Studying full-time is tough enough — add to that the stress of limited funds, data costs, and daily expenses, and it's clear why so many South African students are looking for easy, passive ways to earn online.
The good news? You don’t need to start a business or take on a second job. With just a smartphone or laptop and an internet connection, you can start earning real money or rewards while you study, sleep, or scroll. Here are 5 trusted apps that I've personally used and recommend:
🧠 1. ySense – Get Paid to Take Surveys, Watch Videos & More
Best for: Students with a bit of free time
Payouts: PayPal, Skrill, Payoneer, or gift cards
ySense is a legitimate online micro-task platform where you can earn money for completing surveys, watching ads, signing up for free trials, and more. What makes it great is the daily availability of tasks and the low cashout threshold. You can earn a few rands a day just by clicking and answering questions in your spare time.
🎯 Sign up and start earning:
👉 https://www.ysense.com/?rb=118868342
🐝 2. Honeygain – Earn by Sharing Your Unused Internet
Best for: Students with Wi-Fi at home or uncapped data
Payouts: PayPal, JumpTokens, or BTC
Honeygain pays you for your unused internet bandwidth — that’s it! Just install the app, let it run in the background, and earn passively. It’s perfect if you’re connected to a home Wi-Fi plan or campus network. The more devices you connect, the more you can potentially earn.
🎁 Join with this link to get a $5 starting bonus:
👉 https://r.honeygain.me/CATAL4227E
📱 3. Mode Earn App (EarnApp) – Make Money Charging, Listening, Playing & More
Best for: Students who love using their phones
Payouts: Cash, gift cards, crypto
Mode Earn App (formerly Current) pays you for your daily phone habits — like charging your phone, listening to music, or playing games. You can even earn bonuses for reading news! It has a fun and rewarding point system, and cashouts can happen within a few weeks of consistent use.
🎮 Join with my invite for a FREE $15 stock bonus:
👉 https://crrnt.me/pxDVdmAM6Ub
🌐 4. Pawns.app – Share Bandwidth for Passive Income
Best for: Students who leave their laptop or phone running
Payouts: PayPal, BTC, or virtual gift cards
Like Honeygain, Pawns.app lets you earn passively by sharing bandwidth. It’s lightweight, doesn’t slow your device down, and works on both Windows and Android. Many users run it in the background while they study or stream Netflix.
📡 Start earning by installing the app here:
👉 https://discoverpawns.eu/9063615
🚀 5. JumpTask – Complete Microtasks & Get Paid in Crypto
Best for: Crypto beginners and multitaskers
Payouts: JumpTokens (JMPT), exchangeable to other crypto
JumpTask offers small, easy tasks like app installs, surveys, and quizzes. It's partnered with apps like Honeygain, so if you’re already using one of those, you’re already part of the JumpTask ecosystem. It's also a good intro into earning crypto without investing money upfront.
💰 Use my link and earn +10% bonus on your first task:
👉 https://www.jumptask.io/r/fonuwedynapy
🎓 Final Thoughts
These apps won’t make you rich overnight, but they can help cover basic expenses like mobile data, a takeout meal, or even part of your textbooks. Most of them are set-and-forget, which means you can focus on studying while your devices quietly work in the background.
💡 Pro tip: Use multiple apps at once to maximise earnings — e.g., run Honeygain and PawnsApp on Wi-Fi while doing surveys on ySense or playing on Mode Earn.
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