‘Important right’: 23yo busker reveals Australia’s cashless reality

A young woman has revealed the worrying trend she’s noticed that is proof Australia is becoming a cashless society.

Australia is becoming increasingly cashless, and you only have to speak to a busker to be confronted by it.

Shirina has been busking on the streets of Sydney for years, and she’s witnessed the demise of Aussies carrying cash.

It was easy to notice that people weren’t carrying money anymore because it directly impacted the 23 year old’s income.

“People would come up to me and say, ‘I’m sorry! I don’t have cash’,” she told news.com.au.

The busker has noticed how people don’t carry cash anymore. Picture: Instagram/shirinaholmatova

It has impacted her income. Picture: Instagram/shirinaholmatova

Shirina said it is hard to pinpoint exactly when she noticed that the majority of people who walked past her every day on the street didn’t have cash on them, but she clocked it before the pandemic, and it worsened after lockdowns ended.

The 23 year old is one of Australia’s most successful buskers. She has over a million followers on TikTok and over 800,000 followers on Instagram.

She’s at the top of her game and she loves to busk in Sydney’s CBD and post videos of her music online but people’s preference for card over cash has made it difficult to make a living in 2024.

PayPal’s circular economy report found that one-in-seven Australians has completely stopped using cash.

Some 57 per cent of Aussies use cash for less than 10 per cent of their spending and 73 per cent of Aussies do the bulk of their spending digitally.

She's at the top of her game. Picture: Instagram/shirinaholmatova

Aussies don’t carry cash as much. Picture: iStock

It has become increasingly rare for someone to walk past her and drop her a few coins or a couple of notes. Instead, people will use her PayPal QR code.

It is effective but takes the spontaneity out of giving.

Aussies don’t just hand her money; they have to get out their phones, scan, follow a few steps, and then pay her.

Shirina explained that in 2017, when people were carrying cash, she could earn really good money busking in Sydney around Pitt St Mall, but now her income has almost halved and that is even with her using a QR code.

“I could make on a good day $500 in an hour in Pitt St. Maybe now I’d earn between $200 and $300,” she explained.

“I think that is because of the loss of people carrying cash and the cost of living crisis. When I went to the Busking World Cup, even people internationally said they’d heard buskers in Australia are struggling.”

She said the busking industry is struggling. Picture: Instagram/shirinaholmatova

People just don’t carry cash as much. Picture: iStock

The singer explained that you only have to walk through Sydney’s CBD to see how much things have changed.

“Ten years ago, every Saturday and Sunday, buskers would rise at 6am, arrive at Pitt Street Mall by 7am, and wait seven to eight hours just to have a one-hour performance slot,” she said. 

“At that time, making money was easier because people had cash on hand and were willing to spend it without the pressures of the cost of living.” 

Shirina said that her lower income has forced her to diversify. To make ends meet, she does weddings and other formal gigs.

“I have decided to take on other types of work because I can’t just survive living off busking anymore,” she said.

“I have a few friends who have lived in Sydney their whole lives and have now moved to Melbourne.”

“This year has been so tough for buckers and I even know people who have quit.”

She explained why she thinks people should still carry cash. Picture: Instagram/shirinaholmatova

Shirina noticed that there are fewer buskers on the street, and it makes her really “sad” because she believes busking is important.

“The streets used to be full of music and now they aren’t anymore.”

“I am devastated. Aussie people deserve music, entertainment and culture and Sydney is so dead.”

Shirina said that despite the fact that her friends don’t carry cash, she’s still a keen cash user, and she doesn’t think people should stop using it.

“We all need to carry cash because it is an important right that we have,” she argued.

Originally published as ‘Important right’: 23yo busker reveals Australia’s cashless reality