Last updated on February 26th, 2024 at 08:24 am
Making money online in South Africa is not as easy as it may seem. There are many misconceptions out there about how to make money, and what the process entails.
In this blog post, we will provide some actionable steps to help you on your way to making more than enough money for yourself.
Table of Contents
Do paid surveys
Sign up to online survey websites like Survey Junkie or Swagbucks.
They are very straightforward in their sign-up process and can provide you with some pretty decent income for your time spent doing the surveys.
There are many sites that will pay individuals to take surveys around their homes.
Most require the user to be 18+ years old (depending on where they’re located) so if this applies to you, then there’s no reason as to why you can’t give it at least one shot!
Just remember – survey taking may sound easy but some questions might actually require some introspection before being answered correctly 😀
Sell items on eBay
This is a great way to make money online in South Africa while cleaning out your house of unwanted items, so it’s really a win/win if that’s something you need help with.
You may want to consider selling things that have resale value such as electronics or jewelry which tend to yield better profits than random objects around the house (like old books).
Get involved in affiliate marketing
If this sounds intimidating, don’t worry about it!
Affiliate marketing is when companies will pay you for promoting their products on your website or social media accounts to your friends and followers.
You will get a commission every time someone purchases that product through you; however, the customer has no idea they’re purchasing it from you (unless of course, this is something disclosed by the company).
Write articles online
There are many websites like iWriter or Elance where writers can submit content and be paid per article written.
This works better if you have experience with writing; however, we all know everyone starts somewhere so don’t give up hope yet 🙂
Get serious about blogging in South Africa
Many people make good money in blogging by driving traffic to advertisements and selling ad space on their website(s), but keep in mind that this takes time and effort to grow a following of readers.
Go ahead and get a domain and hosting here now.
Use social media as an avenue for making money online in South Africa
On sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., you can post advertisements from companies that will pay you directly via PayPal or gift cards if their ads gain traction online.
You do need a reasonably decent-sized following on your account(s) before advertisers will take notice, however!
This is why it is so important to follow the people who are in your niche/industry; they tend to share links with affiliate offers more often than not which can be very beneficial for both parties involved (you get paid per click & they drive traffic to their website).
Sell Your Photos
Many people use sites like Shutterstock to sell their images which you can find very easily by searching for specific keywords on google.
Become a virtual assistant
This is something that requires experience and a way to make money online in South Africa, but there are many companies out there looking for assistants who have the knowledge and skills needed to complete various tasks.
There are websites dedicated entirely to matching freelancers with businesses/families in need of assistance!
Create How-To Videos
Youtube is a great way to get your name out there and make money online in South Africa, and it’s not as difficult or time-consuming as blogging.
Creating how-to videos can be fun for you while also providing helpful information to other people in the process!
There are many ways to go about this; however, we suggest using sites like Fiverr if you’re just starting out and don’t have the necessary equipment/software needed (although that may come later on down the road).
Become a Copywriter
This may seem like it requires a lot of schooling, but really all you need is to be able to write in an engaging and persuasive way.
Most companies hire copywriters in South Africa on a freelance basis so this can be a great source of extra income if writing is one of your strong suits!
Get paid for watching videos
Ourtime.com pays users $0.50 per survey they complete which doesn’t sound like much until you realize that some surveys only take about two minutes while others could go up to 20 minutes or more depending on how many questions are asked (trust us – we’ve been there before).
Plus the longer ones typically pay out higher amounts too!
We suggest staying active on their email list as well because new surveys come around quite often, and sometimes they even send out exclusive invitations for their members only.
Do tasks on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
This is another one of those sites where you will be paid per task which are usually very simple ones that require no experience to complete whatsoever!
Many people use this site as a way to earn money online in South Africa while also doing something else at the same time (i.e., cooking dinner).
The minimum payout amount is $0.01 so it doesn’t take long before you get your first earnings either – just make sure you have an Amazon account because that’s how they pay everyone participating in MT 🙂
Become a Freelance Proofreader
Proofreading is another lucrative way to make money online in South Africa.
This is another one of those jobs where you have to be experienced before companies are willing to hire you because it’s very important that documents get reviewed for errors prior to being published.
There are many people who do this currently, but the majority of them work part-time while also having a “regular job” on the side which can provide enough money in order to make ends meet!
Sell your expertise
Whether you’re great at cooking/baking or excel in graphic design – sell your services online through sites like Fiverr and Elance.
These websites allow anyone with certain skills (and an internet connection) to connect directly with clients all over the world looking for help, so why not give it a try yourself?
Sell your stuff
Websites like Craigslist and eBay are extremely useful for people who want to make some extra cash by selling things they no longer need.
If you are anything like me, then chances are you probably have a lot of old things taking up space in the garage that could be making someone else happy instead.
Just remember; if it doesn’t sell after putting it online – don’t get discouraged because there’s always another way around when it comes to something as simple as this 🙂
Tap Into the E-Book Business
You can make money online in South Africa selling eBooks.
Many people think that it takes a lot of money to create an e-book, but the truth is – anyone who has something interesting/informative to share can do it!
For example, if you have been blogging for quite some time now and have amassed a significant amount of knowledge about your specific niche then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try selling your very own eBook.
Once completed just upload it on Amazon Kindle or similar platforms in order to get started 🙂
Sign up for Swagbucks
This is a site where you can earn points (called SB) by taking surveys, watching videos, shopping online through their portal, discovering deals/coupons from anywhere around the web which gets sent directly to your email inbox.
You then use this money in order to redeem prizes or even gift cards which you can later withdraw into actual cash that will go right into your PayPal account in South Africa.
The best part about it?
It takes less than five minutes before most tasks are approved so it is completely worth trying out if you’ve been looking for a new way of making some extra rand online in South Africa 😉
Get Paid To Read Email
There are many companies that pay people for reading their emails because it’s an effective way to communicate with potential customers.
Most will pay you $0.01-$0.02 for every email, so if you are looking for a hassle-free (and extremely easy) form to make money online in South Africa then this is the one that I recommend!
Sell Your Mind
You can earn money online in South Africa by selling your mind.
This may sound crazy at first but there are many companies who actually offer cash in return for your memories; especially ones that involve special events, personal encounters, or even family members 🙂
You can find out how much each company is willing to cough up by checking them all out individually and seeing what they specialize in – some might want something more than others depending on how old/new people think your memory should be before getting compensated.
Set up an Online Course
If you have expertise in a specific field or even an area of interest that other people are interested in learning more about then why not turn it into an online course?
Once completed, just upload your instructional videos on platforms like Udemy and start selling them for however much you think is reasonable 🙂
Become an Audiobook Narrator
If you are a fast reader and have an ear for tone/accent then why not try your hand at becoming an audiobook narrator?
The pay may seem little but it’s definitely better than nothing so if this is something that interests you – don’t be afraid to give it a shot.
You can find out how much each company will be paying by checking them all out individually.
Avoiding Scams Online – Tips for Avoiding Being Scammed Online in South Africa
Scammers are everywhere online. They want to take your money or personal information, so it’s important that you know what they look like and how to avoid being scammed online in South Africa.
The best way to do this is by learning common scams people run on the internet.
Pay attention when clicking links in emails, even if it’s an email from someone you know and trust because sometimes they can be hacked too, so make sure that your information stays safe online!
Don’t click on any ads or pop-ups that come up while surfing the web; most of them are trying to get you to pay money or give away personal info with no benefit at all!
If something seems off, just don’t do it!
Another way to avoid getting scammed online is to not give out your personal information.
Your name, address, phone number, or anything that can be used to identify you should never be given away online.
This is true even if the website asks for it! Most of them are phishing scams, so don’t fall victim and do what’s right in these types of situations.
Finally, if you ever think that something might be wrong, just don’t do it! If a website or email seems off then there’s probably a reason for it. Remember these tips and stay safe online!
Wrapping up how to make money online in South Africa
As always this list should be taken as a starting point rather than an end-all solution because once you start looking around online in South Africa; you’ll find even more ways where others are earning extra cash from their home computer.
It really does not take much effort either so don’t be afraid to explore and research on your own 🙂
There are other ways besides these mentioned, but this list should be enough to get you started.
We hope it was helpful! If you have any questions feel free to ask us below or email at [email protected].
Good luck and happy money online in South Africa!