Top 5 Paypal Earning Apps in South Africa (2024)

The potential to earn money online has grown tremendously over the past decade. With an internet connection and some spare time, people all over the world are finding ways to generate extra income through online money-making platforms and apps.

One of the most popular online payment services worldwide is PayPal, which allows users to securely send and receive funds digitally.

For those living in South Africa, PayPal offers an accessible way to get paid online, even from international clients and companies.

This article will explore some of the best PayPal earning apps available specifically for users in South Africa.

While there are many apps that offer the chance to earn PayPal money, not all work smoothly in South Africa. Some popular international apps restrict users in certain countries or offer limited payment options.

We will look at apps that are confirmed accessible and useable specifically for South Africans looking to earn extra money in their spare time.

These PayPal earning apps allow South Africans to take surveys, complete micro jobs, rent out assets, get cash back on online shopping, earn from referrals, and more.

With so many earning options available through apps today, South Africans can choose those that work best with their schedule and interests.

Whether you want to spend a few minutes answering surveys during your commute, or take on more involved projects during your free time, there are PayPal earning apps tailored for you.

We will cover the main features, benefits, and earning potential of the top options worth checking out.

Key Takeaways

To summarize key points covered in this guide to PayPal earning apps in South Africa:

There are a growing number of apps like Swagbucks, Poll Pay, Field Agent, SwiftRewards, and Fetch Rewards offering convenient ways for South Africans to earn money online through PayPal.
Most apps allow earning through straightforward tasks like taking surveys, watching videos, completing sign-up offers, scanning receipts, and referrals programs.
With consistent daily use, earnings of R100-R500+ per month are reasonable depending on the app and time committed.
Getting started is simple by just downloading the app and creating an account. Some tips to maximize earnings include hitting daily caps, taking advantage of promos/contests, and referring friends.
While apps provide easy earn opportunities, there are some limitations like fluctuating payments, lack of creativity, and earning ceilings.
Alternatives like freelancing, selling products/services, and monetizing a website require more effort up front but offer higher long-term income potential.

Top 5 PayPal earning apps in South Africa

South Africa has a growing range of PayPal earning apps available. Here are 5 of the top options worth exploring:

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a popular online rewards platform and app that lets users earn points (called “SB”) in various ways. SB can then be redeemed for PayPal cash. Here are some of the ways to earn on Swagbucks in South Africa:

Answering surveys – Surveys range from just a few minutes up to 20 minutes. While survey availability and rewards vary, they can pay from a couple SB up to 300+ SB depending on length and topic.
Online shopping – Users earn cash back when shopping from partner stores like Amazon and Takealot. Rates are 1-20% cash back.
Watching videos – Short sponsored video ads and Swagbucks TV both earn SB for viewers. Earn up to 150 SB per day.
Playing games – Mobile games and online games like solitaire on the platform earn SB for gameplay.
Completing offers – Signing up for free trials, subscriptions, or other offers through Swagbucks can earn hundreds of SB.
Referring friends – Earn 100 SB for each friend that joins and earns 300 SB on sign up through a referral link.

Swagbucks has paid out over $500 million worldwide. In South Africa, 300 SB is worth around R50 PayPal cash. With consistent use, users can expect to earn R100-R300+ per month.

2. Poll Pay

Poll Pay is an app focused on answering opinion-based surveys and polls. Surveys center around entertainment, products, politics, and current events. Here’s an overview:

Surveys – Each survey pays from $0.50 up to $2. As a rough estimate, expect to earn around $1 per 5-minute survey on average.
Polls – These very quick polls pay $0.05-$0.10 each and take under a minute. Poll Pay offers unlimited polls.
Referrals – Earn 10% of what your referrals earn by sharing your referral link.
Contests – Daily, weekly, and monthly contests award points you can redeem for additional cash rewards.

Payments are sent instantly to PayPal when you cash out. In South Africa, around R10-R15 can be earned for a few minutes of daily participation. With more consistent use, users report earning several hundred rand per month.

3. Field Agent

As a “mobile market research platform”, Field Agent pays users to complete various tasks like mystery shopping, audits, and research initiatives. Here’s an overview:

Local jobs – Browse and select jobs nearby requiring in-person visits to stores, restaurants, or other venues to complete audits, report on prices, take photos, evaluate customer service, etc.
Product testing – Get paid to test products at home and share your experience. Common tests include trying food, using electronics, or evaluating household items.
Surveys – Take surveys on shopping habits, brand experiences, ads, or products. These can be location-based.
Referrals – Earn a percentage of your referrals’ earnings for getting others to join.

Jobs pay between R15-R400 each and take 5-30 minutes on average. Power users report earning R1000+ per week, but more casual users can expect R100-R300 per month.

4. SwiftRewards

SwiftRewards is a South Africa-based rewards program that pays users to complete offers, win prizes, watch videos, refer friends, and more. Ways to earn include:

Surveys – Earn R5-R10 for surveys taking 5-15 minutes. Topics include consumer goods, ads, and opinions.
Sponsored videos – Get paid to watch short branded video ads and content.
Sign-up offers – Register for free trials of services or products to earn between R15-R150 per offer completed.
Scratch cards – Get free daily scratch cards with prizes from R1 up to R500.
Referrals – Get 100 Rewards points (R10) for each friend you refer.
Contests – Daily, weekly, and monthly contests award top point collectors.

Expect to earn around R30-R60 for about 15 minutes of daily activity. With consistent usage, R100-R300+ per month is achievable.

5. Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards allows users to earn rewards by scanning grocery/retail receipts and snapping photos of product barcodes. Here’s an overview:

Receipt scanning – Scan receipts from any store and earn points for every eligible item purchased. Na average receipt earns 100-400 points.
Product scanning – Scan barcodes of specific product packages to earn extras points for those items.
Referrals – Get 2,000 points (R20) for each friend you refer who scans one receipt.
Prize drawings – Occasional contests award points with prizes up to 100,000 points (R1,000).

Every 1,000 points is worth around R10 which can be cashed out to PayPal. Active users report earning R100-R500+ per month depending on receipts scanned.

How to get started

Earning money through apps is appealing for its convenience and accessibility.

But how simple is it to actually get started earning with these PayPal money apps in South Africa? Here is an overview of what’s involved in signing up and starting to earn with each of our top picks:

Swagbucks

Getting signed up – Creating an account is simple with an email, password, and confirming your location. There’s no Swagbucks mobile app for iOS and Android.

Starting to earn – The welcome bonus gets you started with 300 SB after earning 300 SB within your first 30 days. Completing this provides R50+ right away.

Daily activities – To maximize earnings, aim to complete the “Daily Goal” which includes:

Answer app survey – Takes 1-2 mins for 25 SB
Play Swagbucks Live – Trivia game with possible SB winnings
Answer Daily Poll – Quick poll for 1-3 SB
SwagButton activities – Install browser extension to earn SB from web searches, shopping, videos, etc.
Attempt a survey – Check for available surveys in your account.

Redeeming – Cash out earnings to PayPal whenever you have 300 SB, the minimum threshold. This takes around 5-10 days to receive after redeeming.

Poll Pay

Getting signed up – Provide an email and create a password to register an account. Poll Pay is available for iOS and Android.

Starting to earn – Take the welcome polls paying $1-$2 to complete and get first earnings.

Daily activities – Open the app daily and tap available polls and surveys to maxmize earnings:

Tap any ready polls paying $0.05-$0.10
Browse surveys and take highly rated, interesting ones expected to take <10 minutes
Check notifications for any new polls or surveys added

Redeeming – Cash out instantly to PayPal whenever you reach the $5 minimum threshold.

Field Agent

Getting signed up – Download app and provide name, contact info, and payment details to create an account.

Starting to earn – Browse “On Demand” jobs you can complete right away like visiting a nearby store.

Maximizing earnings – Enable background location access and notifications to get notified about nearby jobs first. Check for newly posted jobs multiple times daily.

Completing jobs – Follow all provided guidelines and submit required photos/information by deadline to get paid for each job.

Redeeming – Earnings will be automatically sent to your selected payment method, like PayPal, upon completion. There are no minimum cash out requirements.

SwiftRewards

Getting signed up – Provide name, email, contact details, and confirm you are in South Africa.

Starting to earn – Take the welcome surveys under “Surveys” and browse “Offers” to register for free trials that interest you.

Daily activities – Check the app daily for new surveys, videos, scratch cards, and contests. Scratch cards refill at midnight.

Referring friends – Share your referral code to earn 100 points (R10) for each friend who joins.

Redeeming – Rewards points can be cashed out instantly to PayPal with no minimum amount.

Fetch Rewards

Getting signed up – Download app, create an account with email and phone number, then verify the account.

Starting to earn – Dig through old grocery/retail receipts and scan them into the app to earn for past purchases.

Maximizing earnings – Enable location services so you can receive notifications when nearby high-value receipts can earn bonus points when scanned.

Daily use – Remember to scan every grocery/retail receipt from any store into the app within 14 days of purchase to earn for every item.

Redeeming – Cash out instantly to PayPal whenever you have 3,000 points, worth around R30. There are also gift card options.

Tips for maximizing earnings to your PayPal

While signing up for PayPal money apps in South Africa is easy, maximizing how much you actually earn takes some strategy and effort. Here are some top tips for earning the most possible from each app:

General Tips

Be consistent – Earnings add up much faster when you engage with the apps daily vs. sporadically.
Take advantage of referral programs – Referring friends is offered by most apps and the earnings can add up quickly.
Watch for contests & special offers – Time limited contests and special promotions can provide big boosts in earnings.
Cash out earnings right away – Don’t let earnings accumulate unnecessarily. Cash out through PayPal whenever you hit the minimum threshold.

Swagbucks

Hit the “Daily Goal” – Try to max out the daily activities needed to get the bonus SB for reaching the Daily Goal.
Install SwagButton – The browser extension provides consistent earning opportunities from standard internet use.
Play games & watch videos to the max – Earning from games and videos is capped per day, so maximize it.
Take surveys – Try for 1 or 2 surveys per day. Watch out for screen out risk after spending time.
Shop cash back offers – The bonuses can be significant from shopping partners.

Poll Pay

Have notifications on – Get notified immediately when new surveys and polls are posted to earn them first.
Check app frequently – The inventory of available earning opportunities changes all the time. Checking back often increases earnings.
Only do <10 minute surveys – Longer surveys often screen out users, so stick to short ones only.
Match your demographics – Only take surveys that match your gender, age range, and interests to avoid disqualification.
Max out daily poll earnings – Do every poll available each day since there are no limits.

Field Agent

Enable GPS tracking – By knowing your location, the app can notify you right away of nearby jobs.
Set wide location range – Choose the maximum distance you’re willing to travel for jobs. A wider range provides more options.
Act quickly on notifications – Respond to job alerts instantly to claim before other users. Popular jobs fill up in seconds.
Keep weekends flexible – Most jobs are on weekends when stores are busiest. Keeping weekends availability wide open helps.
Do bonus jobs – Some jobs award bonuses like $1 per photo submitted or $5 for completing 5 jobs in a week.

SwiftRewards

Answer multiple survey styles – Try all survey categories like Daily Surveys, Top Surveys, and Your Surveys to find your sweet spots.
Watch videos fully – Don’t click away early or earnings are voided. Mute and let them play.
Double up offers – When doing free trial offers, look for ones offering bonus rewards for joining 2+ similar services.
Refer friends actively – Share your link proactively via messaging, social media, and other communication channels. Remind friends to sign up.
Enter contests daily – It takes seconds to enter current contests, some which have big prizes.

Fetch Rewards

Dig through old receipts – Most stores allow lookups of past receipts by credit card. Input them all into Fetch to get rewarded retroactively.
Buy promoted products – Fetch boosts point earnings for specific products each week. Buy those items that week for extra points.
Link unused accounts – Link spouse or family/roommate accounts to earn from all receipts in one place.
Do receipt scans during events – Limited-time events will boost point earnings from certain brands or products.
Take photos clearly – Make sure all text/numbers on the receipt are legible before submitting to ensure it scans properly.

Pros and cons of earning through apps in South Africa

While PayPal earning apps in South Africa provide great opportunities to earn extra money with ease, there are some advantages and disadvantages to be aware of:

Pros

Flexible schedule – Most app tasks like surveys and scanning receipts can be done at any time of day when it’s convenient.
Tasks are accessible – No special skills are required. Anyone with a smartphone and internet access can participate and earn.
Quick payments – Unlike some online earning methods, payments are sent promptly after cashing out.
Anonymous – Earnings don’t need to be claimed as income. Users don’t have to provide ID or personal details.
Passive earning – Some apps reward you for regular activities like shopping or playing games you enjoy anyway.
No minimum payouts – Many apps allow cashing out any amount instantly instead of making users wait to hit payout thresholds.
Convenience – Being able to earn extra money using a phone on-the-go is extremely convenient.
International apps available – South Africans can earn from many international apps, not just local ones.

Cons

Takes effort and time – While convenient, earning worthwhile amounts still requires dedicating time consistently. It is not completely passive.
Tasks can be tedious – App activities like surveys, receipts scans, and offers might not be enjoyable ways to spend time.
Limited earning ceiling – It’s unlikely for most to replace a full income with apps. Earnings are capped based on time commitment.
Need internet access – Apps often use data or require internet connectivity, limiting ability to earn offline.
Cash outs take time – Though faster than some alternatives, PayPal cash outs still take days or weeks to reflect in accounts. Not instant like gift cards.
Activities could flag accounts – Banks sometimes flag unusual earning patterns for suspected fraud leading to frozen accounts.
Scams exist – With money involved, scams are a risk. Users must be cautious and skeptical.
Earnings fluctuate – Available tasks, bonuses, and payment amounts can vary widely week-to-week. Earnings are not perfectly consistent.

Alternatives to earning through apps in South Africa

While convenient and accessible, earning through apps does have some downsides as mentioned above. What are some alternative methods South Africans could consider for earning money through PayPal? Here are a few options:

Freelancing

One of the most popular ways to earn through PayPal not only here in South Africa, but worldwide is freelancing – offering various skills and services virtually

Here are some freelancing alternatives to earning through apps:

Writing/Editing – There is high demand for writers and editors to create or refine blogs, articles, website content, book manuscripts, and more. No specialized education is needed, just strong writing skills.
Virtual assistance – Offer administrative, research, data entry, customer service, or other assistive tasks remotely for clients. English fluency and basic computer skills required.
Programming & tech – Programming in languages like Python, web/app development, data science, and information security are very popular remote freelancing services worldwide.
Design – Graphic designers, product designers, and other creative roles. Can provide logos, visual assets, ads, branding, or UX/UI design services.
Consulting – With expertise in a niche, offer consulting calls and services to clients seeking guidance. Experience in any field from finance to gardening can be marketable.
Translation – Fluency in multiple languages allows translators to localize content, books, films, games, apps, and other media.
Online tutoring – Help students remotely through platforms like Varsity Tutors in subjects like math, economics, languages, and much more.

The major benefits of freelancing over earning through apps are higher income potential and ability to be more creative/impactful with meaningful skills and services offered.

However, the downsides are less consistency, more effort to acquire clients, and the demands of freelance bookkeeping/taxes.

Selling Products or Services

Monetizing a skill, passion, or offering through selling is another alternative:

Sell handmade crafts/art – Crochet, woodwork, paintings and more can be sold on platforms like Etsy without needing to build a standalone website.
Sell printables or digital products – Create templates, planners, ebooks, courses or graphics for sale through sites like Creative Market that handle payments.
Offer online classes – Teach classes focused on skills or hobbies through platforms like Udemy or your own website. For example, teach guitar, yoga, or watercolor virtually.
Sell resources/tools – Programmers can sell code snippets, apps, plugins, themes and more. Writers can compile and sell toolkits. Anyone can sell resources related to their expertise.
Consulting calls/services – Similar to freelancing, sell your expertise through scheduled calls, critiques, evaluations, strategy sessions, or other interactive services.

The upside of selling is more control over pricing and the type of work.

The downside is items need significant upfront development, and marketing/client acquisition is still required.

Website Monetization

Building a website or blog in your niche/area of expertise provides various monetization opportunities in South Africa:

Affiliate marketing – Earn commission promoting relevant products through affiliate links on your site’s content.
Display ads – Show pay-per-click ads through networks like Google AdSense. Earn when visitors click ads.
Sponsored posts – Get paid by brands to create sponsored content, reviews, tutorials, and other posts promoting or featuring their products.
Online courses/memberships – Offer premium learning programs, communities or content users pay to access. Allows more meaningful engagement with an audience.

Monetizing through an owned website takes more effort up front, but provides more earning potential than apps over time. The digital real estate of an owned site is an asset you fully control.

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Overall, PayPal earning apps are a convenient way for South Africans to generate side income and cashout earnings from mobile.

With the right strategies, apps provide an accessible starting point for anyone to begin earning money online.