Do Writers Make Money in South Africa?

With the surge of tourists to South Africa, who are mainly from Europe and the United States, there has been a growing demand for professional and well-educated South African writers. This is why so many foreign authors now call South Africa home after living for many years in the United Kingdom or the United States. Not only do writers make money in South Africa, they also get to experience a diverse cultural heritage that is also very welcoming to expats.

However, one of the most difficult areas to be a freelance writer in is crime and legal fields, as the market is flooded with hundreds of inexperienced and credentialed writers. Fortunately, this does not mean that you cannot make a decent living writing about these subjects. You will need a familiarity with a variety of subjects, including crime, human rights, medical, and law. Some writers work full-time as consultants for large law firms, and some even work as private investigators. Others conduct independent researches on topics of their choosing from whatever sources they can find.

When writers do make money in South Africa, it usually comes in the form of a proportion of the publishing sales of the books they have written. Of course, once you have published a book, you have no future claim on future sales. But if you have a popular book or have won any literary accolade, you will find that selling books to local bookstores can be profitable. Many writers in South Africa earn a comfortable living through writing, and if you have an attractive website, you may find that customers from all over the world are willing to buy from you. In addition to being a highly desirable commodity, writing can also provide you with a very stable career.