High Demand Jobs in 2019 for the African Freelancer

Introduction

The African freelancer works as a part of the online gig economy. The online gig economy is growing by leaps and bounds. More and more businesses are outsourcing certain aspects of their operations to freelancers. The overall of this strategy is to cut costs and have access to quality work from skilled freelancers. In 2019, African freelancers can put their proficiencies and skillsets to the test, in the following high demand jobs online:

Social Media Management

A social media manager is an individual entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring, filtering, contributing, guiding and measuring of the social media presence of an individual, corporation, product or brand. The social media space is among the most disruptive factors propelling businesses and corporations. Many set-ups require a presence and engagement with existing/potential clients on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

The African freelancer with then flair and know-how of using these platforms will find useful engagements. Note that the average social media manager must possess a mix of skills and proficiencies. The African freelancer may need to shore up his/her graphics skills using tools such as Canva, PicMonkey, and Jing. He or she will also need to possess writing skills at a proficient level.

In the final analysis, African social media managers must also be customer-centric, by displaying a service-oriented mindset, in helping to solve problems and add value.

Content Writing and Blogging/SEO

Content writing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) constitutes a form of writing that helps websites and pages gain greater visibility on search engines like Google and Bing.

Content writing, detailed to SEO requirements, is an in-demand need for many businesses and ventures with an online presence. Product catalogues, service profiles, mission statement and customer engagement, require targeted and valuable content.

The African Freelancer can cash in on this opportunity by offering top-notch SEO content writing services. S/he will need to produce articles and blogs that are engaging to the reader while avoiding obsolete SEO practices such as stuffing articles with keywords.

App Developers

One of the most disruptive happenings in this information age is the mobile app. Apps are changing and driving the way we live, work and interact. The massive attraction to smartphones rides on the availability of applications. From Facebook to Whatsapp to banking platforms, apps help people make connections and engage in transactions. People create these applications through a process called App development.
Indeed across the globe, and in Africa, many business concerns understand the importance of having not only a web presence but a mobile presence as well. Mobile apps are becoming the business/marketing tool of choice in the 21st Century. For the Africa Freelancer to make the most of being an app developer, s/he must have necessary skills. The first skill set centres on having a creative eye for turning mind abstracts into functional structures. This creativity will also cut across working seamlessly with either mobile or computer User Interface designing. A second requirement revolves around gaining proficiency at back-end computing. Another solid plank for becoming a sought-after web developer is excellent programming skills. These skills should encompass competence in languages such as PHP, Java, HTML5 and Python, among others.

With this proficiency in hand, the Africa freelancer can seek and execute app development and related tasks.

Animator

The Animation industry has become the medium of choice for movies and marketing drives of businesses. At its most basic, animation movies involve characters in human form, as well as inanimate objects talk and come alive.
The African freelance animator must embrace creativity and display a knack for drawing inspiration from within and without.

The detailed requirements for being an animator cover several essential aspects. The African freelance animators must gain mastery of the basic principles of animation, the terminology, what frames are, and the various methods of animation. They need to understand how a sequence of drawings can become a moving picture and so much more. It’s a process that asks for thoroughness to meet the demands of clients and businesses.

Graphic Designer

Closely related to animation in the field of endeavour called Graphic design. In a world where brand image and identity differentiates businesses from competitors, graphic design fills in the gap. Logos, book covers, wedding cards and memorabilia are a few of the items that the Graphic designer works on. The field requires practitioners to have an eye for creative, detail and structure. Besides, the African Graphic designer must also possess a basic knowledge of web design, Adobe, and other innovative software along with a good grasp of HTML/CSS.

The jobs above are only the tip of the iceberg for the most in-demand jobs for 2019.

Do you know of any more high demand jobs for African Freelancers?

Please feel free to make your contributions in the comments’ section below