Gone are the days when young Kenyans would only wait for civil jobs to make ends meet. Thanks to fast internet, many of them make money online in Kenya by working online to support their needs.
There’s so much to do for cash, from writing and transcription to affiliate marketing and online surveys.
I can attest that online work does pay the bills in Kenya. You only need to identify where to look for legit side hustles.
As you probably know, the Kenyan online community harbors a few deadly lions that won’t blink twice to scam you.
Well, that’s where I come in. I’ll share with you legit websites to make money online in Kenya.
With these websites, you can do an array of tasks from the convenience of your home. The best bit is that the pay is decent to support your day-to-day needs.
Let’s get to the list.
Now, here are ten websites to make money online in Kenya.
1. Upwork
Are you a skilled writer, editor, programmer, proofreader, website designer, or translator? If yes, you should head to Upwork right away and sign up for a freelancer account.
The disciplines I’ve mentioned are just a fraction of the services you can sell on the marketplace.
Upwork is the mother of all freelancing platforms in most people’s eyes. So, if you ever wanted to be an own boss, working from home, sign up on Upwork today.
I started as a writer on Upwork and would comfortably pay my bills from my earnings on the platform. Today, most writers that I know either have an Upwork account or had it at some point.
The marketplace allows you to make anything between $10 and $100 an hour, depending on your expertise.
Upwork nowadays pay via M-PESA, and you get to keep 80% of your earnings.
2. Fiverr
Fiverr offers you the same working opportunities as Upwork but in a different dimension. While Upwork requires you to respond to a published job, Fiverr allows you to promote the service you are selling before clients.
You’ll need to set up gigs, indicating what you can offer, and wait for interested clients to contact you.
The exciting part is that you can sell services on Fiverr for as little as $5.
While Fiverr is famous for selling services like writing, voice-over acting, graphic design, and proofreading, you can also make money as an affiliate marketer or selling digital products like eBooks.
As an affiliate marketer, you can make $15-$50 from every successful referral. That means you need a good following on social media or your blog.
3. Amazon
Amazon has unlimited opportunities for Kenyans to make money. For one, you can sign up as an affiliate marketer to receive commissions from sales of products you recommend on your blog or website.
If you are a talented designer, Amazon has a program called Merch by Amazon that allows you to upload your designs and sell them. You’ll then receive royalties from sales.
And while we are still talking about royalties, Amazon also allows you to earn royalties from selling your eBook through the Kindle Direct Publishing network. The program lets you receive up to 70% royalties.
Other ways to make money on Amazon in Kenya include FBA selling, retail arbitrage, and selling handmade crafts.
4. Jumia
Jumia is Kenya’s number one-stop shopping platform. Mainly, the platform’s success is attributed to affiliate marketers, people who send traffic to the online store, and that’s where you come in.
As an affiliate marketer, Jumia pays you a small commission for referring people to shop there. It’s that simple!
If you have a commanding following on social media or run your blog or website, you could make it as a Jumia affiliate marketer.
You’ll receive a link from Jumia that your audience can click on and make purchases. You’ll then get up to 11% commission from every successful purchase.
Remember, this is a passive income idea, which means you can continue with your full-time job and still be making money.
It’s the same thing with Jumia’s biggest competitor Kilimall.
5. Facebook
We all know how influential Facebook is in Kenya. It’s arguably the most used social media platform.
While so many Kenyans use Facebook to socialize, smart ones also use the network to make money.
You cannot imagine the number of money-making opportunities that Facebook has!
For one, you can sell just about anything on the Facebook Marketplace and earn quick cash. That includes second-hand items and individual crafts.
And if you have a commanding following on Facebook, you can make money either as an influencer or affiliate marketer. You only need to promote a client product or brand on your Facebook page and get paid in both cases.
You can also sell likes and shares as odd as it sounds, or even participate in a contest or create an ad for someone.
6. YouTube
After Google, YouTube is presently the most visited website in the world. The fact that Google owns it only proves its influence and popularity.
You probably know about Njugush the Comedian, Sauti Sol, Churchill, to name a few of the biggest YouTube earners in Kenya.
So, having a YouTube channel is a fantastic way to earn passive income. With it, you can recommend products and make money as an affiliate marketer.
You can also sell your product, courses, or even services on your channel and make money.
Moreover, you can join the YouTube Partner Program once you reach 1000 subscribers and enjoy 4,000 plus public views in a year where you can make $1.5-$10 per 1000 views depending on your niche.
Related: How To Make Money Online In Kenya Through M-Pesa.
7. Swagbucks
Did you know that you can earn shopping online, watching videos, playing video games, and searching the web? How about referring friends, testing products, and reviewing products?
Swagbucks allow you to make a few dollars on the side doing all that. However, Swagbucks’ best way to make money is by answering online surveys.
You don’t break a sweat doing it, and you can take as many paid surveys as possible in bed, on your way to school, or when having lunch.
Swagbucks allow you to earn cash-redeemable points, popularly known as Swagbucks. Swagbucks points are equivalent to $0.05-$2.50 per survey in most cases.
There are also a few other high-paying surveys that can make you as much as $35.
8. TranscribeMe
Most young Kenyans, especially on campus, are doing transcription if they do not write. For your information, transcription is the conversion of audio into text. That includes interviews, phone calls, and meetings.
With good noise-cancellation headphones, a laptop, and fast internet, you can sign up for transcription on TranscribeMe.
You’ll need first to pass their tests before you can start working.
The reason why I recommend TranscribeMe over other transcription sites is that the pay is decent. You can make up to $20 an hour, which is not bad for a side hustle.
It’s also easier to join the platform from Kenya and any other part of the world, provided you pass the entry tests.
TranscribeMe pays weekly via PayPal, and you can cash out when you have $20 or more.
9. Skillshare
Are you a teacher, instructor, or just a knowledgeable or skilled Kenyan? Skillshare needs your skill and knowledge.
You can sign up as an instructor, and you get to make as much as $3,500 yearly. That’s about Ksh 350,000 yearly, which is much more than what most teachers make in Kenya.
All you should do is record a video where you share your expertise or knowledge and upload it on YouTube. It could be about anything from craftwork and cooking to home DIY and music lessons.
The best part is that it’s free to do so, and you don’t need a degree.
Overall, Skillshare allows you to earn in two ways. First, you receive commissions on subscribers that you directly refer.
Second, you earn profits from the number of hours students watch your videos.
10. Muthurwa.com
Muthurwa.com has won so many Kenyan hustlers over with its excellent money-making opportunities.
The online marketplace allows you to sell any digital product. That includes eBooks, courses, study guides, and class notes. Some people even sell house plans and recipes on Muthurwa.com.
Even better, you can join their referral program to earn passive income as an affiliate marketer. With Muthurwa.com, you receive money in your M-PESA after a sale.
As an affiliate marketer, you earn a 5% commission on successful referrals. As for your digital product, you take 80% of the sale home.
Relevant: Blogging in Kenya
In Conclusion
You now have ten fantastic websites to make money online in Kenya. Clearly, there are many ways you can make money from home.
Whether it’s by working or selling something, you should start making decent cash. The ball is now in your court.