• A lot of young people are taking up side gigs to compliment their monthly salaries. In fact, a good number of them is choosing to be self employed instead of the full time employment.

    According to Rockefeller Foundation, freelance workers brought into Africa $5 billion by 2016. In the US up to 34% (53 million people) of the national workforce are freelancers. The numbers are set to grow across the globe with new technologies making it easier to move to self-employment world. Analysts also suggest that increasing demand for external support for marketing and content needs is helping the industry thrive now. And the prospect of the future is even brighter.

    There are different ways in which freelancers can offer their services including websites and blogs in search of content or marketing services. A couple of companies are always in search of virtual assistance. Some individuals and companies, also seek the services of a social media manager to handle their accounts.

    Two South Africans are making hundreds of dollars per post. We can learn a thing or two from them.

    How they do it

    In an interview, Thithi Nteta and Keagan Kingsley revealed that their vibrant and unique Instagram posts have attracted both followers and South African brands.

    The two, love sharing posts and photos, and work with a number of brands such as Ponds, DKNY and G-Star for Nteta. Kingsley works with the likes of adidas, Ray Ban and Clinique.

    "A basic Instagram post for me I would charge anywhere around 5000 rand a post, which is about $375," Nteta told CNN.

    "I'm definitely more affordable than Thithi because I've got a much smaller following than she does," said Kingsley. "So usually it's around 1,000, 2,000 rand a post." Between the two, they have around 40,000 followers; Nteta has more than 32,000 followers, while Kingsley has over 6,500.

    To get here one needs to have a passion for sharing their life. Posts have to be authentic and consistent. Finally, having a good number of followers is an advantage.

    Looking at today’s statistics, the future of social media influencers is immense. According to influencer marketing agency, Mediakix, the photo and video sharing app's influencer market is worth $1.07 billion and is estimated to reach $2.38 billion by 2019.

    As the year comes to an end, you ought to start building your portfolio now. Who knows where it will get you by 2019 and even beyond?

    Credits

    Thithi Nteta and Keagan Kingsley

    Image: Instagram