For many South Africans, the question is no longer simply: “Where can I find a job?”
It is also:
- “How can I make R100 today?”
- “What can I do with only my phone?”
- “I have a car — can I use it to make money?”
- “I have an N6 qualification but I am unemployed. What can I do?”
- “I have no startup money. Is there anything realistic I can start?”
And sometimes the question is even more urgent: “I have tried everything. What else can I do?”
Edupstairs has built a new tool specifically around these questions.
Introducing the Edupstairs Money Finder — a free South African tool designed to help people discover realistic ways they could potentially earn money based on their skills, resources, qualifications, location, available time, startup budget and financial goal.
START USING THE EDUPSTAIRS MONEY FINDER HERE
Instead of giving everyone the same generic list of “side hustles”, Money Finder asks what you actually have and uses those answers to identify options that may make sense for your situation.
Whether you have a smartphone, laptop, car, scooter, bakkie, tools, cooking equipment, cleaning equipment, Matric, an N6 qualification — or nothing except your time — Money Finder gives you somewhere to start.
Quick Overview
| Money Finder | Details |
| Tool | Edupstairs Money Finder |
| Country | South Africa |
| Cost | Free |
| Designed for | Job seekers, students, workers, graduates, pensioners and people looking for extra income |
| Starting capital | Includes R0 and low-capital pathways |
| Resources considered | Phone, laptop, internet, transport, tools, equipment and other assets |
| Qualifications considered | Including Matric, TVET/N6 and higher education pathways |
| Types of routes | Local services, selling, digital work, freelance work, transport, temporary work, formal opportunities and more |
| Support routes | Can also point users towards legitimate support and official services worth checking |
| Main purpose | Help users identify realistic next steps based on what they already have |
This Is Not Another “20 Ways to Make Money Online” List
Search the internet for ways to make money and you will find thousands of articles.
The problem is that many of them give essentially the same advice:
- Start dropshipping.
- Become a freelancer.
- Start a YouTube channel.
- Do surveys.
- Become an influencer.
- Start an online store.
For somebody who urgently needs R100, R500 or grocery money, those suggestions may not solve the immediate problem.
A person with no laptop should not receive the same recommendations as someone with a laptop and strong Excel skills.
Someone with a bakkie and driver’s licence should not receive exactly the same results as someone who only has a smartphone.
And someone who has R0 available should not be encouraged to spend money merely because buying equipment could theoretically unlock another business idea.
That is the problem Money Finder is designed to address.
Start With What You Already Have
One of the most important ideas behind Money Finder is simple:
Before asking what you need to buy, ask what you already have.
You may have more earning potential around you than you realise.
Money Finder can consider resources such as:
- a smartphone;
- mobile data or Wi-Fi;
- a laptop or computer;
- a car;
- a motorbike or scooter;
- a bicycle;
- a bakkie or van;
- a driver’s licence;
- hand tools;
- power tools;
- gardening equipment;
- cleaning equipment;
- cooking equipment;
- a printer;
- a camera;
- a sewing machine; or
- other useful equipment.
It then combines those resources with your skills, available time, location, budget and financial target.
The objective isn’t to tell you that owning a particular item automatically means you can make money.
It is to ask a better question:
“What realistic opportunities become possible because I already have this?”
What If You Have No Money to Start?
This is one of the most important Money Finder scenarios.
There is a specific route for people who need: “Money with no startup capital.”
There is also an option for: “I have nothing except my time.”
That distinction matters.
Someone without startup money should not immediately be told to purchase stock, equipment, advertising or an expensive online course.
Money Finder can instead investigate pathways where the primary input could be your time, an existing basic skill, customer-supplied materials or resources you already own.
Depending on your answers, possibilities could include household assistance, cleaning, moving assistance, gardening, tutoring, typing, administration support, CV formatting, errands, digital assistance and other service-based work.
Not every option will suit every person.
That is exactly why the tool asks questions first.
Need R100 Today? Start There
Money Finder also lets users begin with the actual financial problem.
You can choose goals such as:
- I need R50 today
- I need R100 today
- I need R500 this week
- I need an extra R1,000 this month
- I need R5,000 per month
This changes the recommendations.
If you need R100 urgently, a pathway that could take months to establish should not necessarily receive the same priority as something you may be able to investigate locally using resources you already possess.
At the same time, Money Finder deliberately avoids promising that you will earn a particular amount.
A recommendation is an option to investigate — not guaranteed income.
Have a Car, Scooter, Bicycle or Bakkie?
Transport can significantly change the options available to a person.
Money Finder therefore considers transport separately.
Someone with a car and driver’s licence may be able to investigate delivery, collection and other vehicle-supported services.
Someone with a motorbike or scooter may have different delivery possibilities.
Someone with a bicycle could potentially investigate shorter-distance local delivery options.
And a person with a bakkie or van may be able to investigate not only delivery but also moving, loading, collection, event setup or other work where carrying capacity matters.
The important principle is that Money Finder doesn’t simply ask:
“Do you have transport?”
It asks what kind.
That allows the results to become more relevant.
Have Tools or Equipment? Money Finder Looks at Those Too
The same principle applies to equipment.
A person who already owns gardening equipment is in a different starting position from somebody who would first have to purchase it.
Someone with cleaning equipment may be able to investigate cleaning-related services.
Someone with cooking equipment and cooking ability may have food-related possibilities.
A sewing machine could become relevant to clothing alterations.
A printer may support document or CV services.
A camera could support product photography.
Hand and power tools could open certain maintenance, gardening, painting or practical service pathways — provided the person also has the ability to perform that work safely.
Money Finder does not assume that owning equipment automatically gives you the necessary skill.
Where something important is missing, it can instead appear under Unlock More Ways to Earn.
“Unlock More Ways to Earn”
This is one of the more useful parts of Money Finder.
Your results don’t only show pathways you can potentially investigate immediately.
Money Finder also looks for near-matches.
These are opportunities that could become more suitable if you close a particular gap.
But instead of simply saying: “You need another skill.”
Money Finder looks at what is actually missing.
That could be:
- a basic skill that may be learnable;
- equipment;
- transport;
- a driver’s licence;
- startup capital;
- internet access;
- a qualification; or
- another requirement.
This is particularly important when money is tight.
If unlocking a pathway would require buying an expensive asset, Money Finder should not encourage you to spend money simply because you technically have some money available.
The goal is to help protect limited capital while still showing what could become possible later.
START USING THE EDUPSTAIRS MONEY FINDER HERE
What If You Only Have a Phone?
There is a dedicated starting point for:
“I need money using only my phone.”
A smartphone can potentially support more than traditional “make money online” ideas.
Depending on your skills and circumstances, it could help with customer communication, local selling, marketplace reselling, social media assistance, simple digital services, administration, freelance work or finding formal paid opportunities.
But Money Finder still checks the rest of your situation.
Having a phone doesn’t automatically mean online freelancing is your best option.
Have a Laptop?
A laptop can unlock a different group of possibilities.
Someone with a laptop and administrative, typing, Excel, writing, design or digital skills may potentially investigate pathways such as:
- virtual assistance;
- data entry;
- spreadsheet services;
- bookkeeping support;
- CV formatting;
- content writing;
- proofreading;
- social media services;
- graphic design;
- video editing;
- website creation;
- online tutoring;
- transcription; and
- other digital services.
If you’re considering turning digital skills into a longer-term career, you can also use the Edupstairs Career & Qualification Explorer to investigate recognised careers, OFO occupations and SAQA qualifications.
The Explorer currently brings together more than 1,500 OFO careers and over 22,000 SAQA qualification records.
Have Matric or an N6 Qualification?
Money Finder isn’t only about side hustles.
Sometimes the most useful answer is a formal opportunity.
If you have Matric, N4–N6, a diploma or a degree, you should also investigate paid learning and employment opportunities rather than assuming you must start a small business.
Edupstairs publishes current opportunities through its latest vacancies and opportunities hub, while the Edupstairs Learnerships section can help applicants find structured learning opportunities.
Current Edupstairs learnership listings span employers and programmes in areas including IT, transport, mining and other sectors.
TVET students looking for workplace experience should pay particular attention to WIL and learnership opportunities relevant to their qualifications.
Don’t Ignore South Africa’s 21 SETAs
If Money Finder identifies a skill or qualification gap, don’t immediately assume you must pay a private provider.
First investigate whether a funded learning pathway exists.
The Edupstairs SETA Platform brings together all 21 South African SETAs and more than 1,000 programme records across learnerships, apprenticeships, skills programmes, workplace learning and funding pathways.
This can be particularly useful when Money Finder shows an earning pathway you like but you realise you need additional training.
Instead of asking only:
“How do I make money immediately?”
you can begin asking:
“What skill could increase what I am able to earn?”
That is where short-term survival and longer-term career development can start connecting.
Unemployed? Don’t Search Only for Side Hustles
If you are unemployed, use Money Finder as one part of a broader strategy.
You should still investigate formal employment.
For people interested in government work, the Edupstairs DPSA Entry-Level Jobs platform organises entry-level Public Service vacancies and highlights opportunities that may be accessible with qualifications ranging from lower school levels through Matric, TVET qualifications, diplomas and degrees.
Recent DPSA vacancy research by Edupstairs has even identified advertised Public Service positions accepting Grade 9 with no experience required, demonstrating why job seekers should not automatically assume they are excluded because they don’t have a degree.
The key is to search across multiple routes.
START USING THE EDUPSTAIRS MONEY FINDER HERE
Earn now if you can. Apply for jobs. Investigate learnerships. Build skills. Check funded opportunities.
These strategies don’t have to compete with each other.
Money Finder Also Shows Legitimate Support Worth Checking
There are situations where telling somebody to “start a side hustle” is not enough.
Money Finder can therefore point users towards legitimate official support routes that may be worth investigating.
Depending on the information provided, this can include routes relating to:
- SASSA support;
- UIF;
- municipal indigent or free basic services;
- study funding;
- public employment;
- SETA-funded training;
- business support; and
- possible unclaimed benefits.
There is an important distinction here:
Money Finder does not decide that you qualify.
Eligibility and approval remain with the responsible institution.
The tool’s job is to help you realise that a legitimate route may exist and direct you towards the appropriate official source.
Could Money Already Be Owed to You?
This is another area many people don’t think about.
If you previously worked for an employer and belonged to a pension or provident fund, there may be circumstances where unclaimed retirement benefits are worth investigating.
Similarly, certain people may need to investigate money associated with an estate or the Guardian’s Fund.
Money Finder can surface these as checks, not promises.
A possible match does not mean money is definitely waiting for you.
And you should be particularly careful of anyone demanding payment simply to “find” government benefits or unclaimed money for you when an official checking route is available.
What Money Finder Will Not Do
Money Finder was deliberately designed not to become a get-rich-quick machine.
It does not promise:
“Make R1,000 today guaranteed.”
It does not tell you that every pathway will work.
It does not pretend every user has the same skills.
It does not assume every South African lives in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban.
It does not recommend spending money merely because you have money available.
And it does not treat a Fit score as the probability that you will earn money.
A pathway can fit your resources and still require customers, effort, demand, good pricing and execution.
The Most Important Question May Be: “What Do I Already Have?”
Before deciding that you have no options, look around carefully.
Do you have:
- A phone?
- A bicycle?
- A driver’s licence?
- A scooter?
- A car?
- A bakkie?
- A laptop?
- Tools?
- Cleaning equipment?
- Cooking equipment?
- A printer?
- A sewing machine?
- A useful skill?
- Matric?
- N6?
- A diploma?
- A few free hours every evening?
- A full day because you’re unemployed?
- Knowledge you could teach someone else?
- Something in your home you no longer use?
- Or simply time and a willingness to do legitimate work?
- None of those things guarantees income.
But each one changes the question from: “How do people make money?” to: “What can I realistically do with what I have?”
That is the question Money Finder is built to answer.
Don’t Stop at Money Finder: Use the Rest of Edupstairs
Money Finder should be your starting point, not necessarily your final destination.
If a pathway points towards a career, investigate it using the Career & Qualification Explorer.
If you need skills development, investigate all 21 SETAs through the SETA Platform.
If employment is the stronger route for you, monitor current Edupstairs vacancies and current learnership opportunities.
And if government employment is part of your plan, use the DPSA Entry-Level Jobs platform rather than manually searching hundreds of pages of Public Service vacancy circulars.
Money Finder becomes much more powerful when these tools are used together.
Tools you may find useful:
- Money Finder
- SETA Platform
- RDP / BNG Housing Eligibility Checker
- SASSA Grant Eligibility Checker
- SAPS / Metro / Traffic / DCS Eligibility Checker
- Youth Employment Eligibility Checker
- SA Bursary & NSFAS Eligibility Checker
- UIF Benefits Eligibility Checker and Payment Estimator
View Other Employment Opportunities here
Need Help?
Edupstairs Advice
If you’re struggling financially, don’t start by asking:
“What business should I start?”
Start with:
“What do I already have that somebody might legitimately pay me to do, use, sell or provide?”
- Then look at your skills.
- Look at your equipment.
- Look at your transport.
- Look at your qualifications.
- Look at the amount of time you have.
- Look at legitimate support you may be entitled to investigate.
- And look at opportunities that could improve your position beyond this week.
- You don’t necessarily need one perfect answer.
You may need several small routes working together: a temporary service for immediate cash, job applications for stability, a funded programme to build skills, and a longer-term income plan.
That is the thinking behind the Edupstairs Money Finder.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Is Edupstairs Money Finder free?
Yes. Money Finder is designed as a free Edupstairs tool for South Africans looking for realistic earning and opportunity pathways.
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Can Money Finder guarantee that I will make money?
No. It identifies options that may fit your circumstances. Actual income depends on factors including demand, customers, pricing, location, skills and execution.
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Can I use Money Finder if I have no startup capital?
Yes. The tool includes R0 and low-resource scenarios, including an “I have nothing except my time” starting point.
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Can Money Finder help if I only have a phone?
Yes. You can tell Money Finder that a smartphone is one of your available resources and it will use that information when matching pathways.
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What if I have a car, scooter or bakkie?
Select the transport you actually have. Money Finder can use those assets when considering delivery, collection, moving and other relevant pathways.
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Can N6 students use Money Finder?
Yes. N6 holders should also investigate WIL, internships, learnerships and formal employment opportunities relevant to their qualification.
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Does Money Finder include jobs?
Money Finder isn’t limited to informal earning ideas. Edupstairs also connects users with employment, learnership, skills-development and other opportunity resources.
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What if none of the main results suit me?
Look at Unlock More Ways to Earn. These are near-matches showing pathways that may become more suitable if a specific gap can realistically be closed.
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Should I spend my savings to unlock another Money Finder pathway?
Not automatically. Protecting limited capital is important. A pathway requiring significant new spending should be assessed carefully against alternatives you can already start with existing resources.
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Where can I check careers and qualifications?
Use the Edupstairs Career & Qualification Explorer to investigate South African OFO careers and SAQA qualifications.
You May Have More Options Than You Think
If you need money, being told to “just get a job” or “start a business” isn’t particularly useful.
You need somewhere to start.
You need options that recognise what you have right now.
- Maybe that’s R0.
- Maybe it’s a phone.
- Maybe it’s a bakkie.
- Maybe it’s Matric.
- Maybe it’s an N6 qualification.
- Maybe it’s a laptop and Excel skills.
- Maybe it’s gardening equipment.
- Maybe it’s three hours after work.
- And maybe, right now, all you have is your time.
Start there.
Use those answers to find the next realistic move.
Try the Edupstairs Money Finder and discover what you could potentially do with what you already have.
Editorial Integrity
Edupstairs Money Finder is intended to help users explore possible earning, employment, learning and support pathways. A recommendation should not be interpreted as guaranteed employment, guaranteed earnings, financial advice or confirmation that a person qualifies for a government or institutional benefit.
Requirements, programme availability, market demand and official eligibility rules can change.
Users should verify formal opportunities and support programmes with the responsible organisation before providing personal information, paying money or making important financial decisions.
EDUPSTAIRS IS A REGISTERED NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION NPO No: 232 – 182, PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANISATION (PBO): 930066984. EDUPSTAIRS DOES NOT, IN ANY WAY OR FORM, SOLICIT MONEY OR CV’S FROM PEOPLE FOR JOBS. PLEASE BE AWARE OF PHONY JOB POSTINGS AND RECRUITMENT FRAUD. USE THE EDUPSTAIRS SCAM DETECTOR TOOL TO SPOT A SCAM BEFORE YOU APPLY
