In this article we will provide ways that you can use to earn extra cash on the side if you are located in South Africa. We describe each earning method, what they involve, and also suggest which types of people are most suitable for doing these tasks.
Teach English to foreigners online
The English language is used to communicate throughout the world but many countries do not natively speak the language. People in these countries (like China) look to learn English using online platforms that connect them to native English speakers in countries like South Africa. You will have to help students understand basic concepts like punctuation, grammar and teach them about different parts of the world.
You will need:
- A TEFL certificate
- Access to a laptop
- A webcam or camera
Provide private tutoring to students
Students in the country, particularly in grade 12, need tuition so that they can better their grades in order to get into a good university and admitted for the course they prefer. This is a lucrative and flexible way to earn a consistent side-income by teaching pupils on core subjects like Mathematics and Physical Sciences.
This is suitable for:
- People that have good people skills
People that have performed well in high-school and university
Become a ride-sharing driver
Anyone with a drivers license and a vehicle can use ride-sharing platforms like Uber and Bolt to give taxi rides to people in exchange for money. This method is great because it allows you to get started easily and has a good earning potential. Drivers can make around R1000 per day doing this and many people around the country do this as their full-time job.
Sell products online
Online shopping is becoming increasingly more popular in South Africa since it makes it easy for people to get the things they need and want from the comfort of their homes. It has the advantage that you do not need a large amount of money to get started compared to a brick-and-mortar store in a mall, and you can market your products to anyone in the country. As long as you have a product or service to sell, you can start making money. You can start a small business online selling items with popular e-commerce platforms like Woocommerce or Shopify that allow you to get started quickly and build your online presence. In addition, online retailers like Takealot and Makro allow third-party sellers on their platforms. This means that anyone can sell products using their platform and tap into their customer bases, and all you need to do is provide the products to them whenever you receive an order.
This is suitable for:
- People that have a product to sell
- People that are willing to put in effort and time into running and maintaining a business
- People that enjoy marketing and sharing products with people
Promote and market products
Marketing companies hire groups of people to promote their clients companies and brands. The people that are employed do this on a casual basis - it is not full time. People get paid by the hour for an agreed number of hours and may also get bonuses and incentives for making sales or hitting other marketing targets like collecting contact information for prospective clients.
This is suitable for:
- Anyone that is at least 16 years old
- Willingness to engage and talk with people
Create YouTube videos
YouTube is a video-sharing platform that allows people to create and host videos online for free. A lot of people in South Africa use in on a daily basis for entertainment, news, learning and finding fun and interesting things on the internet. YouTube has a partnership program that allows video creators on their platform to earn money from the videos that they make once they meet a set of requirements. You get paid for the number of people that watch your video from short advertisements that are shown when they play. Getting your account verified in order to start making money may be a grind at first, but once you are past that point, you can freely start earning money from the things you create.
This is suitable for:
- People that are not camera-shy
- People that enjoy engaging with other people online
- People that have a unique and fun personality
- People that have identified a niche that they can create videos for
Create an online blog
Blogging can be a fun and stimulating way to earn income if you enjoy writing about things. Starting an online blog takes a few minutes and you can start to share your thoughts with the world. When your blog receives enough readers, you can monetize it using adverts. Platforms like Google Adsense and Ezoic allow you to do this and make it simple for anyone to begin earning from their writing efforts.
Help out at a university residence
University students living at a residence have access to part-time jobs. These are usually simple jobs like working at reception to ensure that only authorized people can enter the premises or helping out with planning and residence-wide events. If you are a student, these types of gigs are ideal since they take your studies into account. This makes it easier to perform your given job role and learn at the same time.
Do freelancing tasks
Platforms like Fiverr allow anyone to post a gig (a task done when someone needs it) that they are willing to do to an audience of hundreds of thousands of potential customers. Other platforms like Upwork allow people in South Africa to connect to clients for contract work in a variety of industries.