How to make money online in South Africa (2025)

There are many ways to make money online in South Africa, including full-time jobs, side jobs, using existing skills, and sharing your opinions on various topics. You’re sure to find something to help you get extra money online.

From the various online occupations, you may choose how much money you want to make and how you want to make it, but you must be prepared to put in more work. 

Regardless of your educational background, there are at least two ways to make money in South Africa online; continue reading to learn more about them!

Recommended: 10 Most lucrative business ideas in South Africa

10 Ways to make money online in South Africa

• Online Survey
• Forex trading
• Trading cryptocurrency
• Amazon Kindle Publishing
• Start a YouTube channel
• Transcribe audio and video files
• Review websites and apps
• Sign up for an affiliate program
• Teach English online
• Start content writing 

1. Online survey 

Online surveys are a fantastic way to earn additional cash in South Africa, and you can complete them at home. You may join for free accounts with several survey organizations that will pay you for sharing your answer. After registering, you may begin taking surveys and collecting incentives.

You will receive questionnaires to complete after signing up with a survey firm. You will receive points or money for completing the surveys, which typically take five to fifteen minutes.

You can exchange points for incentives like gift cards, cash, or products when you reach a predetermined threshold.

In South Africa, anyone with a computer and an internet connection can participate in online surveys. But some survey programs require that you be older than 18 to take part. ySense is a great website to register with, a website where you can make money by answering questionnaires. Swagbucks is also a good option.

2. Forex Trading

Online trading can pay you thousands of dollars, but the risk is too significant, so do your research and arm yourself before you begin. You can’t become a world-class trader in a single day, so read about markets and trading strategies as frequently as you can.

Before you put real money into your trading account, start with a demo account. Additionally, some brokers provide a Deposit Bonus to enable you to start trading from scratch. To have a good experience, it’s good to use the Deriv platform for trading.

3. Trading Cryptocurrency

According to some, buying bitcoins is the biggest scam. It’s a technique to become wealthy quickly and with little work. But it is not so. Many nations, including South Africa, have started to acknowledge them as valid financial assets. There are some things to understand about how cryptocurrency investment functions before you begin.

The first step in investing in cryptocurrencies is to purchase them through an exchange. On these websites, users advertise the number of cryptocurrency coins they are selling and the price per coin. You must choose a reputable one, just like with forex trading platforms. Some great platforms include; Binance for buying and trading and Cryptohopper for auto trading.

Also read: 10 Biggest banks in South Africa

4. Amazon Kindle Publishing

You can use Kindle to publish your ebook created from your thoughts. The two options are either writing the book yourself or hiring someone else to do it.

Using Amazon’s Kindle publication is free and straightforward.  Some people earn hundreds of thousands or even million each year. Publishing on the Kindle is a reliable source of passive revenue.

5. Start a YouTube Channel

Create a YouTube account and monetize it if you can think of any excellent content to upload. Your only need your phone to get started. To start earning, your videos must have received 4000 hours of viewing in a calendar year. Second, you must have acquired 1000 subscribers over the last 12 months. Your content must be likeable to accomplish this.

You could become a millionaire if you excel at something to an extreme degree. Remember that we live in the information age, so give this a shot.

Read: How to make money on YouTube

6. Transcribe audio and video files

Transcribing audio and video files is another free option to earn money online in South Africa. This is a terrific choice for those who can follow instructions well and have excellent typing skills. The process of typing out what you hear or see after watching or listening to an audio or video clip is known as transcription. 

Typically, the work is relatively simple. Anyone with proficient typing abilities and an aptitude for following instructions should consider transcribing audio and video data. Additionally, it’s vital to have a solid command of the English language.

7. Review websites and apps  

Another free internet income stream in South Africa is reviewing websites and mobile applications. This is a fantastic alternative for those who enjoy writing evaluations and are interested in technology.

8. Affiliate marketing

An excellent approach to earning money online in South Africa is through affiliate marketing. You simply promote the products and services of brands and get paid a commission when someone purchases through your link.

The choice to advertise goods or services on your website will be made available once you sign up for an affiliate program. You will receive a commission for each sale you make in exchange.

You can sign up for affiliate networks like Amazon, Alibaba and more.

Also read: Salary of doctors and nurses in South Africa

9. Teach English online

If you are a native English speaker, you may teach English online and earn money in South Africa. Many businesses provide this service, and the majority of them demand that you have a degree in education.

10. Start a blog

If you’re looking to start a blog, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, decide what you want to write about. This can be anything from your personal life to your hobbies to current events. Once you have a topic, come up with a catchy name for your blog and start writing! Be sure to update regularly so people will keep coming back for more.

There are a few ways to make money from your blog. You can sell advertising space, write sponsored posts, or create an online store. If you have a large following, you can also make money by selling products or services to your fans. Whatever method you choose, just be sure to keep churning out great content and promoting your site so that people keep coming back for more!

Read: How to create a blog in less than 20 minutes

Conclusion

In South Africa, there are several free ways to make money online, apart from the ones started here, there are other several ways. You can receive benefits immediately with just a little time and effort. So why are you still waiting? Start now!