I was fascinated with making money as a teenager. I never received an allowance, so I rapidly learned how to create money on my own.
As it turns out, there are a variety of options for teenagers to earn money online. When I was a teen, I made money online, worked part-time jobs, and even made some money at school by flipping items.
While I was growing up, the money I made enabled me to purchase many of the items I desired. It also provided me with a sense of self-sufficiency and freedom.
Having money at a young age also taught me many essential personal financial skills, such as the necessity of saving.
Anyway, I could go on and on about the advantages of working as a teenager, but I’m sure you get the picture.
In this post, I’ll teach you how to generate money as a teenager both without and with a job. You may make your own decision on which path is best for you (you can even do both at once).
I’ll show you side hustles, online money-making possibilities, small business ideas, part-time employment, and some other, less popular methods to generate money as a teen.
So, whether you’re 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or even 19, you may benefit from the money-making strategies listed below.
How to Make Money Online as a Teenager in South Africa
1. Start a Blogging
What was once only a forum for expressing one’s passions is now a viable source of income.
By writing on a certain topic of interest, you may attract readers or traffic, which can then be converted into money.
You may earn money with a blog or vlog on YouTube in a variety of ways, including ad placements through Google AdSense, affiliate marketing (advertising other people’s products on your site), product reviews, and guest articles on other people’s blogs.
So, where do you start?
It’s simple: when you first start a side hustle, you don’t have much traffic or visibility. As a result, you should increase the price of your product early in your blogging journey.
One approach is to start with a B2B consultancy funnel and sell to businesses rather than individuals. Because businesses have more money than people, instead of focusing on ads and affiliate schemes initially, focus on high-end consulting.
This new money-making blogging technique is based on three major success pillars:
- Choose a blog niche based on your audience’s financial capabilities, professional leverage, and market demand.
- By not writing as much and outsourcing some of your content and SEO activities, you may improve your backlink acquisition and Domain Authority (DA) faster.
- Finally, by applying the proper high-end blog monetization methods at the right moment in the lifecycle of your site, you may 100x your revenue while only closing 3-4 high-end clients rather than hundreds of affiliate sales.
These techniques can help you make thousands of dollars in a shorter period and with fewer visits.
2. Sell Your Old Stuff
If you have old, unused items hanging around, you may sell them for a fast profit. You might, for example, use Decluttr to sell used gadgets, video games, and DVDs online.
Whether your parents have any of them sitting around, see if they’d be willing to let you get rid of them.
On eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist, you may sell used schoolbooks, toys, bikes, and clothes. Bookscouter also allows you to sell secondhand books.
There are several websites where teenagers can sell their wares online:
- Thredup: If you’d prefer not to deal with the trouble of selling your used apparel, Thredup might be a suitable option. Consider it an online consignment store. Sellers bring in a bag of clothing, shoes, jewellery, or accessories to sell. Thredup will then determine which things will be sold and which will be donated. Because Thredup handles fulfilment, the vendor keeps less profit.
- Poshmark: Poshmark is a clothes and shoe marketplace with a direct seller-to-buyer model. In other words, the vendor offers fulfilment (and in return keeps more profit). Poshmark charges a $2.95 fee on all transactions of less than $15. Any sales over $15 are subject to a 20% commission.
- Etsy: If you’re artistic, Etsy might be a fantastic location to sell your wares. The trick is to understand how SEO works on Etsy to have your items appear at the top of search results.
- Mercari: Consider Mercari to be an online yard sale where vendors may offer apparel, electronics, sports equipment, household products, and even their handmade crafts. Mercari charges a 10% fee on each sale.
- eBay: The old standby, where almost anything may be sold.
Be cautious if you must meet with a stranger to finalize a deal. So that you may keep safe, ask your parents to accompany you.
3. Start Podcasting
If you have the gift of gab but prefer not to appear on camera, you may make money online by starting a podcast.
One method to make money with a podcast is to recruit sponsors and get compensated for broadcasting their advertisements. You may also point viewers to your YouTube channel, blog, Etsy shop, and so on.
What should you discuss? Anything that interests you will most likely be of interest to other teenagers: Sports, games, relationship advice, activities with your family, college preparation… You might even discuss how to create side hustles for teenagers!
4. Get Paid to Take Online Surveys and Participate in Online Paid Programs
Want to get your voice known while also earning additional money? Several paid online survey sites respect your feedback.
You would be assisting businesses in making their products and services more appealing by completing surveys.
You won’t get rich from your profits, but you can do it throughout your high school breaks. Every month, you might earn enough money to buy a gallon of gas or a video game for your Xbox or PlayStation 5.
- VIP Voice (13+ in the United States) (18+ in California) – Earn points that may be used to enter contests.
- MyPoints (13+) – Earn money by doing surveys, viewing movies, reading emails, and other activities!
- Survey Junkie (13+) – Short, straightforward surveys with high compensation.
- E-Poll (13+) — Since its inception in 1997, E-Poll has conducted polls on celebrities, sports, and entertainment.
- Toluna (16+) — Earn money through a variety of surveys and a referral scheme. (Complete Toluna Review)
- Treasure Trooper (13 and up) — This site has a cartoony and entertaining appearance to it, and they’ll pay you to answer questions, play games, and do other things. (Read the full Treasure Trooper review.)
- Swagbucks (13 and up) — One of the most well-known and reputable survey sites around. Since its inception, they have given out over $330 million to its consumers.
6. Sale Your Stock Images
Do you have a talent for photography? Make a side hustle out of your hobby and make passive money from your best photos.
To earn royalties, upload each photo to services such as iStock Photos, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, and Getty Images.
Each bought photo may earn you between $0.25 and $0.45. If you submit photographs often, your online portfolio will expand and you will be able to earn more.
7. Teach Kids How to code
Many children want to learn how to code, and if you’ve mastered the ability, you may teach it to others through paid lessons.
Teaching other children is difficult, and it will require some expertise to properly convey fundamentals that you, the expert, have most likely known and understood for years.
Create a website and distribute and post leaflets in areas where kids may notice them spread the news about the classes.
8. Work as a virtual assistant for a blogger.
Bloggers require assistance. There are several things they might be doing every day but don’t have the time to accomplish them.
Bloggers use virtual assistants to fill up the gaps. One frequent method that which virtual assistants assist bloggers is by maintaining their social media profiles.
9. Design websites
Website design is constantly in high demand. There’s no reason why a youngster who knows how to develop a professional-looking website can’t get compensated for it.
However, like with any entrepreneur, don’t expect to get paid a lot when you initially start.
When you’ve built up a solid portfolio of work and demand for your services increases, you may raise your rates.
10. Become an Amazon Associates
Making money with affiliate marketing while blogging is similar to earning money through Amazon links and earning a commission.
Amazon Associates is an affiliate marketing network that allows you to establish links on your website or blog and earn referral fees when people click on those links and purchase items from Amazon. It is free to join and simple to use.
11. Work as a Proofreader
If you score As on your English papers and your friends want you to proofread their writings, a proofreading or editing job might be the perfect part-time employment for you.
If you’re interested in grammar and syntax, it’s no surprise that many adults don’t know how to use the English language to its full potential.
Some of them run their enterprises or attend college. These are the folks to whom you should promote your services.
College students regularly want someone to proofread their papers, and company owners frequently require web content, letters, and other forms of writing to be proofread.
If you have an opinion on the Oxford comma and know when to use the words “affect” and “effect,” you’re probably qualified for the job.
You may distribute fliers at your community college.
Inform the public librarian of your availability, and try to leave a business card or brochure promoting your services at local businesses.
You may also advertise online; but, if you utilize a site like Craigslist, be careful of fraud.
12. Start Online Tutoring
Tutoring jobs are among the best online jobs for teenagers.
If you’re an excellent student in English, physics, mathematics, or another fundamental topic, you might be able to locate a teaching job that pays far more than survey sites—and you might still work from home on your own time.
You don’t have to meet strangers in libraries or coffee shops to instruct. Through this remote employment, you may contact your clients via email or social media.
For starters, check out tutorme.com. Alternatively, you may use social media to reach out to your friends and neighbours to see if you can provide individual coaching.
Private teaching assignments are generally more lucrative!
13. Online Data Entry Jobs
Many businesses require assistance in uploading files to databases. A medical practice, for example, may not have time to enter client papers into the database daily.
You may get paid by the hour to upload data to internet platforms in your spare time to assist. The hourly salary varies, but it is usually between $10 and $30 per hour.
14. Work as a freelancer
Do you have any experience in Photoshop, graphic design, website development, or any other form of creative work?
If this is the case, small businesses may be eager to employ you to assist them with work such as flyer design, website design, and other activities.
While you could use Fiverr or Upwork, making local connections might result in higher profits, so ask your parents and your friends’ parents for any leads.
15. Fixing computer viruses and other problems
If you have a talent for troubleshooting computer issues, there is undoubtedly a market for your expertise.
Even those who are extremely tech-savvy encounter computer problems that they are unable to resolve. Advertising your demonstrated competence and ability will be critical to your success.
Word-of-mouth advertising is your finest advertisement, so make sure your consumers are pleased and satisfied enough to promote your services to others.
16. Start a YouTube Channel
Several young YouTubers earn thousands of dollars each month from YouTube ad revenue.
The average Youtube channel earns between $1 and $20 for every thousand views, so the money may quickly add up.
The best part is that a 13-year-old can start a YouTube channel!
So, if you want to make videos regularly, start today!
Starting young provides you with a significant edge because you have more time to develop your channel and discover what types of videos your lovemaking.
17. Online t-shirt design
If you have a creative flare, you may make money by designing a t-shirt. You may do so on a number of websites, both South African and international.
You simply need to provide the design and are not responsible for producing, marketing, or delivering the t-shirts. TeeShopper, The Souled Store, My Home Store, and Printful are among the sites to sell your designs.
18. Work as a voice-over actor
You could do voiceovers if you have a good speaking voice. What would it be like to hear your voice in advertisements, internet videos, radio spots, and other places? If you become a voice actor, you could find out.
Register with Voices.com to get your voice heard by talent scouts for well-known (and obscure) businesses.
If you ace the audition and get employed, you may choose your fee. You’ll also be able to claim some celebrity, at least among your friends and family!
19. Work as a Freelance Writer
Many websites provide a plethora of freelance writing opportunities to young individuals, especially high school students.
For example, Hubpages.com is a fantastic website that accepts teenagers (with parental consent). This is one of the greatest methods for young people to gain real-world freelance writing experience.
Other sites, such as Fiverr, are also available to those aged 13 and up. Fiverr is an online job marketplace where you can complete projects (known as gigs) for as little as $5.
Writing, translation, animation, video, programming, graphic design, and even voiceover work are all possibilities for gigs.
Another site to try if you want to make money freelance writing as an older teen is Freelancer.com, which you may join if you’re 16 or older. It’s comparable to Fiverr, except you may make a little more money.
20. Design and Market Your Printables
Do you have a knack for organizing and designing? To sell printables, you might start an Etsy account or create your digital eCommerce website.
Selling digital items is an excellent method to generate passive income. It only takes a few minutes to design and upload your best pieces to start earning money while you sleep.
Remember that you may need to pay for a website, an Etsy company account, and an illustrator membership to produce the product.