A qualified chemical engineer made success freelancing through a passion not related her profession. She also collaborates with other like-minded freelancers on her chosen niche. Her name is Anastestia Onyekaba from Nigeria. Her story is proof that the freelancing market, commonly called the gig market, is open for everyone in Africa and can work.
Needless to say, the gig market is open for both male and female, young and old as well as every part of Africa, as long as the minimum resources to connect the value chain are available.
Humble beginnings
According to afican.busibess, Anastestia started by creating digital birthday cards which later turned out to be life saver as it grew to proper graphic designing. She then created a profile with Upwork as a UI/UX designer and frontend developer during the Covid lockdowns. It wasn’t rosy for her in the beginning as clients wanted to take advantage of her by paying less for her services. Nevertheless, just as the case should be for starters, she started by offering her services on low prices, which boosted her confidence as she gradually grew her carrier and attract higher paying clients. A good review from a customer from Japan added more weight to her profile.
Unlike many freelancers who continue to find their way out in their African environment that is full of challenges such as power cuts and poor internet connectivity, Anastestia moved to Dubai. We may not all be lucky to get a chance to move abroad or even be interested in relocating to a more enabling environment, but we can work with what we have. She now charges $50 per hour as indicated in her Upowrk profile.
Her words are, “There’s no end to the learning, and research. But right now I am young and I have the energy to save up and dabble into investments from the money I earn from Upwork, which can propel me to even greater financial freedom in the long run”.
Collaborations
Isaac Akinyemi who is also Nigeria and working as a UX/UI Designer is tankful to Anastestia for being the right person he connected with in 2022. They collaborated in at least one project that left Isaac happy to have met someone who believes in his work.
Lessons to freelancers
Africa is growing in the online gig market. It is promising that the digital labour platforms hold the potential to reduce the extremely high unemployment and inequality levels. The gig market is a fair match with the informal jobs that people engage in at their local levels. However, a remarkable plus with the gig market is that its potential to grow is more compared to the informal job space.
Since starting out as a freelancer can feel intimidating, especially if you want to go full time on it yet you are used to a stable job with a steady paycheck, you must take a humble approach to it. Dedication and hard work can take you to your dreams. Freelancing can be a rewarding and profitable activity if you follow through simple practices that have proven to work for those who have gone before you. This includes the following:
- Be open about your venture. Do not be ashamed of letting people know that you are a freelancer. This will help you get support from people and companies who care about you. Surely you are a witness of influencers who have been subcontracted by companies and individuals to promote some of their services.
- Join online freelancing platforms. Join freelancing platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr, where you can find freelance work. You’ll need to compete with other freelancers, so make sure your profile is well-crafted, showcases your skills, and has relevant experience.
- Collaborate with others. Attend networking events, join industry groups, and connect with other freelancers and professionals in your field. Networking can be instrumental in finding new clients and building professional relationships.
- Be patient. Freelancing can be tough, especially in the beginning. You may have to work for a lower rate initially or work long hours to gain a foothold in the market. Be patient and persistent, and you’ll soon see your hard work pay off.
- Be adventurous. Know that if someone else has done from Africa, you also can. You many not offer the exact same service but you can customise yours to suite your capabilities.
These are just a few of the things that you must work on as a starter in the gig market. I would like to conclude by inviting you to collaborate with other freelancers in this website who are listed in the page ‘Freelancers’. You can do so by filling in the profile template from this link “Profile template” and send to admin@freelancinginafrica.com.
I often get requests in a number of services, of which some I do not offer. I share some of these requests in my TikTok profile. If a request comes my way and it meets your profile, I will undoubtedly pass on the work to you.
