How to Make Money Online in Ghana

How do you make money online in Ghana?

I’ve had many young people ask me this question countless times. Until I knew any better, I’d also asked that question many times.

Until COVID-19 forced us to rethink the way we live. That was when I began spending more time online.

Before long, I found a way to make money online, legitimately, of course.

While I haven’t made a million dollars or retired by age 30, I’ve made enough to help me cover my rent, living expenses, and a few investments.

The money I’ve made online has supplemented my other income sources, making life that little bit more comfortable.

I know you didn’t click on this link to read about me.

Let’s quickly jump to some tangible tips on how you can make money online in Ghana, but first, let’s address a few misconceptions people have.

Misconception No. 1: It costs nothing to make money online

If you’re in Ghana and want to make money online, realize that it’s not free. In some cases, I dare say it’s not even cheap.

There’s no free lunch, and nowhere does this principle ring any truer. Whatever approach you choose (more on that soon), you need some upfront investments to get you started.

See it as an investment in your money-making steps, rather than an out-and-out cost of making money online.

And sometimes, because some of these costs are in US dollars, the exchange rate against the Ghanaian Cedi could appear expensive, even prohibitive.

But don’t let that deter you. You only need to cure that misconception.

Misconception No. 2: You’ll make it overnight

The second big misconception about making money online is that you can do it overnight.

Look for all the people who have made money online in Ghana, and you will find stories of the many struggles they faced as they started.

Whatever route you choose (more on that later), you may not rake in six-figure incomes overnight.

You may not even achieve that in three or six months. You have to put in the hard work, sometimes months of consistent hard work, before your efforts start yielding any fruit.

If you’re looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, you’d probably look elsewhere. Making money online isn’t an overnight success.

Misconception No. 3: It’s easy for everyone to do

When you see people on social media showing off their wealth that came from making money online, it’s easy to assume that if they can do it, anyone can do it, too.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Not everyone will make their money online.

Some people may have to do things the old-fashioned ways we all know – agriculture, craftsmanship, or employment.

Those routes still work, and if you’re well-positioned, you can make money to be comfortable. But it’s hard work on those fronts, too.

Having shared these brutal truths, here are a few options that can help you make money online in Ghana.

Monetizing your already existing skills

Maybe you have some skills, knowledge, or experiences. You do something naturally, or people ask you for help with something.

Ask yourself deep questions about your natural abilities.

Those may be clues that could help you make money online if you monetize those skills.

It could take you days or weeks to complete this exercise. And sometimes, you will learn that you cannot monetize every skill.

But before you jump into any of the options below, you need to clear this hurdle first.

Only after you’ve exhausted this step and found no sustainable skill (I’d be surprised) should you consider the following options.

Content creation

The first thing that many young Ghanaians think about when it comes to making money online is content creation.

With the many monetization options available for some social media platforms, it’s easy to see how and why this appeals to many people.

The barriers to entry are relatively low, and the upside in terms of earnings is high. But let no one deceive you, it’s not as rosy as it looks from the outside.

For example, enrolling in the various partner programs or meeting eligibility requirements for payouts involves many complicated processes.

Worse yet, you need to grow your audience and get them to engage with your content. That means your content must be consistently outstanding.

Look, all this is doable, and you can always learn from people doing it. None of these is to scare you.

If creating content appeals to you and you see a viable pathway to making money online, I say go for it.

Affiliate marketing

Many software providers and e-commerce brands provide affiliate marketing deals for interested creators.

This option usually works for content creators or bloggers with a relatively large following.

As a blogger or content creator, you can create content and share links to these tools, products, or services in your content.

When buyers buy through your link, you earn a commission.

Your commission will depend on your negotiation skills and numbers (followers, page views, etc).

Whether you can make a successful living based on affiliate marketing in Ghana is anyone’s guess, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying.

Social media management

As more businesses move online and require a social media presence, they would want people to manage these social media pages.

If you’re good with social media, you can look at this opportunity for work that’s opening up online.

Whether as a part-time or full-time role, you can learn to become a social media manager. The best part?

You can do all that right here in Ghana and get paid handsomely. Instead of wasting time on social media and following trends and gossip, why don’t you master the skills needed to grow an account and pitch your services to businesses online?

Depending on the business, you can help manage their Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn pages.

Look sharp and open yourself up to that chance. You can replace social media management with digital marketing. It’ll still work.

Selling digital products

Books, courses, or software are some digital products you can sell online to make money in Ghana.

Your market may not always be in Ghana, and that’s okay.  What matters most is having great products that are easily accessible and promoting them well.

You can also target individuals and businesses with your digital solutions. Again, not the easiest thing to do, given the competition. The upside is huge if you make it, and that should be enough to get you thinking about creating a digital product and selling it.

Selling physical products

Thanks to the internet and social media, you can easily create an online shop for your physical products and make some money.

Online shopping is growing in Ghana, and you can always leverage it to help you market those products.

I know people who sell bags, shoes, and clothes, for example, online. You can also consider cosmetics and gadgets.

Offering coaching services

Have you mastered a skill or learned a bit about a topic that you can comfortably teach others?

You can make money from it by offering online coaching services, yes, even in Ghana.

Many people are interested in losing weight, growing a YouTube channel, building muscle, or learning how to sew.

There are dozens of similar options available if you look closely, and you can make some money online by training interested persons.

With the help of the internet, you can even do some of these coaching sessions online.

Influencer marketing

Yes, many influencers are leveraging their large followings to make online content right here in Ghana.

Whether it’s through sponsored posts or brand collaborations, it’s become a lucrative option to make money.

If that appeals to you, it’s not too late to start.

And you don’t need 100,000 followers to make money online as an influencer.

Micro-influencers with less than 10,000 followers could also score brand promotions, especially if your account targets a niche audience.

Yes, micro-influencer marketing is now growing, but there’s scope for growth. You can consider leveraging that.

Forex Trading (FX)

FX trading has helped many people make money online in Ghana, and you can also consider that option.

There’s a bit of a learning curve here, but you can research a few successful people doing it and learn from them. It could be your lucky break to make money online.

Given the many volatilities in the FX market, these rates can either make or cost you lots of money in a few hours.

The risks are high, but so are the rewards. If you love risks, you’re in for a treat.

Freelancing

Can you write, code, or design? You can always turn those skills into online money-making ventures.

Like most skills, it will take you time, networking, and hard work to make money out of it, especially in Ghana.

I would love to recommend platforms like Fiver, Freelancer, and Upwork, but it’s hard to receive payments from some of these platforms if you’re in Ghana.

But you can do further research and learn how others are doing it.

You can also look local and target the small Ghanaian market. It’s not easy, but if you can give it the patience and hone your skills expertly, you will soon make money from those skills.

We’ve seen what you can do to make money online. Let’s now look at how.

Steps help you make money online in Ghana legitimately

Step 1: Pick one or two of these money-making options

Some people teach that you have to pick as many options as you can to help you make money online, but that’s just not realistic.

Instead, pick one or two that interest you and align with your values and budget.

You’ll find that if you stick to only a few, you can find enough time to dig deep into them and make the most money while at that.

Step 2: Develop the required skills

It’s easy for anyone to wish they could make money online. The real work is developing the skills required to get you there.

If you’re lazy with that, your dreams of earning online will die.

Based on the options you chose, list the skills that those options require to help you make money.

Then study yourself to see how many of those skills you currently have, and measure your proficiency.

If you need to improve, find ways to do that.

If there are any new skills you need to pick up to help you make money, do that. The internet can help you with that. Don’t forget books and courses.

Step 3: Promote yourself

Social media has made it easy to promote your skills.

Take advantage of that. Instead of trolling or jumping onto irrelevant trends and celebrity gossip that bring you nothing, join conversations around your interests or skills you wish to monetize.

If none exist, start one. Also, ensure your profile displays your skills and how you can use them to help people solve real-life problems.

Package your skills into a nice product or service and promote it on your social media accounts.

Step 4: Network and collaborate

All these tips will work best when you have the right networks, especially online. That’s why you need to build your network online, especially on social media.

Also, learn from people ahead of you who are doing the same things you want to do, and find ways to collaborate with them.

They can help you in your quest to make money online, as they probably have the network and leverage you can tap into.

Step 5: Give it time

Over time, all these efforts and hard work will pay off. But will you be patient enough to see it come to pass?

Ignore the “make-six-figures-in-six-months” noise you hear online.

Whether you’re creating content or freelancing, it takes a long time to make money online, and you have to bide your time.

You may need to painstakingly build an audience, grow your customer base, or become a trusted name before you make money online. It all takes time.

Some harsh realities of making money online in Ghana:

While it’s still possible to make money online, you also need to know about these few realities. You can’t walk into the money trap ignorantly and get blindsided.

When you grasp these truths, you will make informed decisions.

Reality no. 1: The field may be against you as a starter

If you’re a freelancer in Ghana, the field is against you. Some businesses prefer freelancers who are native English speakers, fairly or not.

Also, some companies overlook freelancers in developing countries. They’re often unwilling to pay them well, trying to shortchange them.

That means the money pot is smaller. But let none of that deter you. Believe in yourself and keep honing your skills and expertise.

Reality no. 2: Receiving payments online is not seamless

Good luck receiving payments online from some contractors and freelance platforms.

Even enrolling in social media partner programs from Ghana is a challenge.

For example, popular global payment channel PayPal doesn’t work in Ghana, and Stripe is only now making some headway.

For some people, that’s a lot of headache they’re unwilling to bear. Others have found ways around it, and it’s working for them.

That’s something you need to consider, as it could be a barrier to you making money online in Ghana.

Reality no. 3: Opportunities are fewer out here

Budget cuts around the world are forcing companies to scale down on hiring freelancers. More people are also seeing freelancing as a viable income-generating venture.

That means the many traditional opportunities to make money online, especially if you’re in Ghana, are dwindling.

That’s a fact you need to keep in mind as you try to make money online.

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I understand the thrill of making money online here in Ghana. When it works, it’s more efficient than doing some back-breaking work and earning peanuts.

Best yet, some of the money may be in foreign currency, and if you convert it to the Ghanaian Cedi, that’s even more money.

That’s one factor that attracts people to want to put more effort and resources into making money online, rather than working a traditional job (some of which is hard to get anyway).

I also know from experience that it’s not as simple as it looks. And I also know it’s not right to dismiss making money online in Ghana.

It works, and I’ve made some money online.

However, for one person who succeeded in making money online, many others have failed. Some have burnt out, and the mental fatigue that comes with it is no joke.

I’ve also shared some harsh realities and common misconceptions about making money online. I hope that hasn’t dampened your enthusiasm.

You can make the best decision for yourself when you try it first. So if you’re so inclined, try it out and see if it works for you.

Wishing you the very best with your endeavors. Don’t forget to share your success stories with me.

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Image credits:

Cover image: Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Tigran Hambardzumyan on Unsplash, LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash, Chris Montgomery on Unsplash