later expanding into larger tailoring projects.

"The first challenge was capital. Growing a business and having a hobby are different things," she said, adding that she also had to learn tailoring techniques beyond what she studied in college while struggling to source quality materials in Kilifi.

Despite the hurdles, Gabriela believes young people should have confidence in their talents.

"If you've had that hobby and you can see that it can bring you money at the end of the day, do that thing. Let's not all wait for employment," she said.

Stewart Mrisa's passion for fashion followed a similar path. He said compliments from friends about the outfits he wore inspired him to create his own clothing brand.

"Some of them I had made myself, and that's when I realised I could start a clothing brand," he said.

Using his savings, support from his parents and money earned while playing football in the United Kingdom, Mrisa launched the business.

While he hopes to one day build it into an internationally recognised brand, he says understanding customer preferences has been one of his biggest lessons.

"Sometimes you don't know what the market wants. You might produce something that customers don't need at that moment," he said.

Business expert David Wamunyi says the digital economy is creating new opportunities for young entrepreneurs by enabling them to market products, reach customers and run businesses online.

"The IT sector is showing strong growth because young people can market products, sell goods and run businesses online," he said.

However, Wamunyi says passion and talent alone are not enough to build a successful enterprise. He argues that entrepreneurs must understand their target market, prioritise customers' needs and build businesses founded on honesty and consistency.

"Many people don't understand the market. They understand themselves first and want to do business without considering what the market wants," he said.

He added that improving access to financing, business training and reliable internet infrastructure would help more young people build sustainable enterprises, while quality service would strengthen customer trust.