How African Coders Can Make money online

 

How To Make Money As An Online Coder 

When it comes to making money online, computer programmers and coders have always enjoyed a variety of opportunities to make money online. Due to the nature of the job, coders have always been able to work from home even before 2020. I made a video highlighting ways that you could learn to code online for free and now I will follow that up with where to find work as a coder. 

According to Zip Recruiter the starting salary for coders is about $45,000 per year, but did you know that the programming language you choose could determine your pay as a coder? Here are some of the highest-paying computer programming languages.

• Go $110,000 per year
• Scala $110,000 per year
• Objective C $110,000 per year
• Coffee script $105,000 per year
• R $100,000 per year

To see more programs and their annual salary see the video I made on this topic here.

Now that we know how much it pays to code, here are a few websites that coders in Africa should use to earn money online.

Geektastic

hackerrank

Hackerearth

Topcoder

You can also be using your coding skills to earn money as a tutor on websites like tutor.com and class gap. Another lucrative way of making money online is by using your skills to sell plugins on platforms like codecanyon

Please note there are many platforms where you can sell your plugins. If you would like a dedicated post for selling plugins online, please let me know in the comments below, and if there are enough requests for it I will cover the topic on this blog and on my Youtube page.

So these are just a few ways that African Coders can earn money online. Coders, which of these platforms have you worked on? Which one seems like one you would try out?  Comment below and let us share our experiences in this community for African freelancers working online in Africa.

Follow us on Twitter @wecanwork2 and on the YouTube Channel We can work to get more ideas on how you can make money online from Africa.

That time I tried working on a VPN

 

 

Should You Use A VPN If You Work in Africa

It was December, and just as expected a lot of my friends and family living in the U.S were coming to spend the Christmas holiday in Kenya. One of them came with a VPN So that he could work virtually while he spent the month of December in Kenya. It was connected to my wireless router and suddenly my location showed as Washington D.C

I noticed that when I logged in to YouTube and other websites that were location-sensitive, my location showed up as Washington D.C and I had access to content that was not allowed in my country. Even news channels and websites showed content that I never saw with my location listed as Nairobi, Kenya.

Most importantly I noticed that I was getting a lot more gigs online. The websites that I was working on to do surveys and user testing suddenly had a lot of matches and I was busier than ever. I started considering getting a VPN from the U.S to boost my chances of more work online. I started shopping around for great VPNs and VPN websites that you would use as browsers.

Then all of a sudden after about three weeks on the VPN, I noticed a significant drop in survey invitations and random gigs online. One of the websites that I was working on for about three months sent me an e-mail telling me they noticed I was on a VPN and my earnings were considered invalid because I was masking my location. I only needed about $2 to cash out from this platform and now all my earnings were nullified. Another platform that I worked on in Europe also asked that I verify my location by phone. On that platform 68 Euros are stuck and I will not be able to continue testing until I go to the U.S and take another gig and cash out.

This is a cautionary tale with VPNs. It might cause more problems than it solves. I still think it's great to access content on YouTube and Netflix that is not available in your country, but I learned that I wanted to find legit work opportunities online that would allow me to work on their platforms no matter what my location is. I have lost jobs and money by working on a VPN so I wouldn't recommend it.

Do you currently use a VPN to mask your location and get more work opportunities online? Would you consider it? Comment below and let's share our experiences with this community.

How To Set Up Your Home Office

 

 Home Office Guideline

Deciding to work from home is easy for most of us. No one likes traffic and office politics and truth be told there is very little work being done in offices. The challenge comes when deciding how to transform your cozy funhouse into a place where work gets done. With this in mind let me guide you in creating your home office.

Your home office can be set up in one of these places

• Spare room
• vacant space in your living room
• Space near a window.
• Space under the staircase.

You want your office space to be indoors, near a window, away from your bed, and in a quiet environment.

Once you pick a spot make sure it is well lit with natural and artificial light so that you can work all day and into the night if need be.

You also want to make sure the space is plugged in with an electric port that can support an extension cord. This is where your computer, laptop, Wi-Fi router will be plugged in.

If the noise in and out of your living space is out of control, it will be helpful to have headphones with a mic. So that noise can be canceled out as you work online and hold virtual meetings.

Your desk and chair should be at good length and upright so that you can maintain good posture as you work and sit for long hours.

I also like to have a separate stool or table to hold my drink, snacks, and drinks. You don't want spills running over onto your electronics.

This is a simple guide on how to create your home office. This area will be the designated area for you to work. Work will not be done on your bed, couch, or on balcony. Make adjustments for items that you find are needed as you continue to work but keep it as simple as possible by stepping out of your work area to eat and relax from time to time.

Do you have a home office? What items are essential to your workspace? Comment below.

5 Ways To Make Your First $1 Online Today

 

 

           5 Ways To Make Money Online Today

Online work is like a genie, you don't believe in the existence of genies until you see one. You will believe in the ability to make consistent money online by experiencing it in your own life. The online workspace is made up of so many false promises and scams that it can be easy to overlook genuine platforms that will pay you online. If you are looking to make money online today. I will list tried and true ways to make your first dollar online.

1. Userbrain

If you have a laptop with a webcam and headphones with a mic. You can test the user experience of different websites on Userbrain. After installing Userbrain on your browser you will receive invitations to test websites. You will be given tasks to complete, for example 'sign up for mailing list' or 'Look at the home page and tell us what service or product is offered' Once you complete the test and it is analyzed for completing instructions given you will get paid $5 per test, with the option to cash out every time. I have personally made hundreds of dollars on this platform and I know that it is the real deal.

 2. We Work Remotely

If you are looking for consistent work online that pays daily, remote jobs are a great option. We work remotely, works in all fields providing remote jobs in different sectors. Remote writing jobs, remote project manager jobs, remote customer service jobs, etc. These are full-time jobs that pay salaries and even benefits in some cases. You would have a fixed job with a company that will expect that you perform your role remotely and you would be paid a salary just like a regular job. If you don't like freelancing and the insecurity that comes with gig culture, a remote job may be best for you.

3. Voices

voices.com is a marketplace for voice-over and audio production. You can find work on this platform as an audio producer or as a voice actor. As a voice actor, you will be required to record an audition for categories like animation, video games, movie trailer, etc. and buyers may pick you to narrate their project. These projects pay very well and can be a lucrative way to make money online.

4. Udemy

If you have knowledge in a particular field, with the skills to condense your knowledge into a course, you can be an instructor on Udemy. Udemy is a website where individuals come to learn coursework around different fields. The courses range from cooking classes, knitting for beginners, or how to use Excel for beginners. Their courses are for beginners to pros and as long as you can plan your curriculum and record your video you can launch it on Udemy and make money from your course. Once put in place it can also make for great passive income.

5. Microworkers

This platform pays you to do tasks that take a few minutes to complete for a little bit of change. These jobs pay anywhere from $0.10 to $1.50. Since the pay is so low you will perform tasks for a while before you can cash out, but since it takes so little time to perform tasks, you will not feel it. Joining microworkers is free and open to anybody in any country.

10 Of The Fastest Growing Remote Jobs Of 2022

 

 

10 Of The Fastest Growing Remote Jobs in 2022 

If you hate the 9 to 5 lifestyle. Commuting to an office just to face office politics and office cliques. If you low-key hate being obligated to be around people. Your time has come. Remote work is all the rage thanks to our Auntie Rona. Girlfriend changed our lives in so many ways, but most importantly she gave us the right to work from home, from our bed, and anywhere we please.

Here are some of the highest-paying remote jobs in 2022.

10. Business Analyst.

In this role, you would take data from a company to understand the challenges that face a company. This information can also be used for budgeting and forecasting. As well as planning and monitoring future trends. The average salary is about $102,000 per year.

9. Software Engineer

Software engineers program languages to enhance software applications. A bachelor's degree in Computer Science is required for this role. The annual salary for this position is about $112,000 per year.

8. Social Media Manager

In this role, you would strategize a company's social media presence by creating captivating content that drives sales and traffic to a brand online. The average yearly pay for this role is about $60,000 per brand with the potential of representing multiple brands online.

7. Product Designer

These individuals help to improve the user experience of a product in the product development phase they are key in the success of a product. The average income for a product designer is about $80,000 per year.

6. Speech-Language Pathologist

A remote pathologist helps clients and tracks their progress online. This is basically a teaching role that helps diagnose and treat speech, language, and social communication as well as swallowing disorders in adults and children alike. The average pay for this remote role is about $80,000 per year.

5. Graphic designer

These individuals create visuals for a brand's presence online. Creating visuals, banners, posters, and fonts used online for a brand. The average pay per client annually is about $42,000.

4. Benefits Administrator

This role requires directing and planning the day-to-day operations of group benefits programs i.e. health, dental, vision programs, etc. The average pay for this role is between $50,000 to $80,000 per year.

3. Online Teacher

Online teachers teach students across the world in various fields. The more sought-after a lesson the more you can earn teaching online. The average pay for a remote teaching role is about $40,000 per year.

2. Accountants

Even before our Auntie Rona showed up, accountants had been working remotely for multiple clients with everything being submitted online. You should be a certified CPA to practice accounting with continued education. The average earnings per year is about $300,000.

1. Writers

A good writer will always be sought after. There are so many ways to earn money from writing; articles, e-books, copywriting, transcribing, etc. The average pay a writer can expect to make online is $50

How to open a Fiverr account for beginners 2022| Create seller account m...

Can You Make Money From Africa With Usercrowd in 2022

                                                 Micro tasks or Micro earnings

Usercrowd is a platform that pays you for your opinion on different aspects of app and website creation. It usually takes less than a minute per task. 

I worked with UserCrowd from December 2019 to this day (August 21st, 2021) 

How It works

You will need to sign up for Usercrowd using an email account that is attached to your Paypal. I happened to be living in the US at the time I applied so I used my US email attached to a US Paypal account. I would be living in the US for about 6-8 months at that time. This will affect my relationship with this platform, later on, so keep reading.

On the home page of their website Usercrowd says they will pay you for design feedback. You will receive an email several times a day and it will look like this.

Hey (testers name),

There’s a new test now available for you to take.
It should take about 1 minute to complete and will earn you $0.20.

Take the test

Please note that tests are completed on a first-come, first-served basis, so the test will be available for a limited time.

Happy testing!
The UserCrowd Team.

Before the pandemic, 1-minute tests paid $0.10 but they doubled our pay during the pandemic. If the test takes 5 minutes, which they rarely do your payout amount would be $1. These surveys are listed for 1 minute but they can take you less time to get them done.  

On their frequently asked questions, UserCrowd firmly states that this should not be considered a primary source of income, more like a way to supplement your income. All your responses are rated and your rate will determine the frequency of testing opportunities available to you

                                                            Payout Process on Usercrowd

The payout on this website is $10 so it takes about a month to cash out.

They payout through paypal only so please make sure your paypal account is in good standing.

Here is my payment history with  Usercrowd in 2020

I received a number of payouts with Usercrowd while I was in the US and also once I came back to Kenya, where I reside. I returned from the US in July 2019 and as you can see my tests and payments continued. In November or December of 2020, I noticed I wasn't receiving tests anymore, but I ignored it and focused on my other gigs and my business. I just figured it was a slow business month for them. In January 2021, I sent them an email inquiring on why I wasn't receiving surveys anymore. My ratings were still good and I was one survey away from cashing out, remember you cash out at $10

My Rating was 99% I had 215 tests under my belt and I wasn't receiving tests anymore. I received a response from Usercrowd and it was pretty disappointing. I would not be receiving any more tests because I no longer live in the US. I now have $9.60 stuck in my account that I could not cash out to Paypal until I returned to the US. I have sent several emails trying to get this paid out to me. I am still waiting to hear from them.

UserCrowd Review Summary

Is this website Legit (3 stars)

Can most people do the tasks (5 stars)

Can we work from African Countries (1 star) 

This website might be legit but they are super shady and petty. If you live outside the US this gig is not worth signing up for, chances are they will let you do the surveys and then refuse to pay you. If you live in the US there are so many other websites that pay way more than this that are worth pursuing. These might be micro surveys but they are tedious and not worth pursuing and they are shady AF they might not pay you either. 

Most importantly this website is not friendly to digital nomads and people living outside the United States so if you ask " Can we work?" The answer is NO! I do not recommend it.

Usercrowd may not be the best way to make money, but I review tons of platforms on my YouTube channel. Use this link to see examples of other platforms.