ONLINE JOBS FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES

The Online freelance economy is booming- not just for coders and web programmers, but also for other freelance professionals like editors, writers, graphic designers among others. African freelancers are making substantial inroads in this digital marketplace. Analysts predict that Africans would have earned more than 5 billion USD, from online jobs and contracts by 2015. In part, the reasons for this surge will include a large population of young people embracing the internet on the continent as well as employers seeking better bargains and lower overhead costs.

The following online jobs boards and platforms for freelancers on the African Continent are good places to start:

Virtual Assistance

Virtual Assistants are much sought after by businesses and companies, looking to outsource specific administrative tasks as well as cut down on overhead costs. At the most basic, A virtual assistant (also referred to as a VA) is an independent entrepreneur who typically works from home and uses the tools of technology (such as the internet, email, phone, instant messaging and other social media platforms) to deliver services to clients globally.

A virtual assistant performs the duties of a typical personal assistant and much more. Besides general administrative and clerical work,  many VAs are also responsible for bookkeeping, conducting online research, carrying out data entry tasks, managing and responding to clients’ emails, scheduling assignments as well as offering language translation services.

At present, Virtual Assistants are increasingly being contracted as customer care representatives. This aspect of the VA’s responsibilities is aided by the use of internet-enabled communication technologies( also referred to as Voice Over Internet Protocol{VOIP}). Therefore do not be surprised that that call you place to a US-based firm, may be answered by a representative living in Sri Lanka!

As a freelancer based in Africa, you may need to brush up your skills and proficiencies in areas such as project management, administrative duties, language and translation among others.

Online Marketing

Online (or Digital) Marketing is another critical piece of the puzzle called the digital economy. In line with existing realities, big and small businesses around the world are shifting their advertising spend from traditional channels (like newspapers, radio and TV) to focus on online advertising.

The reasons for the growing influence of online marketing are not farfetched. For starters, many people watch more YouTube videos than they do television. Many others get their information more from blog articles and Facebook posts than from traditional TV programs. Businesses have recognized these trends and have taken to Online Marketing to woo customers and boosts sales margins.

Online marketers are professionals and independent entrepreneurs who assist people, businesses, organisations and even governments to increase their presence and influence on the internet. Using technological tools such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and related search engines, giving visibility to product brands/services, find customers and increase sales in the most cost-effective ways possible. Online marketers often possess competencies/proficiencies covering areas such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing and Online Reputation Management (ORM).

As the influence of the internet and its accessibility deepens, and the complexities of social media and search engines increase, the demand for online marketing specialists will keep soaring. The African continent is real ground for online marketing. With an increasingly youthful population, a vast but largely untapped market as well as increasing internet connectivity, regional and international businesses will turn to Online Marketers to penetrate and deepen market share.

Writing

Content, in whatever form, continues to rule the digital space. Firms and businesses with websites and blogs are always in need of vibrant, fresh and creative blog articles that will keep their readers satisfied and engaged. Also, these content pieces play the critical role of advertising goods and services in the appealing and compelling form, to existing and potential customers.

Information about goods and services is critical and to stay ahead of the competition; as a result, many businesses publish new articles every day to remain relevant and sustain the volume of readers and visitors they receive.

As an African freelance writer, it is essential that you sharpen your written and spoken English. There are also advantages being proficient in some foreign languages like Spanish, French, and German among others.

But beyond language proficiency, you should shore up your knowledge base in several subject matters. You should either have generalized or specialized knowledge in areas such as art, science and tech, business and entrepreneurship, politics, personal development, shopping, gossip, lifestyle and entertainment among others.

Programming

Many of the processes and structures in the world today are built on programming codes and methodologies. In specialized industries like the telephone industry, then the spread of smartphones and other mobile devices has enhanced the software industry, resulting in computer programming (or ‘coding’) becoming one of the most sought after and highly paid skills in the world today.

The rapid change in technology means that programming languages such as PHP, WordPress, Android and HTML are in hot demand.

African freelancers can tap into this multi-billion dollar industry by learning the rudimentary of the most-sought-after programming languages.

On a final note, it is essential that African freelancers cultivate the mindset of engaging in constant self-development and growth. Skill acquisition and mastery are available on platforms such as Coursera, Udacity, Udemy as well as W3Schools (for individuals leaning toward programming).

As competence is built, freelancers in Africa can take advantage of freelance platforms such as African freelancers, Elance, Upwork, Odesk as well as Freelancer, to advertise and attract clients and projects.