How to Make Money Online for Free in South Africa

Are you a South African wondering how to earn money online? See this post for some great suggestions on how to supplement your income or even make additional money on the side! In South Africa, you may earn R1000 or more a day with the majority of these ideas.

Have you ever wondered how to earn additional cash in South Africa? Or perhaps you’d want to work from home and earn money remotely? This post examines several internet income opportunities in South Africa. There are numerous possibilities available, ranging from transcribing to building websites for small enterprises. In South Africa, you can even earn R1000 a day if you have a lot of these.

Not in the mood to read it through? It would be best if you started as soon as possible by promoting your services as a freelancer. You can receive your first project in a matter of days, and this offers you a great deal of flexibility. And when you’re just starting out, that is incredibly inspiring!

South Africa’s Top Online Income Opportunities

Let’s now examine the top internet income opportunities in South Africa.

Make Websites for Small Businesses

A couple of weeks to start earning
Potential for earnings: 3 out of 5
This may surprise you, but a lot of small businesses still don’t have websites. Making a simple business website is not that difficult. You should pick a website builder that doesn’t require coding knowledge and have some design knowledge. Then, after a few days of self-training, it is quite possible to design basic websites for small businesses.

Setting up advanced websites or online commerce is more difficult. You will be able to design more intricate websites as your expertise and technical proficiency increase. After that, take additional HTML, CSS, and Javascript training. This will let you precisely tailor the majority of templates and websites to the requirements of your clientele.

Depending on the complexity of the website you build, you may be able to charge between R1000 and R5000 per website in terms of earnings.

How to Begin: Make Websites for Small Businesses

The first thing you need do if you lack technical expertise is choose a website builder to employ for making websites for your clients. You may quickly and easily develop beautiful websites with such platforms. The platform takes care of the technological aspect. After gathering the data from your client, the majority of your effort will be creating the website’s content. After that, you may add content to the website builder and alter the design to suit your client’s preferences. It is necessary to get your clients’ consent ahead of time regarding the website builder you will choose. In this manner, they may approve the technical aspect of the idea without being taken aback.

Numerous options are available on the market when it comes to selecting a website builder. We suggest Portmoni in South Africa since it is reasonably priced and incredibly user-friendly. There are several options to Portmoni, such as Squarespace, WordPress.org, and Wix. Once you have found a platform you like, we advise you to start with just using this one. By doing this, you’ll be able to become an expert at it and provide your clients with ever-greater added value. You can expand your toolkit with more solutions after you have more expertise.

Lastly, you may advertise your services on freelance marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr to attract clients. Another option is to advertise straight to companies. For example, concentrating on nearby companies is a terrific place to start. They could value a direct, local connection and give you the opportunity to land a few jobs before looking for distant customers.

Freelance Work in South Africa

A couple of days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 3 out of 5
Working with clients as a freelancer entails doing so without being an official employee of their business. Your clients will employ you for a specific task and pay you either on a project-by-project basis or for a certain number of hours. One can work as a freelancer and provide any service. This can include web development, data input, graphic design, photography, and marketing, among other things.

A lot of people find freelance work to be flexible. You have complete control over the services you offer, the number of projects you take on at once, the clients you deal with, the rates you charge, and much more. You have all the flexibility that comes with being your own boss. However, keep in mind that you will be responsible for handling your own taxes, administrative tasks, and scheduling as a freelancer.

For the most part, freelancing is a fantastic method to begin making money online. Working from home is a breeze, and you can start with easy tasks. Furthermore, you may simply scale this up and earn R1000 per day in South Africa if you expand your skill set or currently possess in-demand skills.

How to Begin in South Africa as a Freelancer

The realm of freelancing can be entered in a variety of ways. You might start by looking through your network for your initial clientele. For example, you may use LinkedIn or current business relationships to get in touch with past coworkers.

Using websites like Upwork or Freelancer.com, which are dedicated to matching independent contractors with businesses, is an additional choice. Usually, these platforms bill between 10% and 20% of the total contract sum for their services. Although the commission is very high, when you are initially starting out, it’s a terrific method to locate your first missions. Since they are just starting out, new freelancers typically charge less for their services, so many recruiters are willing to give them a chance.

You might also start building your portfolio after you’ve finished a few freelance assignments. After that, you may post this portfolio on freelance websites or perhaps launch your own blog to spread the word about it. By doing this, you’ll be able to gain prospects’ trust and begin acquiring clients on your own.

Transcribe Audio and Video Files

A couple of days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 2 out of 5
Being a transcriptionist is another of the greatest ways to earn money online in South Africa. An increasing number of businesses are wanting to write up their audio and video material, like podcasts and interviews. After then, it might be utilized to write articles, improve search engine optimization, and be simpler to seek for later. You can work directly for a firm or independently with this kind of role. To get started quickly, you can also use specialized platforms.

Proficiency in the English language and the ability to accurately transcribe audio are prerequisites for success as a transcriber. Before applying for jobs, you might wish to practice a little bit. Fortunately, there are many of online audio tools accessible to help with this.

Earnings each audio hour transcribed range from R100 to R300 if you use a specialist platform.

How to Get Started With Transcription Services

There are numerous websites that specialize in providing transcribing services.

For example, one of the market leaders is Rev. Before being allowed, you must complete a transcription sample and a grammatical quiz to begin using Rev. You can then apply for jobs after being accepted. Rev pays payment for all finished job once a week to your PayPal account.

TranscribeMe is an additional internet transcription service. Income with TranscribeMe ranges from R200 to R350 for each audio hour. The ability to transcribe brief videos—two to four minutes—is one of TranscribeMe’s benefits. Once you have transcribed the first audio recording, the system will send you another. You take a knowledge test and finish a little training session when you sign up. Upon passing the test, you will be able to access the site and receive audio files for transcription.

Become a Virtual Instructor

A couple days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 2 out of 5
The popularity of online tutoring among parents and students in South Africa is growing. You can interact with students and families seeking extracurricular assistance through a number of online outlets. The student usually pays the website prior to the start of the session. After that, your weekly pay is determined on the amount of tutoring you have performed.

Online teaching is undoubtedly a terrific way to start making money online if you have the necessary skills. If your demand and profile permit, you can begin by teaching a few hours a day or a few hours a week, and if necessary, you can even make it your full-time job. You might easily make R1000 a day in South Africa with rates ranging from R150 to R300 per hour.

How to Begin: South African Online Tutoring

Although there are numerous platforms accessible, these are our best choices for South Africa.

With TurtleJar, a South African platform, you may tutor both in-person and virtually. Depending on the subjects you teach and the grade you are tutoring, your hourly rate on TurtleJar might range from R150 to R270. Science, accounting, science, English, and mathematics are the most popular subjects on TurtleJar. In order to become a member of TurtleJar, you must provide documentation supporting your tutoring abilities. This can include prior performance, employment and educational background, and suggestions.

Another local South African website that provides online tutoring is called BrightSparkz. Tutors can decide whether to provide in-person or online instruction based on the needs of their students. Before your profile shows up on the BrightSparkz website, you must go through a rigorous screening process to become a member. Participating in an interview and providing documentation of your credentials are part of this screening procedure.

Finally, tutors of popular disciplines like accounting, math, writing, and English are paid slightly more by TutorMe than the hourly average of R150. However, achieving their high criteria and going through a more stringent screening process are prerequisites for receiving that higher pay grade. As part of the procedure, you must present your credentials as proof that you are an authority on the topic. Additionally, you must be enrolled in or have graduated from one of their recognized universities.

Online Stock Photo and Video Sales

A couple of days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 2 out of 5
Photographers and videographers in South Africa are not short of options when looking for ways to monetize their skills online. Making passive income by uploading and selling photos to stock websites is one of these.

To begin, you don’t have to be an experienced photographer or videographer. A DSLR camera and a basic understanding of editing software are good places to start. After that, all you need to do is upload your pictures to online stock photo companies. They pay you when they sell. You can anticipate earning 15% to 40% of the sale price, depending on the photo and the buyer’s chosen licensing type. However, you have an infinite earning potential because you can sell the same photograph more than once.

How to Get Started in South Africa with Online Stock Photo Sales

You can sell your photographs on a variety of platforms.

One of the most popular sites for stock photos is Shutterstock. Real estate and finance-related images are among the most popular subjects on Shutterstock. Why? Photos featuring these subjects are in high demand. You create a picture between R29 and R37 for on-demand downloads.

Another site where you can sell your photos is 500px. In addition to getting paid when users purchase your stock photos on 500px, you can also win cash rewards by competing. Typically, these contests provide R3,000 all at once.

Last but not least, Adobe Stock is a fantastic site to upload your photos if you enjoy creative and staged photography. The market is flooded with vivid, striking, and original photos. After that, you may publish photos to the marketplace and get paid when they sell, much as with Shutterstock.

Compose Articles for Online Magazines and Websites

A couple days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 3 out of 5
You can write for a content creation platform and earn money online if you are creative, have decent grammar, and can type swiftly. If you enjoy writing, this can be the ideal idea for you.

The kind of platform you write for and the amount of research needed for the piece you are writing will determine your earnings. You can begin writing generic articles for R100 to R250 every 1000 words, with little to no research required. Fees for more intricate pieces requiring extensive research range from R300 to R450 per 1000 words. Additionally, skilled writers will charge between R500 and R800 per 1000 words on more difficult subjects. Your abilities will grow with practice, and you’ll be able to draw in increasingly high-end clients.

How to Write Website Content: A Step-by-Step Guide

Jobs for freelance writers are widely available on freelance marketplaces such as Fiverr and Upwork. However, there are other writing jobs available on specialized content creation platforms.

One of the websites where you can quickly begin creating content for the internet is iWriter. You will be required to submit a 250 word writing sample as part of the registration procedure. The sample demonstrates your command of spelling, grammar, and language. From then on, each 1000 words you produce should earn you R100. It should take you one hour to finish, depending on how quickly you type and how much research you do. Naturally, this might also rise as you get more experience.

Writer Access is an additional option with a higher earning potential. The starting pay for most authors is R180 per piece. However, if your portfolio expands, the platform may start paying you a full-time salary. You will have to upload your resume as part of the onboarding procedure. Along with providing information about your qualifications and education, you will also need to include a link to an online portfolio of your prior work.

Lastly, material Gather gives you the option to make money from writing by applying for writing jobs and selling pre-written material. Approximately R180 will be paid for every 600 words of prewritten content. However, it can take some time for it to sell. Try to write in categories where buyers are more interested in order to get around this. For example, business, banking, real estate, internet, and technology are excellent choices.

Among the many options for making money online in South Africa, creating content is undoubtedly one that is worth considering.

Affiliate Marketing

When to start making money: a year or longer
Potential for earnings: 5 stars
With the help of affiliate marketing, you may promote the goods and services of other companies while earning a commission each time a customer you refer buys something. The last several years have seen an increase in the popularity of this company strategy. Programs provided by major corporations such as Amazon have caused the business to grow dramatically.

How Then Does Affiliate Marketing Operate?

In order to market the affiliate offers you choose, you must first build or already own a website. Upon clicking on an affiliate link on your website, a visitor will be taken to the merchant’s website. You will receive a commission as a percentage of the sale if they make a purchase on that website. The New York Times’ Wirecutter is a well-known affiliate website that you can visit as an example. They evaluate a wide variety of goods and receive commissions when customers make purchases.

The traffic to your website, the affiliate networks you utilize, and the kinds of products you recommend all affect your ability to make money with affiliate marketing. Generally speaking, affiliate commissions range from 1% to 10%, depending on the products. Therefore, you will only receive a $0,1 commission for each transaction if you recommend a low-cost product that costs $10 and offers a 1% commission. However, for more costly $1000 items with a higher fee of 4%, this would increase to $40. Therefore, the secret to your success will be to identify a reputable affiliate program and a specialty.

Despite requiring more time to set up, affiliate marketing has excellent scalability. This is undoubtedly one method for earning R2000 or perhaps R5000 in a single day in South Africa.

How Affiliate Marketing Can Help You Get Started

It’s simple to get started with affiliate marketing if you already have a popular website. All you have to do is create affiliate links on your website and register with affiliate programs. You might eventually write more specialized articles to boost your affiliate revenue.

There are additional stages involved in getting started with affiliate marketing if you are starting from scratch and do not already have a website. Choosing your niche is the first step, and it works similarly to how product ideas work. You will then have to start working on your website. For this, we advise using a website builder, which will make the process of creating a website simple and quick. The last step is to provide content for your website in a style that Google will find appealing.

To succeed in affiliate marketing, a number of things must be done correctly. This adds a little complexity to the business model. However, there are excellent online courses available to help you succeed and navigate this procedure. As an example, we heartily endorse Authority Hacker. From choosing your topic to identifying the best keywords to target to building your website, this online course walks you through every step in detail.

Launch an Online Shop in South Africa

A couple months to start making money
Potential for earnings: 5 stars
Another approach to generate money online is to launch an eCommerce company. There are a few steps involved in getting started with eCommerce. Finding goods to sell, setting up your web site, and doing product marketing are all necessary.

Establishing and perfecting this business strategy requires more time due to its complexity. Nonetheless, the business’s potential is nearly limitless once it begins to expand.

We suggest reading through our comprehensive guide on how to launch an online store in South Africa for further information. It will provide you with instructions on how to begin selling online in South Africa.

Sell on Fiverr

A couple days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 3 out of 5
Fiverr is a business-focused freelance marketplace. It can be utilized to market more packaged services, such as reports, as well as your independent contractor services. You can list your services in a lot of different categories, such as voiceovers, content development, reports, and website testing.

The primary drawback of Fiverr is its high level of traffic. Every category has a large number of merchants, and new sellers must offer low pricing to attract their first customers. However, you will be able to charge more as your ratings rise. Additionally, Fiverr keeps a 20% commission on every sale. Since customers must pay in advance for the services, they offer sellers protection in exchange for this commission. When you’re initially starting out as a freelancer, it’s also a terrific way to get your first clients and evaluations because of how popular it is.

Additionally, Fiverr features a rating system where customers may submit reviews to let others know how good your work is. This is really beneficial if you offer a good service because it attracts additional sales from new customers. A seller dashboard featuring multiple objectives is also available, and you can strive for increased levels of selling seniority.

How to Get Started in South Africa with Fiverr Selling

A Fiverr account may be created quickly and for nothing. Next, you select the services you wish to offer for sale and construct a “gig” complete with a picture, a description, and a pricing. At last, watch for orders to arrive! In order to rise to the head of the pack while you still have a small number of reviews on your profile, you can also promote on the site to highlight your gigs.

Fiverr is undoubtedly a fantastic alternative to investigate if you’re wondering how to earn extra money in South Africa.

Sell Handcrafted Goods on the Internet

A couple weeks to start earning
Potential for earnings: 4 out of 5
Selling handcrafted goods online is another way South Africans can make money online. You can sell them on South African online marketplaces or through your own online store.

Making handmade goods requires patience and work. A product’s value-based price may discourage some customers from purchasing it in favor of generic alternatives. But don’t let it deter you—handmade goods are valuable and distinctive, and many people know this.

How can I sell handcrafted goods in South Africa and earn R1000 per day? Either a cheap product that you can sell to a large number of customers or a more costly product that brings in a lot of money from fewer sales are what you should aim for. You may also consider charging more for things that are individualized or customisable.

How to Get Started in South Africa with Online Handmade Goods Sales

Choosing what kind of goods to make is the first step towards getting started. Simple concepts like cards, jewelry, or artwork are a good place to start. The most crucial thing is to apply your special skills if you have them! Additionally, you can read our post about the top-selling items in South Africa if you’d like to brainstorm new product ideas.

Next, we advise you to advertise your products on one or more of South Africa’s online marketplaces in order to sell them. These are simple to use, and you can take advantage of the traffic and promotion these platforms provide. You can open an internet store to sell your goods to customers directly once your brand is more well-known.

Engage in Virtual Assistant Work

A couple days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 2 out of 5
Becoming a virtual assistant is an additional way for South Africans to earn money online. Working remotely, you provide your assistance services as a virtual assistant. Administrative duties including handling calls, emails, and appointment scheduling are typically involved.

Being a virtual assistant doesn’t require any particular skills. Having said that, people with experience in administrative and assistant work will have an easier time finding employment and command a higher salary. It might be difficult to juggle administrative chores because it takes practice and knowledge. However, the rewards are worthwhile, particularly if you have prior expertise in these areas.

Being a virtual assistant allows you to be flexible with your work schedule and location. In South Africa, virtual assistants normally earn about R150 per hour.

Step-by-Step Guide: Virtual Assistant

On online freelance marketplaces like Fiverr or Upwork, you can locate virtual assistant jobs in a manner similar to freelancing. You can also apply directly to organizations seeking for positions that require remote work, as it is becoming an increasingly prevalent practice.

Examine Software, Websites, and Apps.

A couple days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 2 out of 5
To earn money online, you can also take part in usability testing. Usability assessments entail evaluating apps and websites from businesses and providing them with user input. Along with answering some questions, you’ll also need to record your screen while you surf the website and remark on your experience. All you have to do is post your review to the service after it is finished.

Usually, $10 is charged for each of these exams. You can anticipate making $30 to $40 per hour doing this, as tests usually take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. However, there is a lot of competition in this. As soon as the review requests go online, you will have to move fast to secure the position!

How to Begin: Examine Apps and Websites

Usability testing companies include TryMyUI, UserFeel, and UserTesting. Numerous additional alternatives are available online as well.

Completing Online Surveys

A couple days to start earning
Potential for earnings: 1 out of 5
One simple approach to earn money online is to take surveys. You can start without any specialized education or experience, and you will be compensated for your ideas and insight. You may complete surveys on numerous websites to earn credits or cash. SwagBucks and OpinionOutpost, for example, provide that kind of service.

Taking surveys is a fantastic way to earn additional cash. They don’t pay much, but it’s really simple to get started. To earn a respectable living, you will need to invest a lot of time in answering surveys.

Conclusion

How may one earn money online in South Africa, then? Select the idea with the most earning potential that best suits your area of expertise and get started. And freelancing is a risk-free option if you’re not sure. This will let you start in the world of online selling, offer you a great deal of flexibility, and perhaps earn you a lot of money with the proper project. This is among the greatest methods for making quick money in South Africa.

If you work on them full-time, the majority of the ideas listed here have the potential to replace your income and earn you R1000 per day in South Africa.

Commonly Asked Questions

Finally, a handful of the most popular queries regarding the subject.

Ways to quickly make money in South Africa?

In South Africa, there are numerous ways to generate money quickly. These consist of doing internet surveys, reviewing apps and websites, and transcribing audio and video. All of these are quick to set up and will allow you to start making money within a few days of starting.

How can I earn R2000 a day?

The majority of the above-mentioned suggestions will enable you to make R2000 every day. Writing content and doing freelance work are two of the greatest ways to swiftly get to that income level.

How can I earn R5,000 per day?

Several methods exist in South Africa for earning R5,000 each day. The first is freelancing, if your credentials are strong enough to command a high enough salary in a field like software development or another in-demand skill set. But, we would advise going with one of the above-discussed most scalable choices. These consist of launching an online store and engaging in affiliate marketing. These two concepts have the capacity to grow rapidly and earn R5,000 or more each day.