How To Go It Alone

Lost your job? Decided to work for yourself ? Here’s what you need to know about the world of freelancing

- Nasifa Sulaiman

IT TAKES courage to leave the security of a full-time job and a guaranteed monthly salary to go it alone – but over the past year many people have had no choice. Since the pandemic hit more than three million South Africans have become unemployed.

With new jobs in the formal sector hard to come by, many unemployed and underemployed people are turning to freelancing as a way to earn a living.

While for some this shift has been a bit of a struggle, others have been pleasantly surprised to discover that from the comfort of their homes they can work for companies as far afield as Canada, Dubai and Australia – and be richly rewarded for their efforts in US dollars.

If you have access to reliable internet and the necessary skills you can work just about anywhere and determine your own hours, which means a new level of freedom from the 9-5 drill of office life.

We take a look at how you can take matters into your own hands and make a career for yourself as a professional freelancer.

Even before the pandemic hit, freelancing was a popular alternative – especially among younger people who prefer working on-demand as independent contractors in “the gig economy” as it allows them to do different things.

The number of people freelancing worldwide is currently thought to stand at around 150 million but The Fintech Times newspaper estimates that by 2025 this figure could jump to 520 million.

Max Greyling from NoSweat Work, a freelance and permanent placement platform that operates out of South Africa and the Netherlands, says more companies are employing freelancers because it allows them to save on costs.