The summer hustle: How Pacific youth are turning sunshine into opportunity in NZ

Summer is officially underway. This year's calendar has something for everyone - from sports, art, music, faith, and food to families and friends enjoying a fun day out and creating lasting memories.

When summer rolls around, the streets, markets, and beaches of our Pacific communities come alive in New Zealand - not just with sun and laughter, but with the sound of hustle.

For many Pasifika young people, summer isn’t a break, it’s a season of work, creativity, and opportunity.

From helping out in family-owned bakeries in South Auckland to running fruit stalls at Ōtara Market or assisting with Pacific cultural festivals, Pacific youth are turning long, sunny days into ways to earn, learn, and grow.

Seasonal work has always been part of Pasifika life. Families rely on jobs like picking kiwifruit in the Bay of Plenty, working at local farmers’ markets, or helping run community events like church fêtes or Pacific language week programmes.

Today, young people are blending these traditional roles with creative side gigs. They’re designing and selling handmade jewellery at markets, managing social media accounts for local businesses, tutoring younger students in maths or language, or offering digital services like graphic design and video editing.

This combination of the traditional and the modern reflects a generation building independence while keeping Pacific values alive.

Take Moana from South Auckland. She spends her mornings assisting at her family’s food stall at Ōtara Market, serving customers and learning the ins and outs of running a business.

In the afternoons, she sells her handmade earrings online, building a following on Instagram. “I love that I can earn my own money and still help out at home,” she says.

Creativity meets entrepreneurship: young Pasifika are blending traditional crafts with modern side hustles to fund education, travel, and community projects. Photo/Facebook

Moana's story is mirrored by countless other Pasifika youth across Aotearoa, blending the tried-and-true with innovative ways to hustle.

Seasonal work also keeps young Pasifika connected to their communities. Many are involved in roles that support cultural life: helping organise Siva Sāmoa or Tahitian dance workshops, assisting with church fundraising events, or working at Pacific arts and food festivals like Pasifika Festival in Auckland.

One tutor says the experiences teach responsibility, teamwork, and communication skills and give young people a sense of pride in contributing to something bigger than themselves.

And then there are the side hustles," he says. "TikTok tutorials teaching traditional crafts, YouTube cooking videos, custom art commissions, and digital freelance work complement seasonal jobs, creating multiple streams of income.

"Many use these earnings to fund education, save for travel, or support their extended families. It’s a hustle that’s creative, purposeful, and distinctly Pasifika."

This summer, as you stroll through Ōtara Market, the beaches of South Auckland, or watch a Pacific festival come alive, notice the energy, ambition, and innovation on display.

Pasifika youth are making, selling, learning, and contributing.

The summer hustle isn’t just seasonal, it’s a statement. It’s proof that our young people are resilient, inventive, and shaping their own futures while carrying forward a legacy of hard work, family ties, and community pride.