Regardless of their reasons, having an additional income is a great way to up your quality of life and gain some extra experience as an added bonus.

The good news is that there are a lot of great extra income opportunities on offer, and some of them even pay better than your current gig!

We’ve compiled a list containing info on some of the top-paying extra jobs out there which are flexible enough to blend in with your current job and social setup. Keep in mind that some of these jobs have odd working hours, but it also gives you the opportunity of predicting your own working hours and essentially, how much extra you’ll make at the end of the day.

Average salaries are compiled by Adzuna – correct as of June 2018 for part-time work in South Africa.

1. Become a driver

Average salary: R236 843 per year

Requirements: Although these may differ from one company to the next, general requirements include:

• Your own car
• A valid driver’s license
• A private hire vehicle licence (which can be obtained through a registered body such as Uber)
• Suitable car insurance
• A smartphone

Main benefit: Super flexible working hours

Thanks to companies like Uber, it’s easier than ever to become a driver in your spare time. You’ll have opportunities to earn extra income on weekends, around sporting events, and during the holidays due to surge pricing. Yes, these companies do take a percentage service fee from whatever you earn, and you’ll have to keep up with the maintenance schedule of your car on your own account, but it’s a great way to make some extra cash every month.

2. Deliver parcels & food orders

Average salary: R135 672 per year

Requirements:

• Valid driver’s licence
• A clean criminal record
• Be at least 25 years old (most companies require this)

Main benefit: Start immediately without having to use your own vehicle

Driving packages rather than people can seem more appealing to a lot of folks, and if that’s your cup of tea, working for a courier company or international companies like Amazon or even Mr D might be your ticket to some extra cash.

Being a delivery driver also comes with benefits such as petrol money, discounted offers, and of course the ability to work your own hours. In most cases, these positions don’t require drivers to use their own vehicles, which is a score as far as maintenance on your car goes.

3. Start a cleaning business

Average salary: R207 000 per year

Requirements: no set requirements

Main benefit: easy to secure repeat business

You can earn up to R150 per hour as a domestic cleaner who specialises in offices, homes, and industrial areas. One of the great perks of being a cleaner is that you can easily work according to your free time and securing repeat business is often a breeze in the business.

You can choose to clean on a part-time basis or advertise your services as a freelance solution. You can also decide on whether or not you’d like to get paid per month or per hour, depending on your clientele and your setup.

4. Become a housesitter

Average salary: R30 000 per year

Requirements: depends on the family

Main benefit: minimal effort

Housesitting is a low-key job that requires minimal amounts of effort. All you need to do is to keep an eye on a house when the family that occupies it can’t. Some of the biggest tasks involved in these types of jobs are watering the plants and collecting the mail.

It’s a great low-impact job for individuals that have tight schedules and don’t necessarily have the freedom to work extra jobs during the regular 9-5 drill.

5. Offer your services as a babysitter

Average salary: R34 545 per year

Requirements: this depends on the family, but general requirements include:

• Experience working with kids
• Clean criminal record
• A basic first aid certificate
• Driver’s license (most families require this)

Main benefit: repeat business and the opportunity to build good relationships

Babysitting might be a great way for you to make some extra cash. A lot of families use the same babysitter over and over again, so if you want to get into a business with good prospects for repeat business, this is an ideal fit. Take things up a notch and consider the idea of becoming an au pair and you could be looking at great added benefits like free accommodation too.

6. Tutor your way to extra cash

Average salary: R183 878 per year

Requirements:

• Strong knowledge in the subjects you offer assistance in, preferably supported by a BA degree
• Great teaching style and communication skills
• Good organisational skills

Main benefit: great hourly rate

If you’re looking for one of the best paying extra jobs (by hourly rate), then tutoring is definitely it! You’ll have the opportunity of earning up to R800 per hour, given that you have the right qualifications and a good rep.

To take on a job in tutoring, you’ll need amazing organisational skills. You’ll also need to have the ability to build trust and rapport with students (and their parents), and of course, you’ll need to stay up to date with the national curriculum.

Although tutoring is generally associated with academic subjects, you can also teach skills such as computer programming. With the demand for tutors increasing, you could easily make some extra cash if you have a wealth of wisdom to offer and a way to teach others.

7. Mystery shop your way to wealth

Average salary: R145 675 per year

• Requirements: The ability to visit certain shops within a certain period of time
• Great memory and the ability to remember details of all stores visited

Main benefit: free gifts and flexibility

If you’re not ready to quit your 9-5 and you’re keen on scoring some freebies while doing your regular shopping rounds, why not consider the idea of becoming a mystery shopper? The job doesn’t pay as much as most other options here, and it can be miles away from the flashy ideas you might have dreamt about, but the jobs are quick and can be done as part of your regular routine.

In general, mystery shopping gigs vary, but most shops use mystery shoppers, which means you’ll have the opportunity of scoring freebies ranging from luxury goods to fast food meal vouchers as added perks!

8. Take and sell pictures

Average salary: R165 712 per year

• Requirements:

  Know how to operate a DSLR camera

• Understand Photoshop
• Understand basic lighting for photography
• Preferably have your own photography portfolio
• Main benefit: you have the ability to monetise your hobby

Instead of allowing your DSLR camera just to sit there, gathering dust, you can start using it to make some great extra cash. Making money through photography is a very real deal, and you have quite a few options here. Perhaps you choose to work with various clients as a freelance photographer. Or maybe the idea of signing a fixed contract with one employer sounds more appealing to you.

You could even consider selling your photos online as stock images or as products. Don’t let the idea of photography being strictly portrait or wedding photos put a cap on your dreams. Photography has expanded so much over the last few years, and the demand for real estate, product, and commercial headshot photography is more in demand than ever before!

9. Offer handyman services

Average salary: R256 900 per year

Requirements:

• A diverse range of DIY skills

Main benefit: satisfying work that can be done in your free time

Companies, schools, manufacturers, and even hospitals all use handyman services. Becoming a handyman in your spare time is a great way to add some more punch to your income.

Generally speaking, the job entails minor fixing of maintenance issues that don’t really require the services of specialised contractors. All you’ll need to do this job is a variety of DIY skills such as carpentry, plumbing, electrics, and decorating. The good news about handyman jobs is that they can almost always work around a 9-5 schedule since most businesses seek to minimise disruptions during working hours.

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