How to make money with your phone in South Africa

Most South Africans get online on a phone. Stats SA's General Household Survey 2025 found that 78.9% of households access the internet on mobile devices, while only 20.6% have fixed internet at home.

So the phone is where a lot of people start earning. This guide covers eight ways to make money with one, online and in your own area. For each you'll see what you need and what to watch for. Then come getting paid safely, the "phone jobs" to skip, and tax.

What a phone does well

A phone is good at five things: messages, photos, short videos, calls and quick admin. Those five are enough to run many small businesses.

Long typing, detailed design and video editing are slower on a small screen. If the work you want leans on those, start on the phone and plan for a laptop later.

Eight ways to earn with your phone

1. Sell things you no longer use

Clothes, shoes, baby gear, books and furniture all sell second-hand. Yaga, a South African marketplace for pre-loved fashion, says opening a shop, listing and selling are free for sellers. Facebook Marketplace suits bigger items and local collection.

• You needclear photos in daylight and honest descriptions, flaws included.
• Watch foryour own cupboard runs out. Our reseller guide shows how to find more stock and price it.

2. A local service, booked on WhatsApp

Hair, nails, cleaning, gardening, ironing, baking and car washing all happen in person. The phone is how customers find you and book.

The WhatsApp Business app is free to download, with some paid extras. It has a catalogue for your services and prices, quick replies for the questions you get every day, labels to sort chats, and away messages for after hours.

• You needa skill people pay for, and photos of work you've done.
• Watch fordouble bookings. Keep one simple list of who is booked when.

Ideas to browse: hair braiding from home, nails and beauty at home and home food orders.

3. Social media help for local businesses

Many salons, food sellers, plumbers and small shops know they should post more but have no time. You take the photos, write the posts and answer messages, all from your phone.

Start with one business you know. Agree a small monthly fee, post for a month, and count the enquiries it brings. Our step-by-step guide to social media management for local businesses shows how to land the first client.

• You needa phone with a decent camera, and data.
• Watch forowners want to see results, so keep a record of what changed.

4. Photos and short videos for brands and shops

Offer simple product photos and short videos that a shop or brand can post as its own. Read more about UGC creator work.

• You neednatural light, a clean background and a cheap phone tripod.
• Watch foragree in writing what you'll deliver, the price, and where they may use it.

5. Tutoring and lessons by call

If you're strong in a school subject, a language or an instrument, you can teach by voice note and video call. See tutoring learners in your area for how to find your first learners.

• You needsolid subject knowledge and a quiet spot.
• Watch fordata. Check what an hour of calls costs on your bundle with our data cost calculator before you set a price.

6. CVs, typing and online forms for people nearby

Offer help with CVs, typing up documents and filling in online applications for people nearby. A phone with a free document app is enough to start. See CV writing and LinkedIn profiles.

• You needclear writing and an eye for detail.
• Watch forpersonal details. Keep ID numbers and documents private, and delete what you no longer need.

7. Translation in your home language

If you read and write two South African languages well, offer to translate notices, menus and posts for small businesses and community groups. Read about translation in SA languages.

• You needstrong writing in both languages.
• Watch forlegal and medical documents need specialist skills, so start with everyday text.

8. Selling airtime, data and electricity

Vending apps such as Flash let you sell prepaid airtime, data and electricity to people nearby and earn a commission on each sale. Check the commission rates before you start, and treat it as an extra. See reselling airtime, data and electricity.

• You needa float to start, and steady foot traffic or a busy community network.
• Watch forcash safety, and keeping enough float to meet demand.

Get paid safely

Phone "jobs" to skip

• Getting paid to like videos or write reviews. These offers often arrive unasked on WhatsApp or Telegram. Small payouts come first, then you're asked to pay to unlock bigger tasks. Read how the WhatsApp task scam works.
• Paying to get a job. The Department of Employment and Labour says that as soon as you're asked to pay anything towards recruitment, it is likely to be a scam.
• Starter kits you must buy to earn from recruiting. Check the pitch with our pyramid scheme quiz.
• Anyone who asks for your OTP. SAPS and SABRIC say never to give an OTP to anyone over the phone, and banks say they will never ask you for it.

Got a message that looks too good? Paste it into our scam checker first.

Do you pay tax on phone income?

Money you earn from your phone counts as income, like any other. It is added to any salary you earn. For the 2026/27 tax year, SARS says you must register as a taxpayer if your taxable income is above the tax threshold, which is R99,000 a year if you are under 65.

Check yours with our side income tax calculator.

Pick one and start small

1. Choose one idea that uses something you already have: a skill, things to sell, or people who know you.
2. Give it two weeks.
3. Write down every rand you earn and spend, data included.
4. Keep what works, and drop what doesn't.

Working with a small budget? Our guide to business ideas you can start with R500 has more ideas and what the money goes on.

Not sure which one fits you? Take the free test. It takes a few minutes with no sign-up, and asks about your device, time, skills and budget. Then it ranks real ways to earn that fit, online and in person.

Questions people ask