How to Make Money in South Africa (2026) – 25+ Real Ways

What it is: Stand at designated spots where builders and contractors pick up workers for the day.

Where to go: Any area with building sites. Johannesburg: Midrand, Fourways, Sandton. Cape Town: Cape Town CBD, Durbanville. Durban: Umhlanga, Pinetown.

What you do: Digging, carrying bricks, mixing cement, cleaning sites, loading trucks.

How much: R150 – R350 per day (cash in hand)

Best days: Monday to Wednesday (early in the week)

What to bring: Your ID, old clothes, closed shoes, water

Insider tip: Get there at 5am. The early bird gets picked first.

What it is: Collect plastic bottles, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminium cans. Sell them to buy-back centres.

Where to find materials: Office parks, industrial areas, rubbish bins (with permission), events, schools

What pays best: Aluminium cans (light and pay well). Glass bottles (heavy but pay good). Copper wire (if you can find it – pays very well).

How much: R50 – R300 per day depending on how much you collect

Best places to sell: MPact Recycling, National Recycling Forum members, local buy-back centres

Insider tip: Separate your materials before you go. Clean plastic sells for more than dirty plastic.

What it is: Watch cars in parking areas. Help people park. Ask for tips when they return.

Where: Shopping centres, street parking in busy areas, taxi ranks, near restaurants

How much: R50 – R200 per day (tips only)

Best spots: Busy shopping centres on weekends. Restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights.

Insider tip: Get an official reflective vest (R50 at any security shop). You look legitimate and people trust you more.

Warning: Some areas have official car guards. Do not fight over territory. Work in spots where no one else is.

What it is: An app where people post small jobs. You bid to do them.

Types of jobs: Assembling furniture, hanging curtains, moving boxes, cleaning gutters, dog walking, waiting in queues

How much: R50 – R500 per task

How to start: Download Airtasker or TaskRabbit app. Create profile. Bid on jobs near you.

Insider tip: Bid low on your first few jobs to get good reviews. Once you have reviews, raise your price.

What it is: Buy airtime and electricity vouchers at wholesale price. Sell them at a small markup.

How to start: Go to any spaza shop or wholesaler. Ask for voucher stock. You need a small float of R200 – R500.

Where to sell: Near taxi ranks, bus stops, train stations, outside shops

How much: R100 – R300 per day profit

Insider tip: Start with R5 and R10 airtime. People always need small amounts.

What it is: Wash cars in your neighbourhood or at a busy spot.

What you need: Bucket, sponge, car shampoo, cloths, water source

How much: R50 – R100 per car. 3-4 cars per day = R150 – R400.

Best spots: Near shopping centres, office parks on lunchtime, residential streets with no driveways

Insider tip: Offer a "quick rinse" for R30. Many people will say yes while they pop into the shop.

What it is: Drive people where they need to go.

Requirements: Code 8 or 10 licence, PrDP (Professional Driving Permit), car (2013 or newer for Uber), smartphone

How much: R3,000 – R8,000 per week depending on hours

Best hours: 5am-9am and 4pm-8pm (weekdays). Friday and Saturday nights.

How to start: Download Uber Driver app. Register. Upload documents. Wait for approval (1-2 weeks).

Insider tip: Airport trips pay better. Learn the routes to OR Tambo and Lanseria.

What it is: Deliver food from restaurants to customers. Use your own car or scooter.

Requirements: Code 8 licence (no PrDP needed), smartphone, reliable vehicle

How much: R50 – R150 per hour depending on time and tips

Best hours: Lunch (12pm-2pm) and dinner (6pm-9pm). Rainy days are busiest.

How to start: Download Mr D driver app or Uber Driver app (select "deliveries only").

Insider tip: Work near clusters of restaurants. More restaurants = more orders.

What it is: Deliver packages for online shopping. You get a route of deliveries.

Requirements: Code 8 licence, own vehicle (small van or bakkie is best), smartphone

How much: R300 – R600 per day (route-based)

How to start: Go to Takealot.com or Amazon.co.za. Look for "Delivery Partner" or "Driver" applications.

Insider tip: A bakkie or small van fits more packages than a car. More packages = more money.

What it is: Deliver documents or small packages point-to-point. Apps like Pikkup, SwiftVee, PostNet Connect.

Requirements: Code 8 licence, smartphone

How much: R50 – R150 per delivery

How to start: Download Pikkup or similar app. Register. Wait for delivery requests.

Insider tip: Sign up for multiple apps. More apps = more delivery requests.

What it is: Transport children to school or staff to work on a fixed schedule.

Requirements: Code 10 with PrDP (for more than 12 seats), clean driving record, reliable car

How much: R1,500 – R3,000 per month per person

How to find clients: Put up signs at schools. Ask at companies with shift workers. Word of mouth.

Insider tip: Get contracts in writing. Know your pickup and dropoff times exactly. Late parents will make you late for everyone else.

What it is: Companies pay for your opinion. You answer surveys about products, services, or politics.

Platforms in South Africa: Survey24 (R50-200 per survey), Trademob (R2-10 per survey), Sonar (small amounts), Shoprite Checkers panel (vouchers)

How much: R50 – R500 per week depending on how many surveys you qualify for

How to start: Sign up for all platforms. Complete your profile fully (more profiles = more surveys).

Insider tip: Surveys do not pay much. Do them while watching TV or waiting in queues. Do not expect to replace a salary.

What it is: Small tasks like categorising images, transcribing receipts, data entry.

Platforms: Clickworker (highest earner in SA), OneSpace, Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), Microworkers

How much: R50 – R300 per day depending on task availability

How to start: Register on Clickworker first. Complete the assessments. Start doing tasks.

Insider tip: Read instructions carefully. If you do tasks wrong, they reject them. No pay.

What it is: Write articles, social media posts, product descriptions for businesses.

Where to find work: Upwork, Fiverr, ProBlogger, Freelance Africa Facebook group

How much: R50 – R500 per article for beginners. R200 – R2,000 for experienced writers.

What to write about: Anything you know. Cars. Food. Sports. Parenting. Beauty.

Insider tip: Start with a free blog on Medium or WordPress. Write 5-10 articles. Use them as your portfolio. Then apply for paid work.

What it is: Listen to audio or watch video. Type what you hear.

Platforms: Rev, TranscribeMe, GoTranscript

How much: R50 – R200 per audio hour (takes 3-4 hours to transcribe one audio hour)

Requirements: Good English, fast typing, good headphones

How to start: Apply to Rev or TranscribeMe. Pass their grammar and transcription test.

Insider tip: Transcription is hard at first. Slow down the audio. Listen twice. It gets easier with practice.

What it is: Help businesses with admin tasks remotely – emails, scheduling, data entry, customer service.

Where to find work: Upwork, Belay, BELAY, Zirtual, Freelance Africa Facebook group

How much: R2,000 – R8,000 per month part-time. R10,000 – R20,000 full-time.

Requirements: Good English, computer skills, reliable internet, professional manner

Insider tip: Get experience first. Help a small business owner for free for 2 weeks. Ask for a reference letter. Then use that to get paid clients.

What it is: Teach English or other subjects online to students around the world.

Platforms: Cambly, Preply, italki, EF Teach Online

How much: R150 – R450 per hour depending on platform and experience

Requirements: Good English, reliable internet, quiet space, webcam

How to start: Apply to Cambly first (easiest approval). Get experience. Then apply to Preply or italki where you can set your own rate.

Full guide: See the "Online English Teaching Jobs" article on JoblySA for step-by-step.

What it is: Take photos of anything – people, places, food, nature, cityscapes. Upload to stock photo sites. Get paid when people download them.

Platforms: Shutterstock, iStock, Adobe Stock

How much: R5 – R50 per download. Builds up over time.

Requirements: A decent phone camera (iPhone, Samsung) or actual camera

What sells: Authentic South African images. Township life. Street scenes. Sunsets. Food. People working.

Insider tip: Upload 100+ photos. One sale a day adds up to R150 – R1,500 per month passive.

Where to find work: Upwork, Fiverr, Behance, local Facebook groups

What you can charge: R150 – R500 for a logo. R500 – R3,000 for branding package.

Skills needed: Canva (free) is enough to start. Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator better.

Insider tip: Create 10 sample designs for fake companies. Post them on Instagram. That is your portfolio.

Where to find work: Upwork, Fiverr, YouTube comments (editors help YouTubers)

What you can charge: R200 – R1,000 per video

Skills needed: CapCut (free on phone) is enough for simple edits. DaVinci Resolve (free) for advanced.

Insider tip: Make a 60-second edit of a popular video. Post on TikTok and Instagram. People will see your skill and ask you to edit for them.

What it is: Post content for businesses on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. Engage with followers.

What you can charge: R1,000 – R5,000 per month per client

Where to find clients: Small businesses in your area. Restaurants, salons, boutiques, gyms.

Insider tip: Walk into a small restaurant. Show them their Instagram. Point out what they could do better. Offer to manage it for R1,500 per month. Many will say yes.

What it is: Check documents for spelling, grammar, punctuation errors.

Where to find work: Upwork, Fiverr, ProBlogger, local businesses

What you can charge: R50 – R200 per 1,000 words

Requirements: Good English. Very good English. You must be better than the average person.

Insider tip: Take a free grammar course on YouTube. It sharpens your eye.

What it is: Clean up clothes you do not wear. Sell them online or at markets.

Where to sell: Yaga (app for secondhand clothes), Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, Garage sales, Flea markets

How much: R50 – R500 per item

How to start: Take good photos. Natural light. Clean background. Write good descriptions. Brand name? Size? Condition?

Insider tip: Bundle similar items. 5 t-shirts for R150. People buy bundles faster than single items.

What it is: Bake cakes, biscuits, bread, vetkoek, koeksisters. Sell to neighbours or at markets.

What sells: Vetkoek and mince (R15-20). Cupcakes (R10-15). Loaves of bread (R20-30). Party cakes (R150-400).

Where to sell: WhatsApp your neighbours. Facebook community groups. School events. Church bazaars.

Insider tip: Start with one thing. Make it well. Vetkoek is easy. Cupcakes are easy. Do not try to make everything at once.

What it is: Mow lawns, trim edges, pull weeds, rake leaves.

What you need: Lawnmower (R500-R1,000 secondhand), edger, rake, gloves

How much: R150 – R350 per garden. 3 gardens per day = R450 – R1,050.

How to find clients: Knock on doors in suburbs. Leave handwritten cards in postboxes. Tell neighbours.

Insider tip: Offer a once-off "clean up" for R400. Then offer a weekly maintenance for R150. The weekly customers are your steady income.

What it is: Buy airtime and data in bulk at wholesale. Sell at small profit to neighbours.

How to start: Register with a wholesaler like VASCO or Blueshark. They give you an app. You buy at wholesale, resell at retail.

How much: R500 – R2,000 profit per month depending on customers

Where to sell: WhatsApp, Facebook, to neighbours, to people without smartphones

Insider tip: Offer "delivery" – someone WhatsApps you, you buy the airtime, they pay you later. Build trust.

What it is: Help school students with subjects they struggle with.

What pays best: Maths, Physics, Accounting, English (exam prep)

How much: R100 – R300 per hour

How to find students: Ask teachers at local schools to recommend you. Put up signs at libraries. WhatsApp parent groups.

Insider tip: Tutor Grade 8-10 students first. Less pressure than Matric students. Parents pay R150 per hour easily.

What it is: Walk dogs while owners are at work. Feed pets when owners are away.

How much: R50 – R100 per walk. R100 – R200 per day for pet sitting.

How to find clients: Knock on doors. Leave cards at vet clinics. Post on Facebook community groups.

Insider tip: Walk two dogs at the same time. R100 for 30 minutes instead of R50.

What it is: Walk around putting flyers into postboxes or under car windscreen wipers.

Where to find work: Local businesses – takeaways, salons, gyms, estate agents

How much: R100 – R300 per 1,000 flyers

Insider tip: Offer to do 2,000 flyers for a restaurant. Show them you are reliable. They will call you again.

What it is: Direct cars into parking spaces at busy events, markets, churches.

Where to find work: Churches on Sunday. Markets on Saturday. Events on weekends.

How much: R100 – R400 per day (cash)

Insider tip: Wear something bright. A yellow reflective vest. People need to see you.

What it is: Clean houses, offices, or flats.

What you need: Bucket, mop, cloths, bleach, gloves (R200 start-up cost)

How much: R150 – R350 per house. 2-3 houses per day = R300 – R1,050.

How to find clients: Knock on doors in suburbs. Offer a "first clean discount". Word of mouth after that.

Insider tip: Leave your number on a piece of paper. Write "Cleaning services – R150 flat rate." People keep those papers on their fridge.

What it is: Buy cooldrinks and chips at bulk price. Sell them at taxi ranks, bus stops, train stations, outside schools.

How to start: Buy a cooler box (R150-300). Buy stock (R200-500). Ice (R20). Sell.

How much: R100 – R300 profit per day

What sells best: Cold cooldrink on a hot day. Chips at lunchtime. Sweets after school.

Insider tip: Learn the times. Workers buy before work. Learners buy after school. Taxi drivers buy during their breaks.

What it is: Help people move furniture when they change houses.

Where to find work: Gumtree "moving help" section. Local Facebook groups. Tell removal companies you are available.

How much: R200 – R500 for half a day

Requirements: Physically fit. Can lift heavy things. Show up on time.

Insider tip: Show up with work gloves. Looks professional. Protects your hands.

What it is: Share links to products. When someone buys through your link, you earn a commission.

Platforms: Amazon Associates, Takealot Affiliate Program, ClickBank

How much: R50 – R5,000+ per month depending on traffic

How to start: Sign up for Takealot Affiliate Program. Get your links. Share them on Facebook, WhatsApp, or a blog.

Insider tip: Share products you actually use. "I use this air fryer. Here is my link." People trust you more.

What it is: Make videos about something you know. Cooking. Gaming. Reviews. Teaching. Comedy.

How to make money: Ads, sponsorships, affiliate links

How much: R500 – R50,000+ per month. Takes months to build.

Requirements: Phone with camera, free editing app (CapCut), patience

Insider tip: Do not try to be a "YouTuber." Just be yourself. Answer questions people are searching. "How to cook pap without lumps." "How to change a tyre." Those videos get views forever.

What it is: Create something once. Sell it many times.

What you can sell: Budget template (Excel), CV template (Word), Meal planner (PDF), Workout plan (PDF), Resume samples

Where to sell: Etsy, Gumroad, even WhatsApp

How much: R30 – R200 per product. Sell 20-50 per month = R600 – R10,000.

Insider tip: Make a "Matric CV template" for R50. Parents will buy it for their children. Share in Facebook parent groups.

What it is: Design t-shirts, mugs, phone cases. When someone orders, a company prints and ships it. You keep profit.

Platforms: Redbubble, Printful, Teespring

How much: R20 – R200 profit per item

Requirements: Design skills (Canva is free), creativity

Insider tip: Make designs for South African memes. "Tsek" shirt. "Ja, nee" shirt. "Load shedding survivor." People buy funny local stuff.

What it is: Lend your things to people who need them temporarily.

What you can rent out: Parking spot (R500-1,500/month), Tools (R50-200/day), Camera equipment (R200-500/day), Camping gear (R200-500/weekend)

Where to list: Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, neighbour apps

Insider tip: Start with one thing. Your parking spot if you live near a station or hospital. That is R500/month for doing nothing.

What it is: Work at restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights.

How much: R150 – R500 per shift (plus tips)

How to find: Walk into restaurants on Tuesday or Wednesday (not busy days). Ask for weekend shifts only.

Insider tip: Restaurants need extra staff on weekends. Many will take you for just Saturday night.

What it is: Work at concerts, weddings, conferences, sports events.

What you do: Usher, ticket collector, crowd control, handing out flyers, cleaning up

How much: R150 – R400 per event

How to find: Event staffing agencies on Google. Look for "event staff recruitment Johannesburg".

Insider tip: Wedding season (August to November) and Christmas season (November to December) are the busiest.

What it is: Referee soccer, netball, rugby, cricket on weekends.

How much: R100 – R400 per game

How to find: Contact your local sports association. They always need referees.

Insider tip: Start with junior games (under 13). Less pressure. You learn the rules. Then move to senior games.

What it is: Rent a table at a weekend market. Sell food, clothes, crafts, plants, secondhand items.

Market rental cost: R100 – R500 per day

How much profit: R500 – R3,000 per market day depending on what you sell

Where to find markets: Neighbourhood Goods Market (Joburg), Market on Main (Joburg), Oranjezicht Market (Cape Town), Shongweni Market (Durban)

Insider tip: Food sells best. But requires permits. Clothes are easier. Sell pre-loved branded clothes. People love bargains.

What to learn: Microsoft Word (typing, formatting), Excel (basic formulas, tables), Email (professional communication)

How to learn: YouTube (free), libraries (free), Google Digital Garage (free)

How much you can earn once skilled: R3,000 – R8,000 per month as a data capturer or admin assistant

What to learn: Recording money in and out. Basic accounting. Invoicing.

How to learn: Free YouTube courses. Short courses on Udemy (R200-500 during sales)

How much you can earn: R5,000 – R15,000 per month as a bookkeeper for small businesses

What to learn: Facebook ads, Instagram growth, Google ads, email marketing

How to learn: Google Digital Garage (free), Meta Blueprint (free for basics), HubSpot Academy (free)

How much you can earn: R5,000 – R25,000 per month managing social media for businesses

What to learn: How to build simple websites.

How to learn: FreeCodeCamp (free), Codecademy (free basics), YouTube (free)

How much you can earn: R10,000 – R30,000 per month as a junior web developer

What to learn: Shorten pants, fix zips, take in dresses, sew curtains.

How to learn: YouTube, local sewing classes (R500-1,500)

How much you can earn: R50 – R150 per alteration. 5-10 per week = R1,000 – R6,000 per month.

What to learn: Fix leaking taps. Install lights. Repair geysers.

How to learn: Work as an assistant to a qualified plumber or electrician. Learn on the job.

How much you can earn: R200 – R500 per small job. Once qualified, R10,000 – R25,000 per month.

Insider tip: Start by assisting. Learn for 6 months. Then do small jobs on weekends while you keep your day job.