50 best work from home jobs in South Africa to look for in 2024
Many South Africans were rendered jobless following the outbreak of COVID-19. Many others were forced to start work from home. The period taught many that work from home jobs are valid and a good source of income. They offer more flexibility and save you a better work-life balance.
Source: UGC
How can I earn money working from home? There is never a shortage of work from home jobs in South Africa as long as you are willing to think outside the box. You can build an empire in the comfort of your home using the skills you have. You can also learn new skills and convert them into a money-making venture.
Best work from home jobs in South Africa
What work can I do from home? There are numerous opportunities to explore, as described below. Choose one that matches your passion, interest, and skills. Always remember that there is no limit to what you can do.
1. Tax consultancy
Becoming an online tax consultant requires you to have a deep and clear understanding of the finance and tax system in the country. Companies, businesses, and individuals must file their tax returns periodically.
You can position yourself as a qualified and licences tax consultant and earn impressive returns by filing taxes for individuals, business establishments, and companies.
2. Affiliate marketing
What is affiliate marketing? This work from home opportunity involves promoting a company's services and products for a commission. The venture is free to start and operate as long as you have a steady internet connection and an online audience.
You can start this work by enrolling for affiliate marketing positions in online retailer companies. After enrolling, you receive a link you can add to your online content. When the audience clicks the link, they are directed to the services or products you endorse.
3. Blogging
Did you know that blogging is one of the most-preferred online jobs in South Africa? The job is best for people who enjoy writing. You can write about anything you prefer and earn some cash.
You make money through ads or endorsing products and services. It is important to note that blogging requires patience before it can start paying.
4. Editing and proofreading services
Did you know that editing is one of the online jobs that pay in South Africa? You can explore this opportunity if you have top-notch editing and proofreading skills. Clients give you raw content, and your work is to clean it up and make it edible for the consumer.
You can edit videos and pictures for social media influencers or companies or proofread written content before it is published.
Source: UGC
5. Graphic designing
Graphic designers can work from any location as long as they have access to a computer and stable internet. This means that graphic designing is one of the best work from home jobs in South Africa. This opportunity entails designing logos, creating visual ads, and building websites.
6. Cottage bakery
Baking is one of the jobs you can do from home if you are passionate about selling high-quality and yummy baked goods. In cottage baking, you make the goods in your home and then deliver them to your market.
The demand for cakes and pastries is constantly growing because more people are celebrating their special days than before. You can start supplying to your neighbourhood before expanding to other locations. Note that some locations may require licensing to start this job.
7. Animation services
If you enjoy creating animations, you can tap into this vibrant niche and work for businesses, televisions stations, and other media outlets without leaving the comfort of your home. You can become a freelancer animator with leading freelancing sites or work for corporates.
8. Data entry
Data entry positions are among the online jobs that pay hourly in South Africa. They have existed for a long time. Usually, accompanied outsource people on a contract basis to do clerical work for them. The tasks include electronic data processing, typing, word processing, transcribing, and coding.
9. Child caregiving services
Do you have sufficient space at your home? You can covert that space into a child care centre. Whether on a full-time basis or for specified hours of the day, you can make a fortune by helping parents take care of their children while they are out working. Make sure to have proper licensing and permits before starting the business.
Source: UGC
10. Customer service representative
This venture is suitable for individuals with excellent communication skills. Customer service representatives are a must-have in any medium or large business. They use phones and computers to deal with clients on behalf of the company. They usually answer complaints and even seal deals with clients.
11. Copywriting
Are you searching for an opportunity to work online from home and get paid in South Africa? You can become a copywriter. This means that you will write professional content used in marketing and promotional materials. Upwork and Fivver are some of the best sites to start this venture.
12. Event planning
Are you good at planning parties? You can convert your planning skills into a source of income. You can plan events for family, friends, and corporates and make good money. This can be done remotely. However, you will have to show up on the d-day to ascertain the event goes well.
13. Internet security specialist
If you are a computer wizard with a speciality in security patches, this is an ideal opportunity for you. You can use your skills to help businesses and individuals to secure sensitive information from hackers, scammers, and viruses.
14. Product reviewing
Numerous companies are constantly looking for people to review and recommend their products or services. You can become a product reviewer by applying for this position. After using the product or testing the service, you can share your opinion about it for a fee.
15. Online teaching/ tutoring
Offering tutoring services for children or adults is one of the best online opportunities today. These services are always in demand because some students need one-on-one attention. Other people may want to learn new skills.
Source: UGC
16. Social media management
Social media has become a key element in businesses. As such, several companies are looking for persons to manage their sales and help clients with different services on social media. You can also become a social media strategist for top brands and earn highly.
17. Online surveys
Taking online surveys in the comfort of your home can be a steady source of income. For this to be possible, you need a computer and stable internet connectivity. You must also do background research to determine reliable online survey sites.
18. Handmade craft selling
People with skilled hands can earn from selling their crafts online. These can be jewellery, paintings, or other handmade crafts. You can gain access to a large client base by promoting your work on social media and other online retail sites.
19. Sustainability consultancy
Many businesses and corporates are adopting green technologies as a way of conserving the environment and contributing to its sustainability. If you are passionate about the environment and have knowledge in this niche, you can become a sustainability consultant.
20. Referral services
In contemporary South Africa, almost anything can be done online. People plan trips and outings, shop, and even order food from home. You can take advantage of the increasing e-commerce to offer referral services at a fee. This means that you will review different businesses and establishments and refer clients to the best.
Source: UGC
21. Clothes tailoring
If you have sewing skills, you can tailor clothes at home and sell them online. You should promote your work on social media to get a client base. Clients can send their measurements to you to make custom outfits for various occasions.
22. Digital media conversion
Have you ever lost a phone and felt the pinch of losing your pictures and important documents? That is the exact feeling people or businesses with older technologies feel. You can come to their rescue by transferring data stored in outdated formats to modern formats. For this venture to be successful, you must be tech-savvy.
23. Towing services
If you have a truck lying idle, you can offer towing services. You can outsource a driver on call to do the work while you organise the logistics from home.
24. Business plan writing
Most people who wish to start a business find it daunting to come up with a business plan. You can come to their rescue by offering to write the plans for them at a fee. Before you do a plan, you should organise an online or in-person meeting to discuss their needs, objectives, and vision for the proposed venture.
25. Website flipping
What is website flipping? It is the process of finding poorly developed websites, improving them, and selling them at a higher price. This is a suitable work from home venture for tech-savvy people.
Source: UGC
26. Resume writing
Can you write a perfect resume that will help someone secure a job? Every year, there are millions of South Africans seeking job opportunities and need a well-done resume. You can offer resume writing services in the comfort of your home and make a killing out of it.
27. Professional video production
Videography has become a lucrative venture, especially with the rise of influencers and bloggers. South African YouTube celebrities hire professional videographers to edit raw footage for them. If you are a professional videographer, you can contact several clients and help them create high-quality content for their viewers.
28. E-commerce website
E-commerce has grown tremendously in the last decade. You can start and run an e-commerce website from home. Beware that there are numerous competing sites in this niche, so you must not expect it to be a get rich fast business.
29. Online news correspondent
The media industry is constantly evolving, and the demand for online news correspondents for podcasts, TV stations, and radio stations is increasing. As an online correspondent, you will be responsible for generating news content for distribution over the internet. You should always keep tabs on the latest developments to succeed in this job.
30. Clinical research coordination
Clinical research coordinators assist in the management of operations for clinical trials. If you are trained and qualified in this niche, you can coordinate all the necessary elements and personnel for a trial from home.
Source: UGC
31. Vlogging
Did you know that YouTube allows anybody to create a free channel and post content? The renowned YouTuber or vloggers you know today were once unknown. You can become like them by recording engaging content and uploading it. Over time, you will also gain subscribers and monetise your channel.
32. Grant writing
Institutions, businesses, and nonprofit organisations often need to apply for grants. Since these applications can be difficult to write, these businesses often turn to grant writers to do it for them. You can write the necessary documents from home.
33. Programming services
Most businesses today have apps or need special software to make the lives of employees and clients easier. If you have coding and programming skills, you can create customised software and apps at home for clients.
34. Bartering and selling
Everyone has something they no longer need and desire something they feel is a new necessity. You can start a bartering and selling business by having people drop items you do not need in your home, for example, at your garage and offer them some cash. You can revamp the dropped items them sell them off at a higher price.
35. Nanny agency services
In most households, both parents are working. Single parents are also working to provide for their children. This means that the need for nannies is present all year round. You can have a nanny agency business in your spare room. The business will involve connecting nannies in need of jobs to employers.
Source: UGC
36. Pet grooming
Pets need special care periodically to ensure they do not breed and spread germs and diseases. They should have nails clipped, fur-trimmed, and other hygienic care services regularly. You can start a business that offers pet grooming services at home. Pet owners can drop their animals at your home for the services.
37. Realtor services
If you are a certified realtor, you can offer your services from home. Today we have virtual realtors who show potential clients various homes using recorded videos of properties. Beware that if a client needs to see a property in person, you will have to leave your home and attend to their needs.
38. Online stylist services
Fashion and style are big, especially among celebrities and social media influencers. You can style various outfits for people from home and send them to the clients.
39. Transcribing services
This job involves listening to audio files and typing out what you hear. All you need for this work are quality headphones and your computer. It is crucial for a transcriber to have fast typing skills too.
40. Translating services
Are you fluent in a particular language that other people in your area do not understand? You can offer translating or interpreting services at a fee. You can look up translator jobs online and apply. Some clients need certification to prove you are proficient in a particular language.
41. Virtual assistant services
In modern-day South Africa, influential people, corporates, and business persons are in need of personal assistants to organise their daily activities and errands. You can offer professional virtual assistant services to these people. You must have excellent planning and communication skills for this job.
Source: UGC
42. Travel planning
Did you know that planning trips is extremely challenging for most people? People can avoid this stress by hitting professional travel planners. As a travel planner, you will make reservations, book flights, and organise transport for clients.
43. Voice acting
If you have a golden voice, you can use it to make money from your house. You can do voiceovers for commercials and audiobooks or even bag voice roles in television shows and movies.
44. Website testing services
The role of a website tester is to go through already created sites to ensure they are intuitive and easy to navigate. A test usually takes around 15 to 20 minutes. Thereafter, you can advise the owner on the elements to change or improve for their clients to have a flawless experience accessing their website.
45. Bookkeeping services
Most businesses need bookkeepers to help them track their finances. Bookkeepers record income and expenses, invoice clients, and prepare financial reports. Before finding your first online bookkeeping job, ensure you have the needed skills. You can reach out to local businesses or look for clients online to earn from home.
Source: UGC
46. Personal training services
If you are a trained and qualified fitness trainer, then consider applying for online personal-training gigs. You can train anyone, anytime, anywhere, which gives you the opportunity to take on more clients.
47. Online beauty advisory services
Makeup and beauty are taking the world by storm. You can become an online beauty advisor who shares knowledge and expertise in skincare and beauty routines to build confidence in your clientele.
48. Online recruiter
As an online recruiter, your main responsibilities will include posting job vacancies and looking for potential employees for your company. Some companies may ask you to conduct the initial phone interview to screen applicants in advance. You will then pass the best ones to the relevant people at the firm.
49. Email marketing services
Can you craft email subject lines that people cannot help but click? If so, you can contact businesses and make money online by managing their email campaigns. Once you demonstrate the skill of enticing recipients, employers will give you a long-term contract.
50. Freelance writing
If you have a knack for grammar, can spot errors, and can fix disjointed sentences, this is the work for you. You can apply to write for blogs, magazines, journals, and even newspapers that publish their content online. You should be passionate about the topics you choose to avoid delivering bogus work.
Are you looking for work from home jobs in South Africa? We hope the options above give you ideas on what you can do to make money from home.
DISCLAIMER: This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
READ ALSO: How to register a small business in South Africa
Briefly.co.za recently published a guide on how to register a business in South Africa. Starting a business is a significant milestone for most people.
Before starting this venture, you should adhere to the local rules and regulations. It is mandatory to register your small business with the local SARS office to get an income tax reference number.
Source: Briefly News
Jedidah Tabalia Jedi is a journalist with over 5 years working experience in the media industry. She has a BSc. in Human Resource Management from Moi University (graduated in 2014) and a working in progress MBA in Strategic Management. Having joined Genesis in 2017, Jedi is a passionate Facts and Life Hacks, Fitness, and Health content creator who sees beauty in everything. She loves traveling and checking out new restaurants. Her email address is jedidahtabalia@gmail.com
Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the 2023 Writer of the Year Award. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
