Imagine being able to make money from the comfort of your home. This is not about working from home but rather making money online in South Africa. There are so many ways to make money online. You don’t even need expensive tools, most times you’re just going to need your phone and internet access.

These side hustles are designed to not interfere with your job or life. Companies have these projects to outsource things at a cheaper rate. By leveraging these opportunities as a South African, you can earn in dollars and make extra cash.

There are many ways to make money online in South Africa. Let’s explore some of the most popular side hustles.

1. Make Money Online with Reviews

If you are someone who spends a lot of time online, this is the side hustle for you. Companies pay people to go online and review their products or services. This helps increase their rankings on platforms. If you choose to do reviews, you will need to understand the company and what it does.

You must be honest and objective so that the review is authentic. Typically, you must complete a set number of reviews before receiving your income. This side hustle pays between $5-$10. If you are reviewing American companies, you may need to create a PayPal account.

2. Take Online Surveys

Online surveys are an easy way to make a quick buck. You can do them during your lunch hour at work or in the morning before you start your day. All you need is a phone and Internet access.

Sign up for a site like Swagbucks which is a platform for people who want to do surveys for extra cash. The platform not only offers money but also gift cards to retailers like Amazon. The surveys can range from polls to market research questionnaires.

3. Watch Online Videos

If you didn’t know, some businesses will pay to watch their videos. It might not be as entertaining as some of your favourite videos, but it will pay. You can watch the videos anytime, whether at home or even during your morning commute to work. You must pay attention to the video’s content because you may be asked questions before receiving payment.

Paidwork is a rewards company where you can get paid for watching videos. Some platforms need you to be over 18 to watch the videos and some will require a laptop.

4. Make Money Online through Transcribing/Translating

South Africa is a multilingual country with 11 official languages. You can put your bi- or multilingual skills to use by translating or transcribing. Translating means taking content from one language to another. Transcribing means taking an audio recording and putting it into words.

Freelance platforms like Fiverr have a range of online jobs but transcribing/translation is its most popular. On the platform, you set your rate and clients find you. You simply choose which language(s) you can transcribe from and to. Once you apply, you will be redirected to the jobs offered in those languages.

5. Dropshipping is a Good Choice to Make Money Online

Dropshipping is a popular money-making side hustle. It entails selling products online without buying, making or shipping them. You only list them on your online store. Most dropshippers take orders and pass them onto a supplier like AliExpress who then fulfils the order.

Successful dropshippers make anywhere from $50 to $5 000 in daily profit. Obviously, there must be a high demand for your stock so choose products you know are in demand. You can do dropshipping through platforms like Shopify.

6. Freelancing

Online freelancing is a great side hustle. It is very flexible and usually aligns with your career. For example, if you are a developer you can take freelancing gigs to help develop programmes for companies. Other popular freelancing jobs include graphic design, content writing, and photography. The highest-paid freelancers are technical writers.

For freelancing, you usually will set your own rate and the client will provide a deadline for when the project should be completed.

Side hustles are a great opportunity to make extra money. You need little equipment, usually just a phone and an internet connection. You can make extra cash and sometimes the side hustle can become as profitable as a 9-5 job.

For more in-depth business advice, book an appointment with one of our experts.