With an inflation rate of 5.1% as of June 2024 and an unemployment rate of 45% among youth aged 15-35, it makes sense to have multiple streams of income while living in South Africa, write Keabetswe Monwametsi and Thandile Nkoyi, candidates from the Department of Media and Communication, at Nelson Mandela University, in Gqeberha.
The internet is an attractive avenue of hustling for extra income by young people. South Africa is home to over 60 million people as of January 2024, of which 45 million are internet users. Additionally, 53% of the total internet user-base were active on at least one social media platform, with Facebook, Instagram and YouTube being among the most popular platforms. As of January 2024 South Africa’s internet penetration stood at 74.4%.
Here are four ideas to generate passive income on the internet:
1. Sell second-hand clothes online
Be it “gently worn” shoes, denims, matric dresses that will never fit you again (sigh), and what have you, those old goodies sitting in your closet taking up space can make you some money.
Platforms such as Yaga – marketplace for preloved fashion or Second Chance buy and sell good second-hand clothing, accessories, shoes, belts, handbags and linen.
In addition to buying and reselling pre-loved clothing, sites like wisioi.com also have an option to open an online boutique where you can sell your items, and signing up is free. You only need to have stuff to sell and you’re in business.
It is important to ensure that your items are in good, resellable condition before you put them up for sale. Make sure that they are clean and that the images you take to advertise the clothing items are clear.
You can sell your pre-loved clothes through your social media platforms too, which you can also use to advertise your boutique store.
If this works out, that’s two-for-one for you: space in your wardrobe and some rands in your wallet. And it won’t cost a cent to start.
What’s that? You don’t have a wardrobe overflowing with old clothes you can sell? Well you can also…
2. Consider online tutoring
Online tutoring is essentially providing tutoring as a service, and the difference between online tutoring and in-person tutoring is the mode of delivery. Online tutors provide academic or professional assistance to someone over the internet.
As opposed to in-person tutoring, the student and his or her tutor may never meet one another face to face. Email, phone calls, text messaging, video chat are some of the digital means through which the lessons are delivered.
A tertiary qualification and some background in teaching may be advantageous but are not always required. Proficiency in the subject to be tutored is non-negotiable. Online tutors can work independently or work for a company that recruits tutors, like littlesunshines.co.za
Sites like Fiverr and TutorMe are great places to start looking for tutoring jobs. You can also advertise yourself on social media and target the school kids in your residential area.
Since the work is remote, a computer and decent-speed internet are typically required to start. A certain level of internet proficiency and familiarity with software like Microsoft Office may also be required.
Earn from R3 500 up to R4 500 a month at a typical rate of R180-R200 per hour at two hours per day and four days a week. Earnings are dependent on the charging rate, which is itself dependent on factors like experience.
If that’s not your thing, then you could also look into…
3. Answer online surveys
Likely the easiest option, this is another way to make a quick buck.
Some of the surveys are legitimate, conducted by companies for market research purposes. But one must exercise utmost vigilance and caution when it comes to personal information given out online. Read here about the red flags to look out for when looking for internet surveys.
You will also need a device with internet connectivity and access to the internet. Finding a reputable site to complete the surveys is the next tricky part.
Here are some sites to check out. Again, there are a lot of scams out there. We recommend that you familiarise yourself with some of the red flags to look out for. Make sure that you are familiar with the survey site’s privacy policy – and avoid giving away confidential information like your bank account details or ID number.
But if online surveys won’t do it for you, that’s okay. There’s more…
4. Become a YouTuber
There are several options you can take on YouTube, and here a certain level of skill and effort is required.
Having a cellphone with a decent quality camera (and that’s most new phones these days), and the same phone that can support basic mobile video editing applications, puts you in the game.
Let’s take a look at how you can make money on YouTube.
- Content creation
You’re a certifiable science genius, but you’d rather not go the traditional tutoring route and you don’t mind speaking to a camera? That is your first content idea.
Going this route would entail making and uploading content about your chosen subjects, targeting high school learners doing the same subjects, or first-year university students. If tutoring is also your thing, then you could use YouTube as a funnel to get tutoring clients.
There is so much you can make content about on YouTube beyond the above example. But you want to make content that people would want to watch and enjoy, and a lot goes into that. Here are some useful guides on how to succeed on YouTube.
YouTube income primarily comes from ad revenue, sponsorships and affiliate marketing, among others.
The size of your channel and audience engagement are two of the determinants for how much money can be made on YouTube, and so it is hard to even estimate how much money you stand to make on the platform.
Mihlali Ndamase (make-up tutorials) and Lasizwe Dambuza (comedy skits) are two local examples of popular YouTube content creators.
Mihlali Ndamase and Lasizwe Dambuza are two examples of local talent making it big on YouTube.
- Vlogging
Let’s start with a vlog, what is it? It is a video blog that records the thoughts, opinions, and interests of an individual, usually for internet publication and an online audience.
Creating a vlog is called ‘vlogging’, and the person doing it, is called a ‘vlogger’. You probably have a few favourite vloggers on YouTube.
Vlogging is a more personalised form of video content creation, as the definition above suggests.
So if you get up to interesting things that people would enjoy following you around as you do them, or like to share your takes on certain topics, then vlogging might be worth looking into.
Two popular forms of vlogging are ‘talking head’ videos and ‘follow me around’ vlogs. In the former, the speaker is sitting down talking to a camera and in the latter, the speaker carries their camera around, documenting their lives for their audience.
The same principles and guides that apply to the previous option of content creation, apply here too.
Andiswa Selepe is a popular local example of a vlogger who has gained a significant following from vlogging.
Andiswa Selepe is a South African vlogger.
3. Video editing for YouTubers
The bar for starting with this one is a little higher than the previous two, but all it takes is some skill and proficiency with video editing software, basic video editing principles and a computer that can run some basic, free video editing software like CapCut (for desktop or pc) and Wondershare Filmora.
As the name suggests, you would essentially be the editor for YouTubers who either want to do just the filming portion due to lack of editing know-how or whatever reason, or are short on time and are willing to outsource the editing.
The good thing about this skill is that like most skills, it is learnable, and YouTube is a great place to start, and it is completely free.
Fiverr, LinkedIn and X are some starting points for searching for video editing clients.
So there you have it; four tips on making money from the internet.
It is important to exercise vigilance with any exchanges of personal information, either of these money-making methods may require. Some of these methods may take a bit more time and consistency than others to see dividends, but it just might pay off.
Now, go make some coins!
This article was originally published by Khulani!
