As many of us know, Kenya has been doing an amazing job of keeping the country’s unemployment rate in the single digits. Depending on who you ask, some may tell you that finding a full-time job in Kenya only takes three days, while others continue to share their frustrations with job hunting on every forum they can find online. But that’s all about finding a traditional job; we’re here to answer your burning question on how to make money online in Kenya.

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Working in 2020 isn’t about sitting in a plain office cubicle from 9 to 5 anymore. You can now make money in Kenya from the comfort of your own home and the options are endless! Get your pajamas and bed trays and get ready to work at your own pace starting NOW!

1. Bitcoin trading

Digital assets are considered safe by many people as they are not affected by oscillating inflation rates and inaccessibility to banks. Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are decentralized and literally, you can get a hold of them as long as you have a stable Internet connection! To get started, you can buy your first bitcoin in peer-to-peer marketplaces such as Paxful.

Paxful translates cash into digital assets that can be accessed anywhere in the world. Feel free to choose any of more than 300 payment methods and decide your exchange rate, trading margins, and preferred trading method – be your own boss.

Join Paxful Today – Give Your Money the Value It Deserves

Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Instant

2. Create a virtual store

Don’t ignore it. The e-commerce market is booming in Kenya – the sector is estimated to be worth more than 70-120 billion Kenyan Shilling in the short term and 400 billion Kshs in the long term!

Grab a piece of the pie before everyone does by creating your own virtual store on online marketplaces! Some beautifully crafted marketplaces are Kilimall, Masoko, Avechi, and Sky.garden.

Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium

3. Sell your products on online marketplaces

This is similar to creating a virtual store, but cheaper. You can easily sell your products with a small initial capital through a fulfillment method called dropshipping. With this method, you don’t keep a stock of what you’re selling. Instead, you pay the wholesale price of that item to a third-party supplier to ship the item directly to the customer – all while you take in the extra amount you’ve charged the customer!

This method requires only a laptop and an Internet connection. Hop on eComProo.com or Shopify to start selling today.

Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium

4. Create a blog and run ads on it

If you are passionate about something and know how to write in an engaging way, money will come your way. Many people monetize their blogs through Google AdSense, where they get paid based on the number of people that have viewed their content.

Alternatively, you can work with a product or service, and get paid a commission for every sale that your website led to. Jumia is an example of where you can monetize your blog with affiliate marketing and get paid through M-Pesa.

Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium

5. Run niche websites

Similar to keeping a blog, running niche websites means building a site that focuses on a narrow group of people in a large market. Since you’re providing specific and quality info, niche websites usually answer questions or solve problems that visitors might have.

And you can make big money from niche websites! Once you master how to incorporate keywords and make your website appear first on Google searches, you may see money rolling in through Google Adsense for clicks on your site.

Difficulty: Difficult; Speed: Slow

6. Academic writing

Unlike blogs, academic writing requires thorough research to be done. You’ll mostly be paid to conduct extensive research and write on specific or specialized subjects of interest. You will be surprised to see how popular this service is! If you’re still in school or have a knack for research, this is a great way to make money online.

As there is a surge of academic writers out there these days, you have to make yourself stand out. Spend time promoting yourself on social media, creating a professional profile, and networking with other writers and writing services.

Companies such as Top Writer List and Advanced Writers are great places to find freelance writing jobs.

Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium

7. Transcribe audio and video clips

Who would have thought that making money can be this fast and easy? Transcribing audio and video clips might be one of—if not the—most simple and easy ways to earn money on this list. If you want to make extra income in the comfort of your own home or anywhere else, there are websites like TranscribeMe that offer transcription jobs for a number of different industries.

To be a transcriber, you must be 18 years of age or older and have access to a computer and the Internet. You will be asked to take an English entrance exam, which can be completed in one sitting. Note that the pay you will receive varies depending on how long it takes you to finish a project. The more projects you complete, and the faster you do it, the better!

Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Slow

8. Create courses online

Since we’re living in a fast-paced world, almost anything can be found and done online instantaneously. Among the productive things you can do in the digital world is to study, learn, and discover various topics by taking online courses.

Websites like Udemy and Teachable allow you to not only learn but also earn money by sharing your knowledge and expertise, and teaching people around the world. Create your online course and start getting rewarded!

Difficulty: Hard; Speed: Medium

9. Sell stock photos

Turn your passion into profit by selling your photos online. These can range from abstract to editorial and creative shots. You can showcase your work on platforms like Shutterstock, iStock Photo, Adobe Stock, Can Stock Photo, Alamy, SmugMug, EyeEm, Stocksy, Dreamstime, Photoshelter, and Getty Images, among others.

Build your visual portfolio, submit your photos, and start monetizing your creations with just your creative juices and camera at hand!

Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium

10. Freelance in any expertise

Besides writing, you can offer different services as a freelancer and easily earn money online. Some popular services people offer online are web development, SEO, content writing, digital marketing, virtual assistance, and voice recording. Polish up a unique profile and start writing proposals to jobs that interest you now!

These are places where you can make money online in Kenya by doing freelance work: Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.

Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium

11. Sell your DIY craft items

For those who are into crafts and other do-it-yourself projects, selling your DIY items is an excellent option to earn money. You can sell accessories, bags and purses, jewelry–like necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets–and other arts and collectibles on websites like Etsy. Post your items for sale and take advantage of the online marketplaces available for you!

Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast

12. Listen to radio

Have you ever thought that you could get paid for listening to the radio? If you’re wondering how you can make quick money in Kenya, listen to more radio, and introduce them to your friends. Simple! 

Head over to RadioEarn now to start leaving your feedback!

Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast

13. Flipping websites

Almost every business today has a website where people can check out the products and services offered. But did you know that you can also make money through establishing a website for businesses? This is called website flipping, where you buy a website, repair or improve it, then have it sold at higher prices.

While some say that this won’t require much technical knowledge, it is still essential that you know the ins and outs, as well as the dos and don’ts of content creation and optimization. 

Difficulty: Hard; Speed: Medium

14. Write and sell e-books

Translating your bright ideas and things you are passionate about into an e-book may sound thrilling to writers, but sharing it with others and having it sold is another level of excitement. For those who are aspiring to have their e-books discovered, you can check out Amazon Kindle, Blurb, PayLoadz, and Google’s Books Partner Center and have your books published and reach thousands of readers around the world!

Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast

15. Record a podcast

If you’re not a fan of writing but possess influential speaking skills, recording a podcast is an option for you to make money in Kenya. It starts with building your platform and channel, then making it interesting and applicable to your audience. Podcasters usually earn profits by selling branded merchandise, having sponsors, donations, crowdfunding, and paid content, in addition to growing the number of listeners.

Explore podcast hosting sites like BuzzSprout, PodBean, Simplecast, and Transistor and learn how you can make a profit from recording.

Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Medium

16. Forex trading

A lot of business people are still into foreign exchange trading due to the profits you can get from it. It works by simultaneously purchasing one currency and selling another, or merely trading currencies. These currencies are traded, or bought, or sold in pairs. This works if you want to, for example, buy an amount of US dollar for euro or vice versa.

Ideally, the value of the currency you purchased will eventually increase, compared to the one you sold. This is how investors gain profit from this process.

Difficulty: Medium; Speed: Fast

17.  Create Vlogs

Vloggers make their money through monetization (the placing of advertisements in their videos), quality of content, and the number of subscribers. For example, for you to begin monetizing your videos on YouTube, you’ll need a minimum of 4,000 watch time and at least 1,000 subscribers. For Facebook, you’ll need at least 10,000 followers and generate at least 30,000 views on 3-minute videos.

When creating vlogs, quality is an essential factor. Before shooting, figure out who your audience is. The secret to monetizing your videos is to establish your audience, and the secret to developing your audience is to create high-quality content. 

Over the past few years, vlogging has become a desirable and profitable occupation—so why not try your hand at it?

Difficulty: Medium, Speed: Slow

18. Post on specific forums

If you are interested in a wide range of topics and are into creating content for social media, posting content for specific forums and online social communities is among the many ways you can earn extra income.

From entertainment to fitness and everything else, you will surely never run out of content to share. This is also a good option to make money as a student in Kenya since it only requires excellent English grammar and nothing more. Check out Paid Forum Posting now and learn how you can get paid by socializing in various forums!

Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Fast

19. Get funds from people online to work on your projects

Vlogging isn’t the only way for people to get paid for creating content. In some cases, vloggers, influencers, artists, and many other content creators rely on services like Patreon to earn a profit.

Patreon is a service that allows fans to provide financial assistance to content creators. In exchange, these “patrons” are rewarded with exclusive content in the form of tiers and perks.

If you’re an influencer, vlogger, photographer, artist, musician, or any other form of content creator, you can use services like Patreon to make money online in Kenya.

Difficulty: Medium, Speed: Slow

20. Answer online surveys and polls

Online surveys and polls are mostly used in research projects. Sometimes, researchers will need a specific sample size. In some cases, they’ll need a sample size big enough for them to seek help outside of their family and friends. This is where online surveys come in.

In Kenya, websites such as Opinion Space Kenya, Paid View Point, and iPoll offer money in exchange for answering their surveys and polls—and who knows? The research could lead to something big!

Difficulty: Easy, Speed: Fast

21. Translate texts into and from Swahili

Are you multilingual and looking to make some money on the side? Then you’re in luck! There are platforms online that can pay you for your translation services.

It goes without saying that you’ll need to be fluent in Swahili and another language (depending on the translation jobs you’re looking for). If you’re sure that you can thoroughly read, write, and converse in Swahili and another language, then there are platforms such as ProZ and Upwork that offer these types of jobs.

These types of jobs are perfect for polyglots learning how to make quick money in Kenya.

Difficulty: Easy, Speed: Fast

22. Answer questions online

Besides answering surveys and translating texts, some platforms will pay you to answer questions online. The topics of these questions can range from questions posed specifically for experts (or, in the very least, those that are well experienced) in their fields. In exchange for helpful answers and solutions, you are rewarded with cash.

Being able to answer these questions means you have to be a credible source. If you feel that you are a reliable enough source, you can head onto platforms such as JustAnswer and FixYa to start earning.

Difficulty: Medium, Speed: Fast

23. Create graphic designs for local and online businesses

Creating designs for various projects is thrilling, most notably when you earn income from it. A lot of companies and small businesses usually hire freelancers to do graphics for them, and guess what? You can be one of those hired designers—even when you’re not a pro (yet).

Designing for local and online businesses is among the easiest ways on how to make money online in Kenya. There are various tools available online where you can create graphic designs such as infographics, banners, posters, and more for free! This includes Canva, BeFunky, Crello, Infogram, and a lot more. Head over to these sites and turn your ideas into stunning designs!

Difficulty: Easy; Speed: Medium

24. Become an Airbnb host

If you have a free space to rent, Airbnb is a great way to earn a little extra on the side. For Airbnb, “space” can mean an unoccupied room or an available house.

Set up an Airbnb account, advertise your space, and wait for someone to rent out your space. So be sure to decorate the area and provide services (such as Wi-Fi, comfortable furniture, and other nice things) to make sure that people are enticed to rent your room. That way, you’ll be able to earn more money as renters will recommend your space to their friends and family. 

Difficulty: Medium, Speed: Slow

25. Review mobile apps and online products

Developers and business people are always looking for ways to improve their products. To do this, they seek out reviews from their users. In some instances, they use third-party platforms such as UserTesting, a platform that pays people to use and review mobile applications and online products.

Through the testing, UserTesting helps larger organizations improve their digital products. If you’re interested in testing different applications and products (and looking to get paid for it), UserTesting is an excellent place to start.

Difficulty: Easy, Speed: Medium

26. Participate in freelancing contests

In recent years, the appeal of working online has risen tremendously. This has led to people looking to freelance (not being tied down to a specific company). Since then, a number of freelance platforms have sprouted up—offering various jobs for people to take.

In some cases, freelance platforms offer contests—competitions in writing, drawing, logo designing, HTML coding, and more–that yield big rewards. Of course, to win, you’ll need to be able to beat out other people, so make sure to enter competitions in your preferred field.  Freelancer is a platform that provides such contests that offer big cash prizes—so check it out now and get the chance to win!

Difficulty: Medium, Speed: Medium

27. Part-time online tutoring

If you’re an educator looking to earn a little extra on the side, some platforms offer part-time online tutoring. On KenyaPlex, tutors are matched with prospective students (or their parents). Once matched, they form an agreement (payment, subject matter, tutored at a location or online, etc.), and the tutor begins their classes.

To start tutoring on KenyaPlex, create your tutor profile, and start looking for jobs now!

Difficulty: Medium, Speed: Slow

A new era of earning

As you can see, there are so many ways to earn money right from your own living room.

There are still many methods to discover, but we wanted to share some great options to get you started. If you’re looking for how to make money in Kenya using different methods, venture over to some of the awesome businesses we listed above and begin earning today. The best part? There are more undiscovered methods just waiting to be explored!

It’s a new year and a new decade, so don’t settle for the typical 9 to 5 jobs anymore. We’re living in the future! It’s a different age, so let’s take advantage of that and reel in the ways of the new. Good luck and happy earning!