The majority of South Africans are either out of work or severely limited in their ability to generate a decent enough income to support themselves and their families.  And while there are no easy answers to the crisis facing us, it is clear that being employed is not the only way to earn a living. The best solution is to create a reliable way to generate income for yourself.  The suggestions on the following pages could spark an idea that can get you started.

How to Make a Living When There Are No Jobs
By Teresa Schultz, Ann Juli James and Therésa Müller

Think about what you’re good at or what you love to do.  Cooking? Playing with children? Taking photographs? Fixing cars? Spending time in nature?

Find a way to incorporate this into services or products to sell. Check out the ideas on these pages, then Google how to make them, if you don’t know.

Sell on the street, from your garage or back yard, at flea markets, to shop owners, to people who work in offices, or to neighbours who need what you have to offer.

Advertise your services on a sign in your front yard, on every social media platform – Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and or your very own free website. And don’t forget WhatsApp! Put up notices on supermarket, school, church or community bulletin boards, and distribute flyers in your neighbourhood. Tell everyone you know!

Try different things until you find something that earns a predictable income on a regular basis. Generating your own income makes you a business owner, employing yourself!

1. Collect and sell things from nature.

The ingredients are free, just waiting for your creative touch. Here are some ideas:

Make brooms from grasses and reeds. Cut lengths of strong tall grasses or young river reeds into approximately equal lengths, bunch them together and attach them to a stick or broomstick with wire. Trim the reeds or grasses so that they all touch the floor when the broom is held upright. Make miniature ones too, to sell as ornaments or toys.

Use seedpods to make fun percussion musical instruments.

Collect interesting natural objects like feathers, pebbles, shells, seedpods and pieces of driftwood to create wall hangings, ornaments or wind chimes.

If the stones and shells are unique or interesting, you could sell them in large quantities to a local florist, nursery or gardening service.

People often admire flowering weeds, reeds and tall grasses in nature, but rarely stop to pick them. Large, dried bunches may be of interest to florists and interior decorators.

Collect and sell seeds. When flowers or plants in your garden start to die or drop their seed, collect and dry the seeds. Put a few in decorated envelopes, with the name of the plant or flower and the conditions in which it likes to grow.

Go fishing. Feed your family and sell the surplus to your neighbours, to a local shop or restaurant near you.

2. Grow things and sell them.

Even if you have little space, you can grow things in pots and containers. If you live in a shack, you can put the containers on your roof. Here are some ideas:

Grow succulents. They are easy to grow from small cuttings put straight into the soil. Sell them to a florist shop or to your local supermarket.

Grow organic herbs. Just about any herb grows well indoors – just do your research first about which herbs grow well together. (Some will hog water, for example, and leave the others dried out). The safest way is to grow different herbs in different containers. You can sell herb seedlings, individual herb plants in pots, bunches of fresh herbs, herbal oils, as well as dried herbs for cooking and teas.

Grow vegetables for your family, and sell the surplus.

Grow and sell seedlings – starter plants to help others start a garden.

Grow sprouts. It’s not difficult to do and doesn’t take much time or space. Sell them, fresh or dry, to health food stores and vegetarian restaurants.

If you have the space to compost, ask all your neighbours to save their food scraps for your compost heap. You could be making money in 30 days, selling compost!

3. Sell useful second-hand things.

Look online for garage sales, church fairs, charity shops and auctions. Or buy from eBay. People like to save money and will buy second-hand things they need, provided that it looks good and is in good condition. Here are some ideas:

Second-hand clothes, toys, bicycles, household utensils, equipment, etc. Don’t buy electrical appliances unless you can test them first and can fix them if needed.

Second-hand books. Start with just a few and use some of the profit you make to buy more. You can sometimes get the books for a song by offering to buy everything instead of just a few. You may get hundreds of books at 50 cents (or less) a piece, instead of a few at R20 or more apiece. Just ask. You never know how many years they’ve been storing the books, trying to sell them at the same annual fair.

Buy old frames, cupboard doors, window frames, etc. from second-hand shops. Clean them up and paint them in bright colours or use some paint techniques to create an old, distressed look. Sell them as unusual picture frames to florists, interior decorators, etc.

4. Buy and sell new/fresh products.

 Buy directly from growers, manufacturers, bulk discount retailers, wholesalers or factory shops to sell on the streets or in an online or physical shop. Here are some ideas:

Buy fruit and vegetables in bulk at a fresh produce market. Re-sell these at a price just below what the stores charge.

4. Make things to sell

Sell your creations to local interior decorators, florists or jewellery shops. Or at flea markets. Or online, via Instagram or Facebook or on ETSY at www.etsy.com where it costs a truly marginal amount per listing to sell to the world! Check out their website for inspiring craft ideas. African art will do particularly well. Also: Google Digital Skills for Africa where you can learn how to effectively market your creations from 32 free digital marketing courses.

Turn old coffee tins and tin cans into lanterns or candle holders. Use a hammer and different diameter nails to punch a pattern into each tin can. Let the tins rust for a natural, rustic look.

Weave baskets and bags, using green grasses or vines. Some of the older people in your community may still remember how to do this. Otherwise, Google it or find a book on basket-making at your local library.

Hand-weave chunky mats from strips of scrap material or plastic grocery bags. Don’t worry about making many knots because the chunkiness will add to the unique appeal of each piece.

Knit or crochet beanies, scarves, bed socks, baby booties and blankets. Once you make enough money with small items, go on to bigger, more time-consuming items, like jerseys and blankets that will bring in more money.

Create beaded jewellery and market them to international audiences via the internet.

Make homemade greeting cards. Square, round and triangular ones. Small or large ones. Write fun greetings or leave them blank. Decorate them with natural objects or recycled materials.

Turn simple, cheap brown paper bags into attractive gift bags by adding decorations such as glitter, sisal, coloured string, ribbon, coloured card, twigs or dried flowers. For gift wrap, use the same decorations on plain brown paper.

Create woven wrist or ankle bracelets, using: embroidery cotton, string, raffia, shoelaces, strips of leather, etc. Make cloth books for toddlers. Buy cheap fabric or baby blankets with words and pictures on them. Cut equal-sized rectangles or squares and sew along one end to create a book.

Create unusual hair accessories. Buy plain hair clips and Alice bands and glue ribbons and pretty buttons or sequins onto them.

Cushions are always popular and they are quick, simple and inexpensive to make. Buy off-cuts of cloth at reduced prices. Look for nice textures and unusual and colourful prints.

Create paper mâché decorations. Mix one part flour with three parts water. Stir until it becomes a paste. Dip torn pieces of newspaper into the paste until they are thoroughly drenched in the paste. Layer these strips of paper over the basic shape you want to create, i.e. an old cardboard box or a balloon or simply squeeze and pinch the paper mâché into the shapes you want to create. Paint the item once it is thoroughly dry. You can use paper mâché to make items like bowls, jewellery boxes, business card holders and, once you get the hang of it, more sophisticated things like ornamental masks.

Have you ever tried to ignore the little sweets and snacks at the checkout point in any shop?  Those tasty temptations could be yours: homemade fudge, bite-sized chocolate brownies, coconut ice or peanut brittle. If it’s good and individually packaged, it will sell and store-owners will want it.

6. Things to provide from the comfort of your home.

Here are some ideas:

Prepare school lunches for learners in your neighbourhood or at your child’s school. Let people collect from your door or at the school gate. Charge a deposit for the container which is replaced every school-day morning with a full one. Buy healthy, natural ingredients for the sandwiches. Add a fruit and a healthy snack to the box.

Many professionals would love to get home after a long day at work and simply open a delicious, nutritious, home-cooked meal. If you know your food is good, then you don’t have to go out of your way to create fancy menus and many options. Just offer what you make for your own family. Make it a rule that if the order is in by 10 am, then the food will be ready for collection by 5. 30 pm on the same day. Work against advance payment. As soon as the deposit is depleted, let the person top up. This will allow you to buy the ingredients you need without having to wait for payment at the end of the week or month.

There will always be a market for freshly baked bread, homemade cakes, cookies, biscuits, etc. Sell from your porch to passers-by or to neighbours via a WhatsApp group. Allow others to buy from you in bulk to re-sell to their network.

If you have a washing machine and a dryer, you could provide a laundry service to neighbours. Many people don’t have the time to do everything that needs to be done. Make it possible for them to drop off and pick up their clean laundry on a once-weekly basis. Charge per item or load.

7. Provide a useful service where it is needed.

Many people would willingly pay extra for a service that is delivered to or performed at their home or business. You will need a pristine reputation, along with an information pack that contains a copy of your ID (with ‘COPY’ printed over it), and some letters of reference from satisfied clients. Here are some ideas:

Car mechanic. Do you know how to fix cars or trucks? Do you have the tools to do so? Have you done work for people who are willing to give you a reference? Yes? Then get the word out that you are available any day of the week, at any hour, wherever you’re needed. You will get business.

Wash and wax cars where they are. Go to your client’s workplace and clean their car or cars while they’re at work … or wherever is convenient for them. Your service could be a simple wash and dry or as extensive as wash, dry, polish and detail.

Dog grooming. If you love animals and know that you can handle them, then advertise that you can come to people’s homes to wash their dogs, trim their nails and treat them for ticks and fleas. You’d be surprised how many people would be willing to pay for such a service because they simply don’t have the time to do it themselves or to take their dogs to a place where the service is offered.

If you’re good at cutting and styling hair or doing manicures and pedicures AND you have good references, advertise to do this at customers’ homes.

8. Services for the elderly or the wealthy.

Here are some ideas:

House sitting / House watching.  Single and without a fixed abode? Let people know that you are available to house-sit while they’re away on holiday. You may be required to move in for anything from a few days to a few weeks or months or to simply visit the house only once or twice a day, feed the pets, water the plants, empty the post box and turn some lights on and off. You will need character as well as job references to do this one. Be careful: one slip-up and the doors to this opportunity will close. But if you do this well and develop a good reputation, you may not have to pay rent for months on end and can live in the lap of luxury while doing so. You could even do international housesitting. Check out these sites: housesitsearch.com   |   www.nomador.com   |   www.trustedhousesitters.com   |   There is even a free online magazine where you can learn about housesitting: www.housesittingmagazine.com

Grocery shopping and errand running. Advertise that you are available to do shopping and errands on specific days for people who are too busy to do it for themselves. If you stay close to some shops, you can even do this on foot. Charge a flat fee for the service.

Busy or elderly people may not be able to get out to give their dogs much-needed exercise. Make yourself available one or two days a week in a particular neighbourhood to walk their dogs for them. All you need is a clever way to market yourself.

Children’s Parties. Many mothers want to relax and enjoy their child’s birthday party too. They can, if you take care of the food, entertainment, games and cleaning up during and after the party.

9. Useful services.

Know how to do something for yourself and how to do it well? There are many people out there who would willingly pay someone to do it for them. Here are some ideas:

Walk around your neighbourhood and offer your window cleaning services to the occupants of houses and buildings with dirty windows. If all goes well, offer to do it every month or two – for pay, of course!

A little knowledge and regular maintenance can turn a nuisance pool into a joy. So, if you know about pool cleaning, start putting that knowledge to work for you.

You could also sell your abilities to change plugs and light bulbs, fix leaking taps, clean gutters, repair washing machines, put up shelves or replace broken windows. There is always a need for people who can do general handyman work.

Building maintenance. Are you an out-of-job builder? Do you know others with different building skills? Offer building maintenance contracts to small and medium-sized businesses.

Can you sew, knit, crochet or do anything of the sort? Many people have no idea how to replace a zip, sew on buttons, put in a hem, extend a pair of jeans, fix rips and tears or re-size a school uniform so that it can be used for many years. This is especially true for university and college students who are away from home for the first time. Advertise on campus bulletin boards and in the neighbourhood that you are a “mom away from mom.”

Gardening services. You will need experience and the tools of the trade. Be creative: offer a monthly service to petrol stations and small businesses with unkempt gardens. Go one step further: convince the owners to allow you to plant fruit trees, granadilla vines and other ornamental, but edible plants that can feed hungry passers-by.

10. Unusual services.

Here are some ideas:

Sorting/cleaning service. Anyone with a garage, Wendy-house or a spare room knows what a chore it is to sort and clean out the clutter. If your garage is spick-and-span, with designated spaces for tools and everything else, take photographs and offer to create the same for others. Resell or recycle the items they don’t want.

Create stencilled pavement house numbers. Buy a set of stencils or create your own using old X-ray plates to create large stencils for the numbers 0 to 9 – all in the same size. Stencil your house number on the small ramp between the road and the driveway to your house. Take a photo of this and then go market your product in a neighbourhood where there are no street numbers on the sidewalk.

11. Use what you own to make money. 

Do you have an email address, a postal address and a phone? Become an ‘admin office’ for others: taking messages, collecting their mail and managing their email for them.

Rent out space in your garden to a gardener who needs land to grow food for a living. Or barter the space for a weekly supply of fresh vegetables.

Does your property face a busy street? Is the wall prominent? Rent it out as advertising space to businesses in your town. Find out what billboard companies charge and calculate what your size space would amount to at about 50% of the going rate. It’s a win-win.

Offer a secure space in your home where school kids can do their homework after school. Many working parents are worried sick about what their unsupervised children are doing at home, but don’t know what to do about it. You could augment this service with transport from school, a healthy afternoon snack, help with homework, extra lessons, swimming lessons, and even a ready-made supper to be picked up by the parent when they come to get their child.

Do you have a nice house in a central location? Do you have desks, tables, chairs and Wi-Fi? Rent out a room or rooms for business meetings – with optional lunches provided by yourself.

Join Airbnb online and rent out a room in your house. Initial transactions will depend entirely on the quality of the photos you post. Ongoing business will depend on the references and referrals you get in response to the cleanliness, maintenance, attractiveness, convenience and central location of the place. Ideal if you’re near a hospital, offering accommodation to relatives of a sick patient.

Do you have wheels? If yes, offer your services to transfer people from hospital or airport to hotel, or to deliver items bought at a store to people’s homes on a regular or ‘as per availability’ basis.

Depending on your car type, age and condition, your location and the average number of kilometres you drive in a month, you could get paid to carry corporate advertising on your car! Google Brand Rides and Carvertise to find out if this idea is worth pursuing.

12. Use what you know to make money.

Teach your mother tongue through conversational classes to high-school kids, university students or embassy staff. Many people will gladly pay to learn how to communicate in your language.

Do language translation. If you can speak, read and write two or more of the languages of our multilingual nation, register as a translator with businesses that offer translations.

Know how to sing or play a musical instrument? Audition to do a gig at a restaurant or pub in exchange for a meal. Arrange that if the patrons like it, you must get a meal and pay for subsequent performances. Offer lessons.

Coach a sport. If you know the how and what of a particular sport, e.g. cricket, rugby, soccer, tennis, swimming, etc. offer your coaching services to schools in your vicinity or as a private coach to rich kids.

Offer after-school and holiday classes for children, teaching them what you know, e.g. draw a picture, bake a cake, plant tomatoes, write a letter, send an email, etc. Parents will appreciate the after-school care combined with skills development – especially during school holidays.

Tutor students in your area of expertise or simply to excel academically.

Can you sing, dance, perform or speak in public? Many students will benefit from learning to dance or perform in front of an audience. Many business VIPs are scared to speak in front of their peers. Offer one-on-one lessons at a reasonable cost in a safe practice space. If you’re good at what you’re doing and build up a track record with favourable testimonials, you could potentially cash in on the billion-rand corporate training market.

Selling your expertise one-on-one limits the amount of money you can earn to the number of people you can personally serve. To increase your profits without significantly increasing your work, consider turning your expertise into a product: booklets, books, computer programmes, recordings and videos to sell online to as wide an audience as possible.

Sell your recipes – especially if they are not mainstream recipes. Collect your own and your family’s favourite recipes in a booklet which you can sell in PDF format online.

Offer your fast and efficient typing and data entry skills to businesses that need or offer this kind of service, e.g. journalists who need to transcribe voice recordings of interviews or events where people’s speeches need to be transcribed. Advertise your service on Gumtree. Many people may need such services on an ad-hoc basis, but not often enough to warrant employing someone.

Beware of online data-entry jobs and surveys. Do not sign up if you are required to pay a fee before you can start work.

Are you over-qualified, but jobless? Offer your services as an industry consultant to former employers, as well as their competition. They will get the benefit of trained personnel without having to pay payroll taxes and benefits.

Do you write well and have opinions that others listen to? Start a blog! There are numerous resources online to learn from. Allow Google to place ads on your blog to start making money as soon as people visit your site. You could also make money from affiliate links to products promoted on your blog. Or you could get paid to review products or services, or to write content on behalf of a business.

Are you a good photographer? Post your photos on iStock, Shutter Stock or Unsplash. It may not make money immediately, but it is better than just sitting in storage on your laptop.

“Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again. You will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose – not the one you began with, perhaps, but one you’ll be glad to remember.”

–  Anne Sullivan, teacher to Hellen Keller.