South Africa's gig economy is benefiting from affordable new tools that reduce costs for creators and small businesses. Innovations in design software, invoicing, and payments are making it easier for side hustlers to thrive without high fees from big tech. These changes emphasize localization to suit local currencies and needs.
An estimated 2.3 million South African households engage in side hustles, facing barriers like high costs from international tech firms. Recent developments are shifting this dynamic, particularly through Canva's acquisition of Affinity, which aims to combat subscription fatigue in the creator economy.
Canva has localized its offerings, supporting seven of South Africa's 11 official languages and introducing daily and weekly pricing in local currency. "If we’re going to empower Africans to design, we need to make sure they can buy Canva in local currency," the company stated at a recent launch. Affinity now serves as a free tool for schools and nonprofits under a permanent model, appealing to those escaping Adobe's subscriptions.
Local content creator Grant Hinds has switched from Adobe, using DaVinci Resolve for editing and the Affinity-Canva combination. "I have dropped my Adobe subscription for everything," Hinds said, noting his costs are now "infinitely cheaper".
Administrative tools are also evolving. Stub.africa provides invoicing tailored to South Africa's tax system, similar to FreshBooks but at lower costs. Zoho Solo offers a free tier for up to 100 invoices monthly, with premium plans at around R99 per month, designed for mobile use by solopreneurs. Fintech options like Franc's Hustle Account and Moya Money help separate business and personal finances affordably.
In payments, Capitec has reduced merchant fees by overhauling its backend. For merchants processing R100,000 monthly, debit card fees are now 0.85%, compared to the industry's near 3%. "We cut out all the costs that we used to pay out to vendors in order to run our systems. So we’re entirely in control of how we structure our costs to our client," explained Chris Zietsman, head of payments. This has doubled Capitec's merchant base since late 2024.
These tools collectively lower entry barriers, allowing more South Africans in places like Cape Town and Johannesburg to sustain and grow their gigs.