How to make money online in South Africa (+ how to start)

Ah, the internet. The birthplace of many of the world’s millionaires.

There’s a lot of money to be made online. A LOT. You just need to understand how to play the game.

Are you ready to join the millions of people making money online?

Let’s get started.

 

How to make money online in South Africa

There are lots of ways for South Africans to make money online. Including freelancing, remote work, selling products, creating content, teaching, building apps, or by starting a business. The list goes on.

Every opportunity can be grouped into one of four money-making categories:

1. Services: Sell or provide a service online.
2. E-commerce: Sell products online.
3. Content: Create and publish content online.
4. Code: Develop software and apps.

 

You see, freelance design, remote work, and online event planning are all services. Selling products on Takealot, Etsy, or your own online shop are all ways of making money with e-commerce.

Starting to get the idea?

If you want to make A LOT of money online, this concept will help you do it.

We’ll go over each category one by one. Covering things you can try and how to get started.

 

 

Making money online with services

A great way to make money online is by offering services. The best part is that South Africans don’t need any money to get started. Most services only require a laptop or smartphone, internet, and a specific skill. Services include freelancing, remote work, consulting, and tutoring, amongst others. 

 

Ways to make money online with services

1. Start freelancing: Offer skills like writing, graphic design, support, programming, or digital marketing. Get freelancing jobs via platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed, or work on a freelance marketplace like Upwork or Fiverr.
2. Find remote work: Search online for fully remote positions, tailor your CV, and apply for a 100% remote job. Lots of jobs allow allow remote work. For example, customer service, sales, IT, marketing, or finance.
3. Become a virtual assistant: Help businesses or entrepreneurs with administrative tasks, social media, or customer support.
4. Offer consulting services: Use your expertise to help businesses improve their operations, strategy, or online presence.
5. Teach online: Start tutoring subjects like English, math, or science. There are lots of companies that provide platforms to connect teachers with students. Many of which allow teachers to set their availability.

 

Full list of examples: Freelancing, remote work, consulting, online tutoring, virtual assistance, web design, graphic design, digital marketing, copywriting, SEO services, social media management, video editing, translation services, bookkeeping, online coaching, transcription services, customer support, IT support, legal services, career counseling.

 

How to start making money online with services

One of the best ways to start making money online, is with services. All you need to do is develop the skills, put together a portfolio or resume, and find work online by applying for remote jobs, registering on platforms, or reaching out to potential clients directly.

Follow these basic steps:

1. Develop your service and skill(s)
2. Prove that you can do the work
3. Find work and get clients

 

 

1. Develop your service and skill(s)

Make sure you can deliver the service. This may mean learning something new or getting accredited. If you need a certificate or formal education, start there.

Some services, like freelancing, may require that you develop an offer. In this case, write down what you do for clients and what it will cost them. This won’t apply to remote jobs or people using platforms with fixed payment rates.

 

2. Prove that you can do the work

Next, you’ll need to get the job, win over the client, or get approved on a platform. Make sure you have the qualifications, portfolio or resume to back up your skills.

 

3. Find work and get clients

How you’ll find work or get clients will differ based on what you want to do.

To get a remote job: Use job sites like Remote.co, We Work Remotely, LinkedIn, Indeed, or Google Jobs to look for work. Apply for positions. Nail the interviews. Get hired and start working remotely.

To get hired on a platform: First, find the best platform for your service. For freelancers, this could be something like Fiverr or Upwork. For English teachers, this could be platforms like VIPKID, Preply, or italki. Make sure you’re qualified. Then, apply or register and check out the platform’s ‘How to guides’ to learn how to maximise your chances of getting work on their platform.

To get clients: Again, you can look for contract positions on job sites or use platforms to connect with clients. Another way to get clients is with a little marketing. Try tailored cold outreach via email or LinkedIn.

 

📖 Related content:

• Online side hustles in South Africa
• How to make passive income in South Africa

 

 

Making money online with e-commerce

E-commerce, short for ‘electronic commerce,’ involves selling products [and services] online. There are lots of ways to make money using e-commerce, including starting an online shop, dropshipping, or using existing platforms like Etsy, Takealot, Facebook Marketplace, or even digital content platforms like Creative Market.

Just remember, e-commerce is very competitive. Models like dropshipping have really small profit margins, which can make it even harder to succeed.

 

Ways to make money online with e-commerce

1. Start your own e-commerce shop: Come up with a unique product, set up an online shop using Shopify, Wix, or Woocommerce, and start getting customers to build your own online shop.
2. Sell physical goods on online marketplaces: Use platforms like Takealot, Etsy, or Facebook Marketplace to sell physical products online.
3. Sell digital products: Create and sell digital items like e-books, templates, stock photos, stock videos, audio, printables, or software. Try selling on Creative Market, Envato, Shutterstock, other niche sites, or your own website. 
4. Start dropshipping: Run an online store without holding inventory by working with suppliers who ship directly to customers.
5. Sell on-demand products: On-demand products are produced and shipped when ordered. Things like custom t-shirts, mugs and other items usually fall into this category. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative.

 

Full list of examples: Selling digital products, dropshipping, print-on-demand, selling on online marketplaces, running a subscription box service, creating an online store, selling handmade goods, reselling products, launching a white-label product, and creating membership sites.

 

How to start making money online with e-commerce

An e-commerce business has the potential to make a lot of money online. To start an e-commerce business, figure out what you want to sell, where you want to sell it, and how you want to promote the product and fulfil delivery. Then, build your inventory and online presence so you can start selling.

Follow these basic steps:

1. Develop your first product range
2. Set up a digital presence
3. Get your product in front of customers

 

 

1. Develop your first product range

First, you’ll need something to sell. Figure out what you want to sell and which style of e-commerce is best suited for your product. 

Do some research and planning to decide what you want to sell and where to sell it. Start by asking and answering questions like: 

• Will it be a digital or a physical product?
• Do you need an online shop, or are you going to use a marketplace?
• Is it an original product, or are you reselling?
• What will it cost to make, and how much will you sell it for?

 

2. Set up a digital presence

Now that you know what you’re selling, you can choose the best channel and set up your online presence. How you set up your shop or page varies from platform to platform. Check out ‘how to…’ guides, use high-quality photos, and try to optimise the shopping experience. 

• Online marketplaces for physical goods: Takealot, Etsy, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, and Gumtree.
• Digital marketplaces for digital goods: Creative Market, Envato, Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Gumroad, and Vecteezy (plus many more.)

• Web builders for online shops: Shopify (easy to start with), Wix, WordPress and Woocommerce, Squarespace or Webflow.

 

3. Get your product in front of customers

Product? Check. Online shop or presence? Check. Now, it’s time to start selling.

This will require some marketing savvy. If you’re using platforms, then you should learn how to optimise your products and your page. Check out the platforms ‘how to…; guides for tips.

Otherwise, some products, like physical goods, can benefit from advertising. In this case, learn more about advertising on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. It’ll help you drive customers to your online shop—so you can start selling.

 

 

Making money online with content

Creating content is a great way to make money online. There are lots of types of content and different ways to make money from the content. Blogs, YouTube channels, newsletters, podcasts, and influencers all rely on content to make money. Some generate income from ad revenue, some from sponsors, and others use affiliate links or referrals. 

 

Ways to make money online with content

1. Start a blog: Blogs that generate traffic can make money from ad revenue, sponsors, affiliate links, referrals, and sales.
2. Launch a YouTube channel: Create videos on niche topics or videos that are just entertaining. As videos generate views, you can start making money from ads, sponsorships, or straight from YouTube.
3. Start a podcast: Share insights, stories, or interviews and monetise through sponsorships, donations, or premium content.
4. Become an influencer or build a personal brand: Build a strong following online to unlock all kinds of revenue streams. Including sponsorship, affiliate links, or selling your own products.

 

Full list of examples: Blogging, starting a YouTube channel, podcasting, becoming a social media influencer, writing and publishing e-books, creating and selling online courses, offering webinars, affiliate marketing, starting a niche newsletter, offering subscription-based content, and selling photography or artwork.

 

How to start making money online with content

Creating content is a terrific way to make money online. Content has the potential to reach millions of people. Which means content can scale really well. To get started, identify your niche, consistently create high-quality content, and monetise your audience.

Follow these basic steps:

1. Choose your niche
2. Create content and build traffic to your channel
3. Monetise your audience

 

 

1. Choose your niche

Identify a niche segment that aligns with your interests and expertise. It also helps to choose just one channel to start with. For example, an aspiring fitness influencer may choose ‘At home fitness for men’ as their niche and Instagram as the channel. 

 

2. Create content and build traffic to your channel

Learn from pros who’ve grown on their blog, social media following, newsletter, or YouTube channel. (Most content creators benefit from choosing just one.) Then, emulate what you learn, create content, and start generating traffic.

Traffic = the number of people who view and engage with your content. Traffic is what makes content more valuable.

 

3. Monetise your audience

Once you’ve built a decent following, you can start making money. Here’s how various content platforms make money:

• Blogs: Generally make money from ad revenue, sponsors, referrals, products, or affiliate links.
• Podcasts: Rely on sponsors to make money. Sponsor pay to mention their products on an episode.
• YouTube channels: Most YouTube channels make money from ad revenue, sponsors, products or affiliate links.
• Influencers and personal brands: Influencers and personal brands usually make money from sponsors, affiliate links, or by selling their own products. This could be physical, digital, or more content. Like a course or ‘premium content’.

 

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• How to become rich in South Africa
• Best investments in South Africa

 

 

Making money online with code

There are plenty of ways to make money online code. Including building mobile apps, web tools, a SaaS business, plugins, and templates.

We’ve already talked about services. Which covers freelance web development, working as a developer, or building a service business. In this section, we’ll focus on using code to build something that can make money.

 

Ways to make money online with code

1. Develop apps: Use your coding skills to build mobile or web apps and monetise them through ads, in-app purchases, or direct sales, or monthly subscriptions.
2. Create a website that generates traffic: Create a unique website like a directory or a free tool and monetise the web traffic to make ad revenue.
3. Start a SaaS business: Develop and sell subscription-based software solutions to earn a recurring income online.

 

Full list of examples: App development, creating software as a service (SaaS), contributing to open-source projects, creating and selling website themes, developing plugins or extensions, creating automation scripts, and game development.

 

How to start making money online with code

Developers can use their coding skills to make money in a few simple steps. First, start by doing some research and planning. Then, it’s time to build the first product and start promoting it.

Follow these basic steps:

1. Do some research and planning
2. Build your MVP
3. Promote your app or website
4. Improve and maintain your product

 

 

1. Do some research and planning

A great product built with code starts with proper planning and research. Figure out what you can build that has a market, what it will cost to build and maintain, how it will make money, and how you’ll get it in front of users.

 

2. Build your MVP

Start coding. Develop your MVP (minimal viable product) first. It’s important to get your product in front of users early on. This way, you can test it in the market early on.

 

3. Promote your app or website

Apps and websites need users or visitors to make money. There are lots of ways to promote your product. Try posting in forums, promoting it on social media, doing cold outreach, or sharing it with friends if it can grow through viral sharing.

 

4. Improve and maintain your product

Once your website or app is making money. Continue to improve and maintain it. Find ways to make more money and scale if you can.

 

 

In summary

It is possible to make money online in South Africa. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Most [if not all] online opportunities can be put into one of four categories:

1. Services: Sell or provide a service online.
2. E-commerce: Sell products online.
3. Content: Create and publish content online.
4. Code: Develop software and apps.

 

Choose a category that fits your skills, passion, and situation. If you’re looking for a way to make money online and you don’t have any. Start with services or content.

Services are the easiest to start with, in my opinion. While you can create content without spending much, it typically takes a long time to start generating real cash. Of course, if you can code, then that’s a great path to take. Not everyone can do it. So, technically, there is a little less competition.

E-commerce is an awesome way to make money online. But it generally requires a budget to start, maintain, and promote.

Do what works for you! And if your first attempt doesn’t work. Stick with it a little longer, or try again. There’s no such thing as failure. Only learning.

Want to learn more? Keep reading on Everycent.