The North-West continues to be amongst the provinces with the highest unemployment rates in the country. With limited job opportunities, some people, including women, have given up on the traditional search for employment.
Instead, social media has become an alternative source of income. Monetising their content help some to meet their basic needs.
Using their everyday life skills and experiences in the digital economy can help many survive, says the Mahikeng-based content creator, Boitumelo Mzingaye.
“I monetized my page, my platform, social media platform, about my family. I somehow earn money from it. And I do make a good profit from it. It’s mostly based on my family, my kids, my lifestyle, the rawness of it. I give it out as it is. When you post a video more on social media, especially when you are unemployed, you can actually make money out of it,” she explains.
Mzingaye says this is an alternative source of income for the unemployed, especially those who already have access to smartphones.
“You can also. As long as you have your phone with you, you can use that to your advantage, and you don’t need to be fancy. Like, back then, we knew that for you to be a content creator, you needed to have a slim figure, you needed to have a beautiful house. It doesn’t work like that anymore. Whatever you have, you can make money out of it. And it will, it will ease up the stress of your unemployment, of the high rate, of this high rate of unemployment,” she adds.
