Most people get into business to make as much money as possible. While it can be hard to turn a profit, especially in the beginning, the key is to keep working hard and to stay up to date with the latest marketing strategies.
This article will go over 30 small business ideas that have the potential of making 500,000 Rand in a week or a month in South Africa.
Let’s get started!
30 Ways to Make 500,000 Rand Fast in South Africa
1. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketers usually earn a small commission from every successful referral they send to a company. There are many high-paying affiliate programs that you can sign up to start promoting.
For instance, Shopify pays up to $2,000 for successful referrals to its Shopify Plus plan. That means you’d only need to make around a few referrals a month to make R500,000 fast.
2. Start a virtual assistant agency
Virtual assistants help businesses with a wide array of administrative tasks, from managing their inbox to posting on social media.
To get started, all you need is an internet connection and a computer. You can find clients through freelancing sites like Upwork. If you have an agency with just 2-3 employees, you can easily make 500k a month.
3. Become an influencer
Brands often work with influencers to promote their products and services. This can be a great way to make extra income if you have a large following on social media.
The larger your audience is, the more you can charge clients to post their products. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need millions of followers to qualify as an influencer. Even as little as 5,000 could be enough to get started. This is one of the easiest ways to make R500,000 fast in SA.
4. Start a social media marketing company
You can also offer your services as a social media manager. This service mainly entails scheduling and creating social media content for brands that struggle with running their own accounts.
Given how hectic the work can be, you can build a small team to help out, and then use freelancing platforms like Upwork to find work.
5. Start a digital marketing agency
You can also start a digital marketing agency and offer a variety of services, including PPC and SEO. This type of business requires profound expertise in the field.
6. Become a business consultant
If you have a wealth of experience in business, you can offer your expertise to entrepreneurs and brands as a consultant.
The great thing about being a consultant is that you’re self-employed, and can charge clients however much you feel your time is worth. Many established consultants easily make more than 500,000 Rand a month.
7. Start a recruitment agency
Many companies could benefit from the assistance of a recruiter to help find the best candidates for their job openings. The recruitment can be done entirely online.
8. Start a blog
If you’re good at writing, a blog is one of the best ways you can make money online in South Africa. You can monetize the blog by selling sponsored content to other businesses, placing ads, or affiliate marketing. Many online businesses (including this one) make the bulk of their earnings through their blogs.
9. Start a podcast
Podcasting has a similar business model to blogging, but in audio format. The only things you’ll need to get started are a microphone, a computer, audio editing software, and a podcast hosting service. The startup capital is minimal.
The great thing about podcasts is that they can virtually be on any topic. If you’re into fitness then you can start a fitness podcast. If you’re into fashion then you can start a fashion podcast. The possibilities are endless.
10. Start a YouTube channel
YouTube allows video creators to earn a percentage of the ad revenues that their content generates. You can easily build a large following with just your creativity.
11. Copywriting
You can provide copywriting services to small businesses for their product pages, websites, and advertisements.
12. Publish e-books
If you’re a good writer and are well-versed in a particular topic, then you should consider writing an e-book. Even if you’re not particularly good at writing, you can hire a ghostwriter to do all the work for you, as many “authors” do.
This is one of the best ways to create passive income in SA. Amazon Kindle Publishing makes it easy to self-publish ebooks without the need for any middle-men, which significantly reduces the cost. A successful e-book can easily make R500,000 a month.
13. Create an online course
If you have profound expertise in a particular area, then you can create a course and sell it through platforms like Teachable and Udemy.
The course will be available to anyone at their convenience and they will pay a flat fee to enroll. It’s also another great way to create passive income.
14. Sell digital products
You can also create digital products without spending a lot of money, such as workbooks, printables, pdfs, digital art, or even photographs. These can then be sold online.
15. Web design
Web design is an ever-green niche since a lot of businesses are learning the importance of having an online presence. You don’t need to be a coder to become a designer.
As long as you’re familiar with tools such as WordPress and Wix, you should be able to build an entire website from scratch in very little time. Offering web design services is one of the fastest ways to make R500,000 in South Africa.
16. App development
Just like websites, the demand for mobile applications is also high right now. You can create the apps yourself or hire developers to work for you.
17. E-commerce reselling
There are many products that you can buy inexpensively from platforms like AliExpress and then sell for a profit on your e-commerce store.
18. Product licensing
If you have an idea for a product, you can license it to other companies to save money on development and manufacturing. Every month they will be paying you royalties from the sales it generates.
19. Real estate brokering
Real estate has always been one of the highest-paying industries given how expensive houses can be. Any time you make a sale, you get paid around a percentage of the property’s value. Check out our guide on how to find clients as a real estate agent.
20. Become a translator
You can provide translation services to authors, businesses, and government agencies if you are fluent in multiple languages. A single project, such as translating an entire book or website, can easily earn you more than R500,000.
21. Sell stock photos
If you’re into photography, you can sell your photos on stock photo websites such as Shutterstock to make passive income. You don’t need a professional camera and lots of equipment to get started. Even just your smartphone camera could do (if the quality is good, of course).
22. Vacation rentals
If you have some extra rooms in your home, you can rent them out on Airbnb and other vacation rental websites.
And if you’d like to take it to the next level, you can lease an entire home in a desirable location, furnish it, and then sublease it to vacationers. It’s one of the best ways to make R500,000 fast in SA.
23. Property management
You could also start your own property management company to help local property owners manage their tenants.
24. Start a catering company
Catering can be a great way to get into the food business, if it’s something you’re passionate about. You only need a fully equipped kitchen and a small team to help with the food preparations. For certain events (e.g. weddings ) you may even be able to charge extra.
25. Buy/rent a food truck
Food trucks can be set up quickly and are relatively affordable (if you can find a used one). You can also lease one out if you cannot afford to buy. You’ll easily make more than 500,000 Rand a month by targeting high-traffic areas and special events.
26. Start an interior design firm
Many people need help furnishing and decorating their homes. If you’ve got good taste and an eye for detail, you can become an interior designer, or even start your own firm. You don’t need any formal qualifications to get started.
27. Open a child care center
Quality child care is a top priority for most busy parents. If you live in a neighborhood with many residential houses, you can turn your own home into a daycare center.
28. Become a life coach
Many people need guidance navigating through hurdles in their lives. If you are a good listener and enjoy giving advice, then you can become a life coach.
Make sure to get a professional website that lists your most notable achievements – sort of like a CV. A website also makes it easier for prospective clients to find you online.
29. Start a tour guide company
If you live in an area popular with tourists, you can start a tour guide business. You can also sell guide books that are geared towards specific activities.
30. Open a call center
With a call center business, you can run your customer service operations remotely and also hire workers who will be remote.
Many companies will pay a premium to have their customer services operations handled by a third-party agency that specializes in it. It’s one of the best businesses to start that can make R500,000 in South Africa.
