Making money online in Africa
There are many ways one can make money online whilst living in Africa.
Making money online in Africa has been made easier with the rise of internet usage, having gadgets as well as having the passion of making money online.
This article is based on first-hand experience as well as through knowing people who are actually making money online through these strategies.
I have done my best to show some evidence on how easier it is for one to make money online whilst living in any African country.
Most of the strategies mentioned in this article are reliable, but however one needs to have caution in Forex Trading as well as Cryptocurrencies.
You are also warned also of not joining get-rich schemes by scammers who may want to steal your credit cards info, spy on all your activities on your device, and or coerce you into sending them money or crypto.
I have made my effort to exclude all the less-paying jobs for making money online in Africa.
Nothing comes for free and if you want to make money from your couch you have to put in the effort through learning and practice.
In this article, you will read only about some of the most paying jobs one can make money with whilst working online in Africa.
If you are a woman the following are also relevant ways to make money at home while on maternity leave.
- Making money online in Africa
- Who can make money online in Africa?
- What you need to make money online in Africa
- Free tools and resources for making money online
- Africans making money online
- RELIABLE WAYS OF MAKING MONEY IN AFRICA ONLINE
- 1. Freelancing
- 2. Selling Digital Products
- 3. Writing
- 4. Affiliate marketing in Africa
- 6. Translating
- 7. Marketing through Content – Content Marketing
- 8. Digital marketing
- 9. Tutor
- 10. Graphics and Design
- 11. Music and Audio Production
- 12. Voice overs
- 13. Programming
- 14. Video Editing and Production
- 15. YouTube Channel
- 16. Having a website
- RISKY WAYS OF MAKING MONEY IN AFRICA ONLINE
- 1. Forex Trading
- 2. Cryptocurrencies
- 3. Gambling and Betting
- FAKE WAYS OF MAKING MONEY ONLINE
- Conclusion
Who can make money online in Africa?
Anyone can make money in Africa if they have the passion and are willing to do so.
Types of people who are making money online whilst living in Africa:
- College students
- Unemployed college graduate
- Teachers
- Academics
- Marketing specialists
- Specialists in Law, Medicine, Agriculture
- High school graduates
- Other professionals
What you need to make money online in Africa
| What you need | Relevancy / Importance |
| Mobile Smart-phone | – Very important – Having a personal phone is very important for one to make money online – It is important for accessing the internet |
| Tablet | – It may be used in the place of a phone – Not important if you have a phone and computer |
| Internet Connection | – Very important – Having internet can allow you to interact with your clients – The Internet allows you to check how you are performing |
| Computer | – Very important – Having a Desktop computer or a laptop allows you to do your online jobs |
| Online software | – You need access to online software in your specialization area |
| Relevant computer applications | – Mostly relevant for people like designers, programmers, and editors – You must have software for your specialization area – This allows you to perform your work fast |
| Microphone | – Important for voice-over artists and video content creators |
| Understanding the platform | – One should understand the platform they are going to make money on |
| Identify scams | – Very important – One needs to avoid scams at all costs – Avoid get-rich-quick schemes |
| Passion | – It is crucial for you to have a passion for making money online |
| Knowledge | – You must have insider knowledge of your online venture |
| Specialization | – One needs to focus on one area before moving to the other one |
One may ask “how to make money online without spending a dime”, but the truth is it is hard to make money online without spending money.
If you are to make money online you have to have a budget for your weekly or monthly internet especially if you are to be involved in freelance services and running websites.
To make money in any business you must have the necessary capital and equipment for you to start.
Basically to make money online one needs the internet and a device or devices that connect to the internet.
Free tools and resources for making money online
| Free Tool/Resource | Purpose |
|---|---|
| The 5 Day Lead Challenge Free Program | A free leads generation online course for you o find out to attract leads and customers to your business or brand. |
| Funnel Hacking Secrets Free Webinar | Find out what thousands of entrepreneurs just like you are doing to sell MORE of their products and services online. |
| Your First Funnel Free Challenge | If you are interested in Digital Marketing and creating highly converting funnels online. |
| Learn how to trade cryptocurrencies free ebook | If you are interested in trading crypto. |
| Learn to trade Stock derivatives the smart way free pdf | A book for trading stocks. |
| The Wealthy Affiliate Community | One of the best ways to make money online is to learn from those who have been successful in the past. Join this community with many Affiliate Marketers from all over the world. This is the Home of Affiliate Marketing. Besides dropshipping and selling your own online courses, Affiliate Marketing is the most reliable way to make money online. Joi |
| How to trade the forex market free ebook | A book if you are interested in Forex Trading and learning about it. |
| Dotcom Secrets Free Copy | A playbook for Growing Your Company Online with Sales Funnels. A great book for Digital Marketers. |
| Expert Secrets:Free Book | The Underground Playbook for Converting Your Online Visitors into Lifelong Customers. If you are an expert in any field this book will guide you on how to make money using your expertise. |
| Traffic Secrets Free Book Copy | The internet marketer’s handbook for driving traffic to any platform e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, website etc |
| Free Google Drive Guides | A Google Drive folder with helpful resources for internet marketers. |
Africans making money online
Nigerians
Due to its large population, Nigeria has many people making money online.
Back then around 2016-2017 many Nigerians were some of the Africans who were successful in making money on a crypto-currency-based blogging platform called Steemit.
Today many Nigerians making money online are into Affiliate Marketing, E-commerce, Dropshipping, Freelancing, Course Creations, and Video Marketing.
Kenyans
Kenyans are also some of those making money online.
Like Nigeria and South Africa Kenya has some of the well-known YouTubers worldwide.
The Freelance community in Kenya on sites like Fiverr cannot be ignored.
Kenyans have been dominating the Writing and Translation section on many online sites like Upwork and People Per Hour.
South Africans
South Africa like Kenya and Nigeria has many success stories of people making money online.
There are many people making money through Forex Trading and Cryptocurrencies in South Africa.
The country has some self-proclaimed millionaires who made money via Forex trading.
There is also a rising community of Freelancers, Youtubers, and E-learning Content Creators.
Ecommerce and programming have also made many South Africans cash in online.
RELIABLE WAYS OF MAKING MONEY IN AFRICA ONLINE
This section contains the best ways one can make money online in Africa today.
To succeed in these areas one needs to know what they are doing as well as develop their skills as they learn more.
To be at the top of your field you will need to learn from the best courses and ebooks on the online venture that you are involved in.
1. Freelancing
Freelancing is one of the best strategies for making money whilst living in Africa.
This is one of the legit ways to make money without a website.
A freelancer is someone who offers his or her services to clients without a long-term contract.
Online Freelancers are usually independent and offer their best services to clients on Freelance sites like People Per Hour, Fiverr, and Upwork.
In English-speaking Africa freelancers from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa have been dominating the Freelance landscape – according to my observation during the period 2019-2022.
As of 2022, my analysis of African Freelancers has shown me that African Freelancers have been dominant and excelling more in Freelance Writing and graphic design than in other Freelance services like digital marketing, programming, video, and audio production.
There is a continuously rising number of Freelancers in the non-writing section but my point is that most African freelancers during the period 2019 – 2021 had been dominating in areas like the following:
- Research – This includes Marketing Research and writing detailed research’s on a client’s needs.
- Copywriting – Some African Freelancers have been successful in writing Direct Response Marketing Copy as well as Web Copy for their clients
- Business Plan Writing – Some others with a commercial background have been successful in writing Business plans and Business proposals for their clients
Besides the above-mentioned African freelancers are also succeeding in E-learning Content Development, SEO Article Writing, Translations, and many more.
There is a growing demand for African Freelancers in the other sections like Video Editing, Audio Production, Programming, Web Development, and Mobile Apps.
Dedicated African freelancers make $50-$2000 per month.
The amount one makes depends on the services they are offering as well as on whether their services are on-demand or not.
2. Selling Digital Products
Selling digital products has changed the lives of many online entrepreneurs.
Unlike offering your services as a Freelancer you can make money 24/7 whilst selling digital products.
Once you have created your course or ebook what you will have to do is to enhance the landing page with Landing Page Copy and then drive traffic to the website that hosts your digital product.
In order to succeed in selling digital products online, you have to have a certain niche and sell information products that are highly on demand in that niche
Examples of digital products Africans sell online:
- Ebooks – I have seen many African internet entrepreneurs selling ebooks on subjects like Making money online, Dropshipping, Drop-servicing and many more
- Online Courses – Successful 5 star courses I have seen online by some Africans have been on areas like Programming, Web-hosting, Freelancing, Positive Thinking, Health and Wellness and many other areas
- Selling new beats/music – Audio producers and audio editors have been successful in creating beats and music for their clients. Youtubers and other content creators are highly in need of personal intros and outros for their content. If you can provide these services you have great chances of succeeding
Whilst being a Freelancer is like having your own Self-employed job, selling digital products online is owning Real Estate that pays you on a consistent basis.
3. Writing
There has been a growing demand for writers online.
African Freelance writers are amongst the most paid Freelancers online.
If one is good at researching as a Freelancer they have the capacity of earning at least $200 per month if they have positive testimonials on their profiles.
However, one must avoid being tempted and start offering Academic Writing services.
Writing assignments and any other academic work is forbidden and would result in being banned on sites like Fiverr and People Per Hour.
Other high paying Freelance Writing money-making opportunities (that many Africans have been involved in) include the following:
- Writing SEO Content – Africans who have learnt Search Engine Optimization, Article Writing, Ebook Writing and many other Content Writing offers are highly on demand online. Webmasters are constantly in need of new content for their websites – so if you are good at writing this is an opportunity for you. One may charge at least $20 for a 2000 words article.
- E-learning Content Development – More and more people are learning through online courses compared to traditional classroom learning. From 2020, since Covid19, there has been a growing demand of Freelancer who write content for the client’ online course. This includes writing scripts, creating guides as well as coming up with PowerPoint presentation slides for the new course. New Freelancers in this area can make at least $100 for writing one course of about 10000 words.
- Specialized Writing – There are many other highly paying Freelance Writing jobs like Grant Writing, Legal writing, Script-writing, Writing Case Studies and Press Releases.
4. Affiliate marketing in Africa
If you own a website or blog Affiliate Marketing offers you a chance to join the new rich in Africa..
Affiliate marketing refers to the strategy of marketing other people’s products or services on your own blog or website.
If your website visitors buy through your affiliate link on your website you will be paid a commission by the company or marketplace that you will have been promoting.
To succeed in Affiliate Marketing one may create a Niche Site or a Siloed site whilst promoting various products or services in your niche.
Popular Affiliate Marketing Niches in Africa include:
- Ebooks
- Online Courses
- Freelance sites
- Forex Trade
- Wealth products and services
- Fitness services and products
6. Translating
There is a high demand for translators online.
Various big companies and individuals worldwide are looking for translators.
If you are bilingual you can create an offer on a site like People Per Hour.
Translators that are highly sought include those who know at least 2 languages that include:
- English
- French
- Swahili
- Chinese
- Hausa
- Spanish
- German
- Japanese
- Arabic
- And many more
Whilst those Translators who understand the most used languages are the most sought after those from lesser know languages are also sought after as well.
If your mother tongue is a lesser-known language it does not mean that you won’t have clients requesting your services.
You will have some international or local clients asking for your services although on average those who know the languages on demand will make the most due to constant jobs.
7. Marketing through Content – Content Marketing
Content marketing refers to the marketing of products through content creation both online and offline.
Content one can create includes Podcast, Promotional Music, Videos, Ebooks, Articles, Copy for the internet, Direct Response Copywriting, and many other offers that are customer-oriented
When it comes to the internet Content is King.
If you can provide various content for marketing purposes you would have promoted yourself to a greater extent.
Content marketing will dominate the 2020s decade – therefore master various areas like Video Marketing, Content Writing, Copywriting and you will discover yourself being on demand because of your skills.
How much African content marketers and online marketers make varies from one person to the other since this is a very broad area with various niches and sub-niches.
8. Digital marketing
Online Marketing or Digital Marketing which is part of Content Marketing is something that cannot be ignored in this digital era.
Digital marketing is also known as Online Marketing.
This includes offering the following services:
- Web Copy
- Search Engine Marketing – SEO
- Email marketing
- Social Media Marketing – Writing web copy for social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
- Writing for Search Engine Marketing (SEM) purposes e.g writing Google Ads
- Influencer marketing
To succeed in Digital Marketing like in Content Marketing you need to present yourself as an authority on your niche.
Testimonials and positive reviews will result in you receiving more clients in both Content Marketing and Online Marketing.
Being aware of the latest trends is also very important for Digital Marketers.
9. Tutor
Offering your services as a Tutor is also an easy way for you to start making money online.
Firstly, you need to be an expert in the area/subject.
Secondly, you should be effective in delivering and teaching your students.
If you are targeting children under the age of 18, at most their parents must have to trust that you will be able to teach their child professionally.
Popular Tutors include those who teach subjects like:
- History
- Mathematics
- Sciences
- Social Sciences
- Languages
- Coding
How much African online Tutors make per month depends on the Tutor’s expertise, the demand of the subject, positive reviews, and testimonials on the Tutor’s capacity.
Tip: If you find yourself succeeding as a Tutor creating online courses would boost your monthly income unbelievably
10. Graphics and Design
Designers are some of the people that are on-demand online.
Various businesses are created or established every day throughout the world.
These new businesses need new logos.
On the other hand, some of the already existing businesses might need to rebrand and change their colors.
To succeed in this area one needs to be creative and offer services that are appealing to their customers.
One would need a Computer for the graphics and design software like Adobe Photoshop and AVS Image Editor.
There are other free resources like Canva.com, where new designers have been successful in coming up with spectacular designs.
How much one makes in this area depends on their portfolio, positive reviews, and how clients say about their designs.
11. Music and Audio Production
If you are a proven and successful music producer, you have a high chance of making money online through offering your services.
Various music enthusiasts are in search of African musicians, producers, and DJs for the diversity they offer in their venture.
Whilst I am not an expert on Music production, I can tell you that I have seen numerous testimonials on good African music and audio production.
Experts in this field can earn at least $300 to $3000 per month whilst offering their services on Fiverr.
When it comes to music and audio production (like in Design and Video production) the fact is that people recognize quality.
So if you are one of those who produce outstanding content you will be instantly recognized by others that recognize talent.
If you have a great strategy you can make big through podcasting.
Podcasts are gaining popularity all over the world with each passing day
12. Voice overs
If you have a good microphone you can offer African Voice-over services online.
There are various businesses and people in search of African voice-over artists.
They may want to use your voice for advertisements, testimonials, and various needs that your client has.
If you had been successful at acting or singing you might be one of those who are successful in offering African voice-overs,
Even if you think your voice is not as good for Voice overs in your country, you never know what someone else in the other part of the world thinks about your African voice.
To succeed in this area you have to record your voice and advertise it on your Freelance profile for clients to be able to hear how you sound.
How much Voiceover artists earn differ according to the demand of their voice type.
13. Programming
Programmers are some of the top paid people on the internet.
These are the people that offer their services in the following:
- Building websites and Content Management Systems
- Developing Games
- Mobile Applications
- Computer Application
- Chat-bots
Because they offer services that many are not capable of doing programmers are highly on demand are paid more than many other people online.
Users recognize top-quality programmers instantly.
Clients are more interested in having the best apps or websites for their businesses.
If you are a top-rated programmer you have high chances of success on sites like People Per Hour, Upwork, and Fiverr.
You just have to showcase your capabilities on your portfolio and you will have the right clients chasing you.
And you will need to update your skills consistently by learning new courses as well as understanding the latest trends in your area.
14. Video Editing and Production
When it come to skills, skills pay bills.
Being a professional in Video production like in programming will result in you being one of the top-paid internet entrepreneurs.
In 2020-2022 alone Video marketing resulted in more sales as well as customers understanding companies that were involved in quality video marketing.
If you are a professional in Video content creation you will have a high chance of making money online.
Video marketing will dominate the 2020s.
You can also offer your video creation and editing skills for Youtubers and Course creators that want to stand out on the internet.
We say on the internet Content is King.
But of all the content, Video content is the Emperor, above all the online content.
15. YouTube Channel
Having a YouTube channel has improved the lives of many African online entrepreneurs.
As your channel becomes popular you will be able to have consistent income from Google as a result of the Ads they will be showing on your videos.
In Africa, there has been a growing rise of Youtubers.
Some have been able to make money online due to posting their videos o YouTube.
How much one earns differs from one YouTuber to the other.
One may ask: Is it too late to make money on YouTube?
The answer is no. There are so many people waiting for new content.
If you create content in one of the popular niches you will be successful on YouTube.
16. Having a website
If you have a website you have a high chance of making money online whilst you are living in Africa.
Types of websites you can make money with in Africa
There are various types of websites that can bring you money whilst living in Africa. Such include the following:
- Affiliate Marketing Website – this s a site where you analyse various products and or services in your niches
- Niche Website – this is a website you can create that focuses on one niche and you promote various affiliate products and services
- Ecommerce Websites – this is a Website like Amazon where you sell products or services as like Amazon and AliExpress are
- Dropshipping Website – a website where you promote your Dropshipping business
- Business Website – this can be a non-monetized website where you showcase your services and or products and have clients contact you and or visit your store. If you are a traditional business you must have a business website
- Personal Bog – this can be your personal site where you write posts periodically based on what you like.
More websites are yet to be created in Africa.
There are many opportunities Africans can succeed is by having a personal blog or website.
For instance, if you study how to start a sports blog and make money you will discover yourself learning strategies that will result in you having a sports-oriented Affiliate marketing website.
Avoid any black-hat strategies and focus only on white-hat
RISKY WAYS OF MAKING MONEY IN AFRICA ONLINE
1. Forex Trading
Personally, I am not a Forex Trader for personal reasons.
Since this article is on how people have been making money online I had to include Forex Trading since there are many people who have been successful in making money in Africa.
Renowned eBooks for Forex Traders
1 – Learn how to trade cryptocurrencies
2 – How to trade the forex market
3 – Learn to trade Stock derivatives the smart way
Forex Education Platforms and Services
1 – Trading Webinars
3 – Forex Trading Seminars and Workshops
5 – Free Signals
7 – Forex Trading Pairs and Contracts
8 – XM Global Member’s Area Access
From the services listed above you may learn how to choose a reliable broker, how to read forex charts, how to analyze market trends, and how to manage your risk. Some of these services cover everything from the basics of forex trading to advanced strategies for making consistent profits. Some also share their top tips for success in forex trading, including how to set realistic goals, how to develop a trading plan, and how to stay disciplined and focused.
Essential Forex Trading Calculators
Forex Trading on Phone Resources
FX Trading Account Types
Metatrader 4
Metatrader 5
Additional Tools for Traders
Trading Alternative: Forex Trading Affiliate Marketing
Join some of the top recurring Forex Affiliate Networks:
3 – Exness Affiliates – first register your account then became an affiliate in the dashboard
Need more leads for your affiliate business? Jump into the superb free 5 day lead challenge:
Risks Disclosure: The information on this website is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. You should seek independent financial advice before making any investment decisions.
If you live in African countries like Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya you might have discovered that there are numerous Forex Trading fanatics and enthusiasts.
They even have Whatsapp and Telegram groups where they exchange tips and educate one another.
Some that are experts in this area even offer Training.
If you are to get involved in Forex Trading I suggest that you study some of the courses and books on the topic before you get involved in it.
I have heard or read some cases where people lose money via Fx Trading.
So be aware of the consequences if you are not careful.
But at the end of the day, it is your choice on where you want to make money online at
Whilst Fx Trading is a risky venture for one may lose money unaware there is a group of successful African Affiliate Marketers that have made huge sums of money online through promoting high-paying Fx Trading affiliate marketing programs like the renowned Deriv Affiliate marketing program.
2. Cryptocurrencies
Like in any country all over the world, there are many Africans that made money online through Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin..
Someone who bought some Bitcoins and kept them since 2014 would be able to buy a house or real estate in 2022 since Bitcoin has risen in value.
No one knows the future of Cryptocurrencies.
If you want to invest in them do so.
The main problem with most cryptocurrencies is that they are not regulated by some central authorities.
You can lose all your Bitcoin crypto just by sending them to the wrong address.
The risk with crypto-currencies like with Fx Trading is that you never know what will happen tomorrow.
If you are lucky you can gain more but if you are unlucky you can lose your hard-earned currency.
Therefore it is up to you whether you must invest in Cryptocurrencies or not.
3. Gambling and Betting
There has been a growing rise in betting.
Whilst some people have been able to win through betting the truth is that the majority of those involved in betting do not win or only get very little when they play.
Betting is like the lotto.
Most clever successful business people are not involved in games like lotto and betting for they know that these are some of the ways of losing money since these are based on luck and speculations.
In the long run, if you truly want to make money online avoid popular schemes like betting for it is not based on strategic decision planning but on luck.
The average person does not succeed in areas like betting.
Avoid all gambling activities if you want to succeed in the long run for you cannot build wealth betting on football or horses.
FAKE WAYS OF MAKING MONEY ONLINE
When it comes to making money online you should know that nothing comes for free.
Hard work and strategy are needed if one is to make money online.
You must be aware of those who advertise lucrative offers for free or just a simple activity like clicking their links.
Clicking those links on your phone might lead to viruses, malware, and spyware being introduced in your devices.
Guard yourself against clicking links with get-rich-quick schemes.
At most, they want to take your details like your credit card details.
Some of these links will result in spyware being introduced into your device.
At the end of the day, most of your activities will be spied on.
It is important to educate your associates, family, and friends about the risks of opening get-rich-quick schemes links for they have nothing good to offer the person who clicks the link.
Conclusion
To sum it up there are many ways of making money online whilst you are living in Africa.
Some of the methods have been mentioned whilst some have not been mentioned.
The various ways of making money online I wrote above are mainly based on personal experience and or knowing people that have been successful through the above-mentioned strategies.
Affiliate Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this page.
Skillatoh.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and many other programs. These are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com as well as other renowned marketplaces and or websites.