10 of the Best Ways to Make Money Online in Ethiopia 2024

10 ways to make money online in ethiopia

Best Ways to Start an Ethiopian Online Business

What can be better than making money online in Ethiopia from the comfort of your own home? Not much!

Well, maybe sitting on a beach, drinking fresh fruit juice, while "clickedy clackin" on your laptop.

For many, a 9 am to 5 pm job is something that they have been ingrained with since childhood, and led to believe it is a necessity.

But in this day and age, those willing to put the time and effort in, can very easily begin to make money online from home, while having more time to themselves, as well as, being able to spend more quality time with their loved ones.

Making money online from home in Ethiopia can be relatively relaxing and there is little to zero monetary investment required.


Related: 16 of the Best Ecommerce in Ethiopia 2024


For those not willing to give up their office job, then you can also just put to good use the spare time you do have.

But without doubt, once you realize your spare time online job in Ethiopia is starting to get you checks in dollars, euros, or etb, then that office job you believed was always necessary might seem redundant.

The internet business in Ethiopia today holds numerous options to make money from home and its suitable for housewives, retired professionals, students, job seekers, etc.

The only drawback is that, this time, you are your own boss. You can't hide, cheat or be lazy, every effort you make, will reward you and likewise, every nap you take, you will lose out.

We prepared the following to show you some of the best ways to make money online in Ethiopia.

Top Ways to have an Ethiopian Business Online


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1. Make Money in Ethiopia by Sharing Internet


Sharing your unused bandwidth is not a new concept. Several apps allow you to do this, but one stands out - Pawns.app.

The app is available worldwide, with over two million active users and a very active online community of money-makers. Joining takes less than a minute, and all you need is a device (smartphone or PC) with internet access.

The way it works is simple - you allow the app to use your internet connection as needed and get compensated for it. It's a 100% passive income source - all you need to do is run the app. All traffic is encrypted, and the app will never access any of your private data (like contacts, emails, or anything else).

The current payout rate is $0.2 per GB, so you can earn anywhere from $5 to $140 per month on average for just keeping the app active on their device. The trick here is that the longer you stay online, the more you earn!


Bonus: Make Money Online in Ethiopia Taking Surveys


Internet sharing is not the only way to earn money with Pawns.app. You can complete all types of surveys with an average value of $2 per survey. They cover a wide range of topics and usually don't take more than a couple of minutes.

On top of that, there are no convoluted reward systems or points. The minimum withdrawal amount is just $5, so you'll be able to reach it fairly quickly. You can get paid via PayPal, Bitcoin, or gift cards, depending on your location.


2. Make Money at Home by Starting an Online Shop in Ethiopia


In recent years, buying your favorite clothing or even that perfect roast of coffee has become relatively easy with the advent of the internet.

Back in the days, you would be forced to search and step into every shop to get the product you were longing for.

Not anymore, today, with the internet, you can sit at home and browse through Amazon, eBay or other shopping websites to get your desired product.

A great way to make money online in Ethiopia is by selling your products online through eBay, Amazon, Shopify, or Qefira.

These websites allow you to either display your products with eye-catching images and clear descriptions or to create your own website to showcase your products attractively.

While starting an online shop is relatively simple today, thanks to store builders like Shopify, maintaining and operating these shops can be extremely challenging. Most of these challenges can be attributed to the daily updating and management of product information on these pages.

Fortunately, there are easy solutions to this problem today. You can hire a third-party data entry service provider that specialise in e-commerce data entry. Outsourcing has after all proven immensely beneficial to businesses, with respect to both valuable saving time and money.

* eBay, Amazon, and Qefira require you to create an account before you can begin to sell your products. Shopify is a bit more complicated, using this platform means you will be opening your very own shop online. After registration, they will help you create your website store; the only drawback is that it is not free. Shopify can charge you about $30 a month to help you run your shop. This includes the handling of all credit cards, etc.

* Before taking this route, make sure you know exactly what you plan to sell and to who. Take a picture and list all the products that you intend to sell. You can set the price for your product and keep in mind that some websites will charge a small fee for every transaction involved.

* Once an order is received, the company's logistics partner will pick up the product and deliver it to your customer.

After the order has been successfully completed your payment will be sent to your bank account within 5-7 working days, in some cases you can also use a PayPal or Payoneer account.

There are also a lot of enterprising people in Ethiopia that have started a smart online business in Ethiopia. They do this by buying products on eBay or Amazon and selling the products for a very attractive profit.

All in all, if you love business, then it is time for you to start making money online in Ethiopia.

Creating a Facebook page and group are also great ways to get your products sold online in Ethiopia.


3. Earn Money Online from Making YouTube Videos


make money with youtube in ethiopia


YouTube is another great medium to make money online in Ethiopia at home from videos.

You can create and upload interesting videos and make money out of it. The more views you are able to attract, the more chances of earning big money.

To get started you need to apply for Google AdSense from the AdSense website, using your Gmail account.

Google AdSense allows YouTube publishers to present text ads or video advertisements on their videos. As viewers click on those ads, you get paid.

It is also easier than most people think. For one, you do not need expensive video equipment to get started.

Use your smart phone, but study ways online how to shoot nice quality videos (i.e. how to hold your camera phone).

The best part about getting paid from YouTube is that it all depends on your dedication and creativity.

Likeability and charisma are major pluses, if you plan to be in front of the camera.

You wouldn't imagine the amount of money people are making from YouTube, all because they have great ideas and a likeable character; it's as simple as that!

Here are some of the major players in the YouTube creators market: Big Time YouTubers.

Once you start to get your viewership up, then you can start to invest in better quality equipment, such as microphone systems, drone cameras, background lighting, etc.

4. Make Money Online by Writing and Publishing Books


If you have always been interested in writing then self-publishing books then this is the option to make money online in Ethiopia.

A couple of years ago, publishing books was a huge task that required the support of a reputable publishing house.

This was a drawback, because major publishing houses would only support those authors who have good resumes or were famous.

But right now, anyone who has authored a book can get it published and earn large royalties from sales.

There are many online services like Kindle Direct Publishing that helps to publish e-books (electronic books) easily.

These books will be published and available worldwide, giving your book the opportunity to be available to a large international audience.

Who knows, this could be your chance to become a famous author!

Some of the publishing houses in Ethiopia include, Mega Publishing and Distribution, and Arada Books.

* To begin, of course you have to make sure you have written the book and are proud of your accomplishment. Next, try Kindle Direct Publishing or a publishing house and research their fee and services.

* Before submitting your book make sure it is error free. Some websites that you can easily find online offer editing, proof reading, and designing services, while also keeping track of your e-books and printed hard copies.

* Format the content, give titles, page numbers, tables, headers, footers etc. There are some websites that also offer formatting services.

* The next step would be to design the cover in a way that appeals to you, signifies your content and will be an eye catcher.

* Now your book is ready to be uploaded and if all is in order, then it should be approved within 2 -3 working days.

* You can keep a track of the copies of your book sold and further make use of online services through the available mediums.


5. Make Money in Ethiopia by Blogging


Blogs are also another great way of earning a good income from home.

For starters, every blog needs a domain name and a web host, (click the link to find one that suits you).

You can start for free by either using an html website (such as bootstrap, which is owned by Twitter), if you are a bit more experienced or you can use one of the many easy to use CMS or Content Management Systems available, such as the famous WordPress or Joomla.

In Ethiopia today, there are many web hosting services that offer reliable services at reasonable prices (from about 500 ETB/14.70 USD to about 4,000 ETB/117.65 USD for normal websites).

The most important thing about creating a blog is to make sure you choose a topic that you are deeply passionate about, because blogging does not guarantee an immediate income, it is a slow and drawn out process, but it has many financial rewards in the end.

As long as you are consistent and post a couple of articles a week, your blog could really take off.

Make sure to register with Google AdSense, MediaNet (Bing/Yahoo), as well as, the many other advertising platforms that will pay you every month, with your income increasing depending on the quality, the SEO, and the amount of viewers from top tier countries (i.e. US, UK).


6. Make Money Online from PTC Sites


For those who do not know what a PTC site is: "PAID TO CLICK". These are sites that pay you to click and watch advertisements online.

The advertisements are often paid by the advertisers who put ads in these sites for potential customers to view and the PTC site pays you a percentage of the amount to watch it although the amount is not much.

This is one of the easiest ways to make money online in Ethiopia; the job requires no skill, training, or monetary investment.

It only requires you have an email address, PayPal, Payoneer. or Skrill.

All one has to do is click the ad and wait a minimum of thirty seconds and on to the next one. Your cash will be transferred to your account.

Keep in mind, one ad can be as low as 0.001 USD/0.034 ETB for those from less developed regions of the world, but dedication, quantity and referral programs can help some beginners get at least, 200 USD/6,800 ETB a month.

There are millions of people around the world that make side money from PTC sites, the major thing to be wary of is that there are tons of fake or scam sites.

They will make you waste your time while they get paid from your hard work. So in essence, research and find the PTC sites that are genuinely legit.

At the time this article was written, some genuine sites include but are not limited to: NeoBux, ClixSense (now ySense), PrizeRebel, and InboxDollar.

Please make sure to do your own research, as goes with any business venture you plan to follow.


7. Work as a Freelancer from Home in Ethiopia


You can make an extra additional income if you are able to freelance the skills you possess.

If you have knowledge in designing, programming, marketing, or various other skills, you can provide these services to many clients around the world.

You can charge for your services and work in your off-time, and as your work is appreciated and rated, this temporary freelance gig could actually take off and become your main source of an attractive income.

You can make money this way online in Ethiopia, all from the comfort of your own home.

The advantages of being a freelancer include flexible hours, as we already discussed, since you are your own boss, you could take a nap whenever you want, and work whenever you want.

You will also have full control over the jobs and clients you choose to work for, and are able to decline an offer if the client's payment philosophy or personality is not suited to your tastes.

The disadvantages of working as a freelancer in Ethiopia, include, an unsteady and unreliable workload, meaning, there is no guaranteed regular client, project or profit, as opposed to a normal job.

But as your reputation grows, expect to have an increase in work load.

Furthermore, being your own boss, means it will be difficult to tell the difference between work time and personal time. You will have to teach yourself discipline.

Freelancing in Ethiopia can be classified as both positive and negative.

Freelancing means you will have your professional freedom, but it also means inconsistency and the risk of failure, this for some might be a deal breaker. Some software for freelancers have been known to help increase your odds for success.

The following are some sites that are currently offering work for people with skills in Ethiopia, that are looking to freelance: UpWork, Works, and FreeLancer.


8. Make Money Online in Ethiopia Taking Surveys


Online surveys are also a great option to earn extra money from home.

There are a plethora of MNC's or multi-national companies that are searching for customers who can provide them with reliable feedback on their products or services.

They desire the knowledge of what exactly the needs and opinions are of the general public.

The only requirement to make money from online surveys is that you have an email account and a PayPal or Payoneer. account (some other payment mediums may sometimes be required).

Keep in mind, that most of the more valuable surveys online cater to the top tier countries (US, UK, etc.), but there are ways around this.

Some people in Ethiopia have developed a knack for using VPN's, as this was a tool for overcoming network obstacles in the past.

We are not condoning the use of VPN's for taking online surveys in Ethiopia, but are merely stating a fact.

Also, one must always be wary of online survey sites that ask for a payment upfront, these are most definitely scam sites.

So once again, due diligence and research are keys to making a nice side profit from your free time.

Most of the companies have surveys that are prepared by market research companies and they can offer you payment in cash or gift vouchers.

It is common for some people to earn about 1 USD to 10 USD (34 ETB to 340 ETB) an hour depending on the type of surveys you undertake.

For example, you can receive the payment via PayPal within 3 to 4 working days and then connect the account to your local Ethiopian bank account and receive it in another 3 to 4 working days.

Here are some survey sites that could help you make money online in Ethiopia: Surveysavvy, Mysurvey, Surveyspot , Opionionoutpost, and Brandinstittute.


9. Make and Sell Apps Online in Ethiopia


make money online at home in ethiopia

Developing and selling apps is an amazing way to increase your revenue incrementally by working from home.

All you need is a little bit of skill, the desire to work long hours on app development and maintenance and of course, a smart phone, laptop or PC.

There are ample sources online, such as, tutorials that can help you design and develop applications that work for tablets or smart phones.

The hardest aspect to this venture is getting a great idea that interests users enough to make them want to download your app on to their devices.

Keep in mind, if you develop an app like RIDE, you could stand to make an estimated 588,236 USD or 20,000,000 ETB a month (according to some sources)!

There are many options available that offer drag-and-drop or in other words, easily customizable mobile app builders, some of them are, Firebase (owned by Google) or BuildFire.

The best part of this is that you can create an app all by yourself without having to learn computer coding. You should use these options if you are going to develop an app that does basic things for business, such as a normal e-commerce shop, or an app for information and communication.

If you want to develop an app in Ethiopia that has unique elements and features, then you will have to consider working with a development team or give it a go, on your own, by doing the coding.

Here are some steps to take into consideration when developing an app for iOS or apple devices through basic coding.

*Sign up with the Apple Developer Program to receive all the resources you need to begin to create your app on iOS and OSX.

*You can test and develop your iOS apps on iPad, iPod touch, iPhone with the latest iOS SDK. Furthermore, the iOS development center provides you with an excellent platform to examine and test your apps directly on the devices.

*You can then distribute your apps for free or as paid versions through the Apple App Store.

*You can increase your revenue by adding in-app purchases, while also attempting to market your app to increase downloads by showing your ads on other websites and basic SEO practices.


10. How to Make Money Online with Telegram


make money with telegram in ethiopia

Telegram is one of the best social media networks or more specifically, social platforms and messengers available to make money online.

It currently has over two hundred million active monthly users all over the world.

Telegram is extremely popular in Africa (especially in Ethiopia), as well as, in Russia and India, as opposed to Whatsapp, which is popular in western countries.

This, of course, does not make it comparable to the billions on Facebook, or the likes of Twitter and Instagram, but with its newly updated features, expect this app to gain in popularity.

Most people use the Telegram app for different reasons such as for chatting, learning, sending images and videos, making money, and some, just to have fun.

It has become one of the fastest growing social platforms for making money online, with an estimated seven hundred thousand new users every month.

The number of channels and groups is also sky rocketing, as it is a great way to earn income from home.

People from any country around the world can create Telegram communities or as they are called in the app, channels and groups, with some making as much as 10,000 USD/340,000 ETB a month.

The following are some of the best ways you can turn your Telegram app into a great way to make money online from home in Ethiopia.


1. Sell Products and Services on Telegram


You can become an affiliate seller, using services offered by companies like Amazon (US) or Aliexpress (China), simply by registering with them, choosing the right products, learning the ins-and-outs of dropshipping, then focus on marketing with Telegram. You can also sell your own brand of local products.

Telegram offers a great way to promote your products and services to a large audience, it is similar to using Facebook or Instagram, but Telegram blows them away, when it comes to their engagement rate.

This means people are more likely to pay serious attention to you on Telegram; furthermore, your followers also get constant notifications on your updates.

The users will not miss out on your latest offers. That goes without saying that the more members you have in your Telegram channel, the higher the chances are for you to get new clients online and make money with Telegram in Ethiopia.

2. Charge for Posting Advertisements

Posting advertisements on your Telegram channel is one of the easiest ways to make money.

If your channel has more than 50,000 members, you can easily sell any ad posts to companies, individuals and other Telegram channel owners.

One can charge them on an hourly or daily basis, with the key being, the more subscribers you have the more you can charge per ad.

With this simple method, you can earn around 500-700 USD/17,000-23,800 ETB per month by promoting other channels and products.

Keep in mind; you have to always post great content, something that will keep your followers and members interested, therefore, make sure your channel is about something that you are passionate about.


3. Offer Paid Subscriptions to Your Premium Channel


You start off with a public Telegram channel in Ethiopia, and then grow your follower base on the channel with great content.

After that, you create a private Telegram channel, which offers premium content and you advertise it on your public channel.

Those who subscribe to your premium channel will have to pay subscription fees on a regular basis, such as monthly. This is a good way to have a constant income flow.

For example, if your public channel is about sports betting in Ethiopia, then your premium channel, will offer insider tips and tricks.

Remember to always choose a channel topic that you are interested in, so when it comes time to do the research and post, you will never be bored or lethargic.


4. Selling Telegram Channels


If you become dedicated to Telegram, and learn how to master it, then eventually, all you have to do is create channels, grow them and just sell them.

There are tons of buyers for channels that have a large membership base.

If you can create 2 channels a month, using your skills, the going price is about 100 USD to 1,000 USD/3,400 ETB to 34,000 ETB a month.

Do not forget, the more members you have with a good engagement rate, the higher the price.


Your income, no matter if you sell channels, advertisement posts, or premium content will always depend on the number of Telegram followers you can get. The following are tips to get more followers on Telegram.

How to get Telegram Followers in Ethiopia


1. Share with friends


Sharing your channel with friends, and asking them to share the link with their friends, and so on, can get you started with at least fifty to a hundred followers totally free.


2. Cross Promotional Advertising


Once you hit the two thousand follower mark, you can easily use free cross-promo with other popular Telegram channels.


4. Buying Telegram Members


When considering taking the easy route to increase your Telegram membership base fast, then you can always use services that provide real and active members.

You can get a thousand followers in as little as a day, but be careful and avoid buying bots.

They are cheaper and help your numbers but remember they are not active users and Telegram keeps a look out for bots and deletes them. Make sure to do your research when choosing the service that sells Telegram users.


3. Paying to Post Your Channel's Ads


This is the riskiest because you will be investing your money with no guarantee that you shall get a good return.

Your ads could become a big hit, bringing you tons of new followers or they might just go bust, bringing you nothing but a loss of investment.


Bonus: 11. Money from Online Translations in Ethiopia


Some people are gifted with the skill of language interpretation and translation, for those of you with this ability, then earning a very respectable amount of money online by translating is on the table.

You will have to be adequately knowledgeable in the language, customs, culture and traditions of the country in which you are planning to translate for, in order to guarantee that the information exchange is beneficial.

There are an abundance of platforms for online translating, which you can access from your home in Ethiopia.

First we have to discuss methods in which, you can get a translating job, without having to rely on online translation websites.

There are two options in this instance; of course you can use these two methods plus the websites, which we shall discuss later.

Large companies are often in contact with their foreign counterparts and are in constant need for a translator.

Taking the initiative and preparing an email template which offers your service then mass emailing (changing the company name in the title), is one option.

You can also reach out and contact the companies in person, and more often than not, they will give you an assignment which you can work on online from home.

Using job search sites to send applications can be used by those with a great looking CV/resume, while approaching translation offices which are located throughout major cities in Ethiopia, is viable for those looking to build their CV/resume.

You can also earn money online by making online translations, through websites, and these days, the translation process, is gaining credence among translators as the business has become very profitable and one of the most comfortable ways of doing business at home.

A variety of online translation sites offer you the chance to translate as a member and they pay as much as the number of characters you have managed to translate.

Keep in mind, the better the quality and the faster you are able to submit your translations, the larger your contracts and paychecks, shall be.

One is able to make money by translating professionally for a translation site with an industry average of 3 USD/102 ETB per 100 words.

You can earn about 30 USD/1,020 ETB without putting too much effort, with an estimated 500 USD/17,000 ETB on a monthly basis, depending on your chosen work schedule.

The following are some proven sites to help you on your quest to make money online translating in Ethiopia, but once again, due diligence and research are keys before embarking on any venture.

Also, keep in mind; these companies are wise enough to distinguish between frauds (those using Google translate) and genuine translators in Ethiopia.


* Freelancer.com - a popular and reliable freelancer sites. This site has a category called translation jobs. Register as a member and follow the category to identify current jobs.

* OneHourTranslation.com - An American based company that provides traditional human translation services for its clients. Most of their translation projects take about one hour to complete, hence the name, One Hour Translation.

* Guru.com - A leading and trusted website where you can find freelance translation jobs online with no experience.

* PeoplePerHour.com - A reliable platform that contains various jobs with attractive pay that can help you make money by translating.

* UpWork.com - Another site where you can locate various translation jobs. They also offer full-time, part-time, hourly and single text translations here.

* Translationdirectory.com - A website that joins clients together with language experts.

* Proz.com - This site has over 300,000 professional translators, proving their usefulness.

* Traduguide.com - This is another platform that is considered reliable by industry experts such as, freelance translators, translation agencies and clients.