The best side hustle ideas are those that have potential to earn endless income—something beyond just R1,000 a month.
A side hustle can help you during career change and to mask employment and skill gaps.
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Read: Why You Should Start a Side Hustle
1. Online tutoring
If you are highly educated, then becoming a tutor could be a great side hustle.
There are several online tutoring platforms that can help you find work. For example, Chegg facilitates online tutoring via video call in a wide range of subjects.
2. Social media management
As a social media manager, you can either work for one company as an employee or consult with multiple clients as a freelancer.
3. Graphic designing
If you are skilled in digital design, you may want to consider a side hustle as a graphic designer. You can find gigs on websites like Fiverr or Upwork, or you can have your designs printed on apparel, stickers, and other products and sent directly to customers.
4. Driving for Uber or bolt
One of the top-paying side hustles you can start today is driving for Uber. The requirements to become an Uber driver are extremely simple. If you have a smartphone with high-speed internet, a driver’s license, and a car in good working shape, you can become an Uber driver.
Read: How can I make my money last until payday?
5. Blogging
A successful blog can make over R10,000 per month on advertising and affiliate revenue. When readers click on links to try a product or service, you get paid.
6. Selling products on e-commerce website
Starting and running a side hustle can be a rewarding adventure — and we’re not just talking financially. Yes, having a business on the side can put extra money in the bank. In many cases side hustles allow entrepreneurs to express their passions, build communities, and help others.
Read: How to save while enjoying life
7. Renting out your spare room on Airbnb
The typical South African host earns just over R26,000 – equivalent to approximately one month’s additional pay for the average income earner – by renting their space on Airbnb
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Becoming a host on Airbnb can be a great way to secure an extra income. You can continue working your full-time job or even invest in your small business with the money you make through the platform.
8. Start a Youtube channel
As a YouTuber, you’ll have several different ways to monetize your channel such as advertising revenue, video sponsorship, selling products, affiliate marketing, premium memberships, and YouTube partner program
9. Transcribe audio
Are you an excellent typist? Sites like TranscribeMe allow you to cash in on that skill, and you can do as much or as little transcription work as you want.
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10. Renting out your car
If you don’t want to drive others around as a Lyft or Uber driver, you can rent out your car on sites like rent my ride, just like you would your house or apartment on Airbnb.
11. Product testing and research studies
A product tester helps companies test and evaluate the quality of their products and many companies based in South Africa and around the world require testers to report on the pros and cons of specific products, relating their own experiences through objective and unbiased feedback.
12. Resume writing
Do you consider yourself an expert in writing CVs and Resumes? If yes, then you can put your skills to use and make money as a CV writer.
13. User testing
Sites like UserTesting and UserZoom allow you to download their testing software and record yourself with a webcam during the test.
Clients want to see and hear you interact with their website. If you are thorough in your testing and provide feedback that client finds useful, opportunities may arise to do live tests where you can interact with clients in real-time.
Estimated earnings are $10 per 20 minutes of testing, or up to $60 for longer, live tests.
14. Proofreading or copyediting
Bloggers, websites, and businesses need proofreaders and will pay well for these services. Not only can you start a proofreading or copyediting side hustle from your laptop from anywhere in the world, but you can also set your own rates and bill by the hour.
15. Become a virtual assistant
You can work as a virtual assistant from anywhere in the world on a laptop, making it a good side hustle for digital nomads or full-time travelers. As more people are launching digital businesses, there is an incredible demand for people to help run them.
16. Join a focus groups
Of all the gig jobs out there, simply giving your opinion may be one of the easiest opportunities we’ve heard of.
List of consumer research companies below:
- Respondent
- User Interviews
- FocusGroup.com
17. Start a coaching business
If you’re a people person and enjoy encouraging others, coaching and mentoring are both potentially lucrative side hustles.
A coach should have a basic coaching qualification from an organization. The role of a coach is to help you work through problems and achieve your goals by finding the answers within yourself, and by holding you accountable.
18. Start consulting
If you have a lot of expertise in a given area, consulting can be a very lucrative side hustle. How much money you’ll make will depend on the nature of the problems you solve, with more complex problems demanding higher hourly rates. In some cases, you can also charge a retainer.
19. Affiliate marketing
Is simply helping other companies sell their products or services online — and getting paid a commission to do so. Affiliate marketing can be a job, a great business model, a passive income powerhouse. It can be much more than a side hustle.
20. Buying and flipping for profit
Flipping items can be a fun and rewarding side hustle. While some items may require a bit of work to resell, it’s worth it. If you pick the best items to flip, you can make a good amount of money.
21. Teach English online
There is an increasing demand for English teachers by online education companies and students worldwide looking to improve their language skills.
If you are looking for an additional source of income, working as a remote English tutor can be a good side hustle. Most companies offer flexible hours, which works well for people who already have a 9 to 5 job.
Teaching English online is an excellent way to earn extra money from home.
Here’s a short list of the most popular and authentic platforms where you can work and get paid
Need some cash to start your side hustle? FASTA and MPOWA can be of help with a short term loan.
Not all side hustles are created equal. The best side hustle is something you love that has loads of profit and growth potential. If you just want to fill some extra spare time, try making food deliveries or taking online surveys.
But understand that you can make a ton of money in your spare time. Having the right mindset and strategy as you evaluate your side hustle ideas will help maximize the return on your time.
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