Making money online in Kenya keeps getting easier with lots of opportunities opening up for new and seasoned freelancers.
The good news is that writing is not the only online gig that pays in Kenya. For example, you can promote affiliate products and get paid through M-Pesa once you earn a commission or provide other freelance services such as graphic design.
Most Kenyans working online are used to gig platforms such as Freelancer, Upwork, and Fiverr. Unfortunately, most of these sites do not pay well for beginners.
How about thinking outside the box and looking for better-paying gigs? If you’re a freelance writer, just head over to Google and search for something like “write for us” or “get paid to write for us”.
You will find hundreds of websites looking for writers. Some websites pay while others do not. And since you’re looking for Kenyan websites that pay through M-Pesa, I took the liberty of doing some research to make your work easier.
Kenyan Websites That Pay Via Mpesa
In this article, I highlight the top Kenyan websites that pay via M-Pesa. They range from personal blogs to industry giants all ready to pay for your expertise.
1. The Penny Voice
This is a personal finance website that publishes content on topics such as blogging, freelancing, making money online, and closely related subjects. The blog accepts guest contributions and pays Ksh. 5,000 per article. The article has to be 1,700-2,500 words long.
At the moment, The Penny Voice is seeking listicle articles about blogging and freelancing tools, resources, and tips. Examples of great topic ideas to pitch include:
- Best email marketing tools
- Best freelance writing tools
- “How to” tutorials or guides
- Success stories by bloggers/freelancers
You can read their guest post guidelines before sending a pitch. Take note that the blog only publishes 4 guest posts a month, so make sure your content idea is really good.
2. The Elephant
Although The Elephant is a not-for-profit organization, it still pays writers whose pitches are approved for commissioning. They accept feature pieces on multiple subjects including politics, culture, ideas, reflections, Op-Eds, long reads, and data/research-backed stories.
You must send a pitch of not longer than 500 words indicating your pitch idea and why it’s suitable for their blog. Once your pitch is approved and content commissioned, you will provide a feature story between 1,500 and 3,500 words.
When it comes to payment, you will discuss it with the editorial team and agree on a fee once your pitch is approved. You can then proceed to write the story. They pay between the 1st and 10th of the new month for stories published in the previous month.
You can read their contributor guidelines to have a better feel of what is expected of you.
3. Jumia Kenya
Jumia Kenya is arguably the leading eCommerce marketplace in Kenya. Sellers register and list their products for sale. You can register as an affiliate, promote products listed on Jumia, and earn commissions every time someone makes a purchase through your affiliate link.
This process of making money online in Kenya is called affiliate marketing. You can choose to set up a blog where you write reviews and include affiliate links or promote via social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
If you opt to start a blog, make sure to choose the right niche or category as this will make it easier to brand yourself as a topical expert. Here’s a simplified guide on how to start a blog.
Whichever option you choose, whether to start a blog or promote through social media, you will earn a commission of up to 11% for successful purchases and get paid via M-Pesa.
You can learn more about Jumia Kenya’s affiliate program here.
4. Kilimall
Kilimall is similar to Jumia Kenya where you earn commission by promoting affiliate products. It’s free to join and approval is pretty easy and quick.
Kilimall pays 2%-8% in commission depending on the product category. You get real-time analytics on your affiliate performance. You can see the best converting products and double down to increase your earnings.
You can learn more about Kilimall’s affiliate program here.
5. Muthurwa
Muthurwa is another Kenyan website that pays via M-Pesa. It’s ideal for designers looking for ways to make money selling house plans.
You need to create an account and approval takes 2-7 days. Once approved, create a shop and start listing the products. The products you add will also undergo manual review to ensure they meet the listing requirements.
You earn 80% from the sale of your designs. You can also sign up for their affiliate program and earn an extra 5% commission for every design that is purchased through your link.
The affiliate program option is ideal for non-designers who wish to make money promoting house plans listed on the website.
6. Kenya Website Experts
Kenya Website Experts is among the best web hosting companies in Kenya. They provide affordable website hosting services to new, intermediate, and advanced website owners.
They do have an affiliate program and pay a 15% commission and you can earn as high as Ksh. 2,000 per conversion.
Learn more about the Kenya Website Experts affiliate program and see if you can make money and get paid through M-Pesa.
7. Nexbitke
Nexbitke is another website that pays through M-Pesa. The website owner is looking for guest contributions on multiple topics including:
- Making money online
- Freelancing
- How To’s
- Blogging tips
- Life facts and hacks
- Education
- Loans
- Affiliate marketing
- Listicles e.g. top 10s…
The minimum article length is 500 words and should be original, plagiarism-free, informative, and accompanied by relevant images or media.
Nexbitke pays Ksh. 0.25 per word, which means you get Ksh. 125 for an article 500 words long. They pay on a weekly basis. Check out their guest contributor guidelines.
Final thoughts
Unfortunately, there are not many Kenyan websites or blogs that pay writers. Send pitches to the ones highlighted above and you might land yourself a consistent part-time gig. In case you’re looking for alternatives, then you can have a look at these top blogs that pay writers. Some pay as high as $700 per article.
