February 28, 2025
The gig economy seems to be attracting players from all professional and geographical backgrounds. Statistics show that there are approximately 1.2 billion freelancers worldwide, constituting over 34% of the global workforce.
Writing or content creation and editing are freelance writers’ third most popular online income-generating activities.
What do these stats mean for Kenyan writers?
There are many opportunities in the online space. As long as you’ve got the right skill set, you can create a career or make some cash on the side from online writing.
This article lists the various online writing jobs in Kenya and the online writing sites where you can find them.
Article writing involves highlighting the pain points of a target audience, researching, and creating content that attempts to provide solutions to the predicament.
As a freelance writer, you don’t have to be the one who identifies the pain point. The client or researcher may play this part and task you with the rest of the content creation process.
Here are some of the legit online writing jobs in Kenya you’re likely to come across:
Legiit is a dynamic online marketplace designed to connect talented freelancers, including writers, with clients seeking quality services. Catering to a wide range of industries, Legiit offers a user-friendly platform that makes it easy for writers to showcase their expertise and secure writing jobs.
One of the key strengths of Legiit is its diverse selection of writing projects, which include content creation, copywriting, technical writing, and more. This allows writers to explore various niches and build a versatile portfolio. Furthermore, Legiit’s transparent review system encourages trust and credibility, ensuring that clients can find the best writers to meet their needs.
With competitive pricing, a strong focus on customer satisfaction, and a rapidly growing community, Legiit presents an excellent opportunity for both new and experienced writers to enhance their careers and find writing jobs that match their skills and interests.
Upwork is one of the largest marketplaces for freelance writing jobs globally. It’s equally a favorite source of online jobs in Kenya. Because of its global popularity, this platform is teeming with clients on the hunt for freelancers. The best part is that you can join Upwork and make money online in Kenya regardless of experience.
When clients post writing jobs on Upwork, they specify whether they want a writer with beginner or intermediate or professional experience to handle it. This clarification will help you send proposals to only the tasks you can handle satisfactorily.
Although building a winning reputation may take a bit of time and effort on your part, this platform can be a steady source of cash in the long haul. The best place to begin is to optimize your Upwork profile, and create some writing samples, also known as a portfolio, beforehand.
Upwork pays writers via PayPal and M-Pesa, and you can make as much as $50 per hour.
Fiverr is hot on the heels of Upwork as a popular platform for online writing work in Kenya. Once you join Fiverr, you can attract the right clients by creating a “gig.” Like a portfolio, your gig stands by your profile as a testimony of your capabilities.
Because Fiverr is a marketplace that allows you to create your seller account before you start offering writing services, you’re free to display yourself to potential clients at a predetermined rate. If a client is attracted, they can hit you up and set the negotiation ball rolling.
Find a step-by-step guide to creating your first gig on Fiverr here.
Guru is a freelance content writing company that provides online writing work for freelancers and companies worldwide, including Kenyans. Besides writing, this platform offers other online job opportunities, such as translation, web design, and sales. A basic level Guru freelancer account is free to open.
Although Guru’s ins and outs, such as bidding, might seem daunting initially, you’ll build an enduring portfolio with time. Then you’ll eventually begin raking handsome dollars. Meanwhile, your best bet is an attractive profile and persuasive proposals.
If you get it right, a customer might take notice of your proposal and interview you. If they feel you have what it takes, they’ll interview you and offer you an online writing job. You’re at liberty to work on a fixed hourly basis per project. It depends on what is agreeable between you and the client.
Guru charges an 8.98% fee on your earnings, paying the remainder into your PayPal account by making a direct deposit within 24 hours of processing.
PeoplePerHour is a freelance website where clients post several categories of online jobs for online writers to bid for. As a freelancer, you can then write proposals to bid for the jobs of your interest.
Some of the jobs available at PeoplePerHour include:
When you join PeoplePerHour and, with time, deliver quality service, clients might offer reviews that will appear within your profile. Another great aspect of this platform is that you can request external clients to add endorsements to your profile to achieve high ratings.
With PeoplePerHour, you choose your rates, and your payments are secured in an escrow account. Once the client has approved your task, your payment is transferred to your PeoplePerHour account. Always withdraw your payments to your PayPal or bank account within 60 days. Otherwise, you’ll pay a service fee of over 6 dollars.
PayPerContent is another excellent platform for you to get online writing jobs. One of the perks of working on this platform is that they examine you according to their editorial standards before you sign up. This vetting ensures you deliver impressive results in actual online jobs, therefore getting a steady cash flow.
Some of the available online jobs at PayPerContent include:
Once you’ve passed the skill test and are onboarded, PayPerContent will furnish you with a style guide to help you countercheck your work before submitting it. This is in keeping with their mentoring program.
There’s a constant and reliable supply of online jobs, and you can pick as many as you can complete on time. PayPerContent will deposit your payment in your PayPal account twice a month.
Freelance job boards, also known as freelance job listing sites, function differently from traditional online work platforms. They draw jobs from various sources and verify and post them on their websites. Here, you’re mainly required to create a profile showcasing your skills.
Potential employers peruse these resumes. And if they think you’re a good fit, they can contact you directly for further negotiation.
Some job boards, such as Flexjobs, only give you access to their job listing after paying a fee. Yet others limit the number of job applications you can make for free. Otherwise, you require “premium membership” for unlimited access to online jobs on their board.
Once you successfully book a client, most job boards will deduct a percentage of your pay as a service fee.
Here are the popular job boards where you’re likely to get online jobs in Kenya:
Academic writers help college students create scholarly curricular material for presentation to their supervisors for evaluation. In other words, you help students complete their assignments and clinch higher marks.
It’s safe to acknowledge that academic writing has been on the receiving end of sharp criticism from many quarters. However, many students need help with tackling specific academic sections.
Always Get it Right.
That said, the best way to get cracking as an academic writer is by recognizing your area of expertise and sticking to it. So, what is your university degree, for example? What’s your profession? Besides your training area, you can also niche out to the fields you’re interested in.
Another thing to remember is that academic writing differs drastically from article writing. In academic writing, you write formally, professionally, and precisely. But article writing mostly calls for persuasiveness and plausibility.
And because you’re helping students with their coursework, the deadlines in academic writing projects are inflexible. So, besides fluent English, punctuality is hot on the heels of precision. Failing to deliver assignments within the stipulated time will affect your reputation negatively. This will mean fewer or no future assignments for you.
Academic writing jobs may involve creating:
Many academic writing opportunities are available online, each with unique minimum entry requirements. Here are a handful of academic writing websites for you to check out:
The online writing industry keeps growing in leaps and bounds. And with it comes the chance for you to make it as an online writer. You’ll be all set for an enduring full-blown online business or side hustle with the right skills or training.
Online writing jobs in Kenya include freelance writing, content creation, copywriting, technical writing, blogging, social media management, and academic writing.
You can find online writing jobs in Kenya through various job portals, freelance platforms, social media groups, and networking with other writers and professionals in the industry.
To succeed in online writing jobs, you need excellent grammar and punctuation, strong research skills, the ability to write engaging content, and adaptability to different writing styles and formats.
Yes, many writers make a comfortable living through online writing jobs in Kenya by taking on multiple clients, working on high-paying projects, and consistently improving their writing skills.
To get started with online writing jobs in Kenya, create a compelling portfolio showcasing your writing skills, sign up on job platforms and freelance websites, and network with other professionals in the industry.
While a degree in journalism, communications, or a related field can be helpful, many online writing jobs in Kenya require only strong writing skills and relevant experience.
The average pay for online writing jobs in Kenya varies depending on the type of writing, level of expertise, and client. However, experienced writers can earn a competitive income through various projects and clients.
Yes, there are entry-level online writing jobs in Kenya for beginners. However, it’s essential to build a strong portfolio, gain experience, and improve your writing skills to secure higher-paying opportunities.