Passive income is all about bringing in that much-needed extra income to complement your salary in these harsh times in South Africa, without you actually doing much to earn it.
But where would you start?
I’ve put together this article to answer that same question with practical examples and proof of income.
Let’s get started.
What is Passive Income?
Passive income is money earned as a result of investments (time/money) every month without actually doing much work. To earn passive income, you’re required to invest a lot of time, or money to get a good return on your investment.
A lot of South Africans consider this side hustling however you can build real long-term wealth with multiple income streams. The idea is to get consistent income without having to put in a lot of effort.
Below is a list of passive income ideas worth trying in South Africa, where I know, a lot of people make money.
1. Youtube
With affordable and improved internet speed in South Africa, a lot of people find themselves glued to their mobile devices watching videos.
In fact, there’s more content on YouTube than on our tv channels, giving people the opportunity to earn passive income with advertisements.
With a good audience and thousands of subscribers, you could start selling your products and services. Eventually, companies would want to advertise with you directly – which YouTube allows.
How much YouTubers make varies depending on a number of factors however, it’s reported they make $18 USD (R272) per 1000 views or impressions
2. Blogging
Blogging is actually one of the easiest ways to earn money online. ‘Easiest’ may be the incorrect word to use because it takes time for your blog to generate enough traffic to start earning money.
When your blog is getting a lot of traction and quality traffic, you can start selling advertising space on your website for money. The other way to earn passive income with a blog is affiliate marketing, whereby you’d promote a third-part product and get a commission on the sale.
Bloggers in South Africa make between R4,700 to R13,000 per month in their first year of blogging. And blogs that get millions of traffic make over R50,000 per month with advertisements.
3. Airbnb
Have enough space to host an event at your place?
Perhaps it’s time to join Airbnb and start making money with that extra space. Many people travel the world and wish to have a great host at their destination.
Airbnb is an online marketplace that’ll connect you with guests looking to rent your space for a special occasion. Host them and offer guests great experiences and unforgettable moments of life.
It’s one of the best passive income ideas because the space you’ll rent will be making you money without putting a lot of effort into it.
4. Drive With Bolt or Uber
There are so many apps in South Africa that help car owners make money for making trips on behalf of these apps’ clients.
It has been reported and advertised that drivers make well over R8,000 per week with these apps.
A good opportunity for passive income, on your way to building wealth.
5. Surveys for Money
Participate in online surveys and get paid for sharing your honest opinion about a company, product, or service.
A lot of companies’ growth depends on engagement with customers and understanding what they really need. Online paid surveys are a great way for these companies would perform market research that enables them to offer quality services to customers.
Try these websites for online paid surveys:
6. Dstv Accredited Installer
Dstv is the most-watched television service anywhere in South Africa. So there’s a high demand for this service with its maintenance and support.
Becoming an accredited Dstv installer makes you the official partner to MultiChoice for giving their customers the quality service they need.
If you’re permanently employed, you can hire someone to work under your Dstv installation business for earning passive income.
7. Credit Consulting
Many people still don’t understand how credit score rating works when applying for loans. They don’t understand why credit providers decline loan applications are declined and where they could build and boost credit scores.
That’s where you come in with your expertise, to guide people and teach them all about the credit system in South Africa. Help clients carefully monitor, and understand the credit report and use it to their advantage.
Lead your potential clients with your personal experience on credit. So teach them how to avoid mistakes you’ve made from when you were a student and how they affected your future finances.
Here’s the best part:
For this idea to work for your passive income, you would need to package the services into actionable courses that clients can buy online and start implementing.
You won’t have to teach them every time, instead, support them with anything they might not understand from your courses.
Coaching is a big industry in South Africa and you’ll make a lot of money with this side hustle.
8. Become Takealot Driver
Join the Takealot delivery team, one of the biggest e-commerce sites in South Africa. You’ll work independently and earn up to R12,000 per month on Takealot.
Undergo the necessary free Takealot driver training and start making deliveries for the company and Mr.D Food as a subcontractor.
You could choose to work part-time or permanently, in which the income will differ. Takealot also pays premium rates for working on the weekends and holidays.
When clients purchase goods and products on Takealot, you’ll be assigned delivery for those in the area of your choice. You’ll deliver packages for all the Takealot Group companies such as Takealot.com, Mr D Food, and Superbalist.com.
Enjoy the freedom of being your own boss and building good relationships with Takealot, to capitalize on the opportunity while the country’s unemployment increases every year.
- Own smartphone for the delivery app & GPS.
- South African ID with a valid SA Driver’s License
- Work Permit for foreign nationals with national/international Driver’s License
- Own a motorbike or light vehicle
- Proof of Address and Bank details
- Vehicle Registration form (RC1)
- Valid Roadworthy Certificate
- Clear criminal record
9. Township Real Estate
Township Real Estate is a new market for young entrepreneurs to earn money by renting their properties (usually rooms).
With land becoming too expensive to buy, township real estate entrepreneurs have found ways to build rooms in their home yards for renting purposes.
This is a booming business in townships close to workplaces for many employees. I’ve seen homes with 12 rooms built around the main house for rent.
In Alexandra township, the rent starts at R1,300 right up to R1,900 for a single room with parking. In Tembisa rent starts at R900 to R1,200 due to being a bit distanced from major towns and workplaces.
While this might have cost you a lot of construction money, you could bring over R15,000 of rental income to the bank every month.
10. Create Online Course
The teaching and education industry offers the best opportunity to make passive income as people always look to improve their skills.
While it might not be easy to get started but once you’ve built a following and valuable content, it’ll be simpler to sell your course online. GOOD reviews are everything to succeed in selling courses online.
It’s simple.
Package your knowledge and skillsets into courses that you can sell online. Your courses must be easy to follow with practical examples.
Start by selling your courses on marketplaces such as Udemy and Skillshare to earn passive income. These platforms will assist you with marketing your course and showing it to the right searchers.
But eventually, you’d want to create your own courses website that’ll host only your content and sell from there to earn the full cost of the course.
How to Make Money Online
In the above list of passive income ideas, we’ve listed 5 profitable opportunities to make money online.
- Youtube
- Blogging
- Airbnb
- Surveys for Money
- Credit Consulting
All these ideas require a lot of work and dedication to either create valuable content or invest in properties that’ll earn you a passive income online.
There are many opportunities online to make you money, you’ll just need to align these ideas with your passion so that you can keep working on them.
