Advertisement
With Covid-19 still throwing a spanner in the works for South African travellers it’s become more difficult moving abroad. But it’s not impossible to do so. And if you’re stuck in South Africa till well into 2022, it’s still possible to earn an income from abroad. Here’s how:
1. Doing a TEFL course
If you have a degree, you could teach English to children in foreign countries. If you don’t have a degree, you do a TEFL (Teach English as a foreign language) course. There are plenty of organisations claiming to offer a TEFL course so make sure you do one through an accredited company.
Companies you could do an online TEFL course through include Teach Abroad, Teaching Abroad Direct, Teach Away and CIEE.
Advertisement
Once you’re qualified, you could always try and gain some local experience first through the likes of South Africa’s biggest home-schooling provider Impaq. They’re currently on a hiring spree for online teachers because they’re launching a fully catered for online school for English and Afrikaans speaking learners.
2. Social media
There are many companies advertising positions on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to name just a few. Follow the companies that you’re keen to work for and set up online job alerts if the platform allows you to do this. This will ensure that you’re one of the first sets of people to find out about a relevant job.
If there are no jobs available at the companies you are interested in, use the social media platforms to network with people that already work there. You never know – this could pave the way to you getting some freelance work or even a permanent job.
3. Freelancing platforms
When I first started my freelance business, I got my first overseas-based client through freelancing platform Upwork. Upwork can be hit and miss and some of the jobs advertised on the platform does offer some very low wages. However, platforms such as this often allow you to filter by the type of job you want to pitch for and allows you to search for work that offers a certain wage or salary.
Other freelance platforms to consider include: freelancer.com, fiverr.com, People Per Hour and Aquent to name but a few.
4. Au pairing
If you’re qualified to look after kids and enjoy working with kids, then au pairing could be just up your street. There are plenty of advantages. You get to live in another country, and usually get to live with a family. This could save you lots of money particularly if you’re keen on working in an expensive city, like London.
Consider approaching Au Pairs Worldwide, Cultural Care Au Pair and Au Pair World to find out more about what job opportunities are available. There are lots of South African Facebook groups that you can also join that advertise au pair roles from time to time.
Plan ahead
If you plan ahead, you could line up a job abroad for 2022. But if that becomes more problematic thanks to Omicron you could still earn extra money through networking and getting the right qualifications.
