How to withdraw online payments from PayPal and Skrill in Kenya

For many people living in Kenya, it has been hard withdrawing their online payments from international payment processors like PayPal and Skrill (formerly MoneyBookers). Most affected are freelancers who sell their skills online. It can be very hard withdrawing your money after payments. Sure Skrill offers a way to move your money to a Kenyan bank through wire transfer, however it takes days. Say 3-5 days.

The guys at strecthGo.com can help you withdraw your money from PayPal to Mpesa but I am afraid the last time I used their services, their exchange rate was low. If you work hard for your money, you need to ensure that you make every little savings. There are other sites that claim to offer services but I found them wanting. Some of their websites were even broken and withdrawing money from them is a huge risk.

I have heard good reviews about NationHela. Coming from a reputable media company and confirmed to work, it is a good payment solution. You can sign up for your NationHela card from distributors countrywide.  DTB bank is one place to apply for one. The advantages of having the card are that you can withdraw your payments from PayPal to Kenya. The only problem I have with the card is that money takes 2-3 days to arrive in your account.

Recently Equity bank became the second bank in Africa to allow PayPal payments. Receive your money to your local bank account. Talk to your bank and I am sure they will explain it to you.

How to withdraw your money immediately

When I realized that you can withdraw directly from PayPal to Kenya I was happy that I was no longer going to lose my hard earned cash through money changers. The good part is that if you get paid via Skrill, you can withdraw instantly too. How is this possible and why have I never heard about it?

A Payoneer debit card is the easiest way to manage your online payments. Better still, when you apply for the US Payment service, it allows you to get paid directly by many US companies like PayPal, Skrill(MoneyBookers), Amazon, Apple etc. The ease with which you can access your money is amazing. You can withdraw your money from millions of MasterCard branded ATMs worldwide. That includes nearly all banks in Kenya. PesaPoint outlets are also MasterCard branded and you can get your money from there.

Even better than withdrawing your money is shopping with your card. You can pay with your card at millions of MasterCard points of sale worldwide. You pay no charges for that.

How do I get my card?

You can apply for a Payoneer debit card by clicking thislink. After successful application, you will receive your card by post. Login to your account and activate it. You can load money to your card for spending or use it to get paid worldwide.

The advantages of having a Payoneer debit card are many and varied. I wrote another detailed post about the card and its advantages. You can read it to get an idea of what you will gain by applying. If you have any questions you can post them on the forum and I will answer them.

Diversify your Earning Online to Create a Full Income on the Internet

It's no secret that earning online is easy, especially when said than when done. You are probably tired of reading blogs that promise to show you how to make a fortune online, only to realize that they were really hoping you would click some ad since just like you, they are still not making anything. It's hard to hustle on the internet where things change everyday and what was in yesterday is old news today.

For many people making money online is never easy, more so from blogging. So how do bloggers manage to make a living year in year out without complaining? Are guys seriously depending on good old Google Adsense? Do most bloggers get enough traffic to make more money than the likes of Copyblogger, Problogger among others?

The truth about making money online is about finding opportunities and grabbing them before anyone does. Just because I spoke against freelancing in my last post doesn't mean you quit altogether. I meant that you shouldn't make it your only source of income. Learn to diversify.

For example, while earning money from Google adsense, you can still add a 'programmer for hire', or 'writer for hire' etc page on your site and make an extra income from events or work your readers give you. Believe you me that most people are more likely to hire someone they know or trust. Your readers are used to communicating with you(assuming you have a busy site) and will have some level of trust in you and your ability to deliver.

There are also other ways to make money online. You can create websites, promote them for a year or two then sell them for a profit. Barely three years after Instagram was launched, they sold to Facebook for a cool billion. You might have to be very creative to create websites that sell for such staggering amounts like that, but you can make a good fortune selling websites.

The thing is not about being a 'Jack of all trades and master of none' but mastering what you do and juggling to make an extra coin. It's easy online because you can easily get paying clients and marketing is easy. People juggle between jobs in the real world and it is usually harder. For the internet entrepreneur who is willing to work hard, some extra money for entertainment is always forthcoming.

Don't stick with one thing if it's not paying enough. Not unless you are sure of what you are doing and have clear goals. Try something extra if you can. Money is good, extra money is always good, always welcome.

Beyond Freelancing: Make a Dependable Earning Online.

Freelancing is arguably the  easiest way to make quick money online. You just need an account and a skill. What you make translates to how fast, accurate and hardworking you are. The opportunities are endless, so long as you can stretch your muscle.

The list of freelancing sites is endless, but come to think of it, their investors have a head count, and they are not so many. The problem with freelancing is that it provides you with your daily bread, so long as you can work. You could say that you are always ready to work, but think about it, you want to rest too and let your work work for you and your money to bring you more cash. It's always welcome,old notes, crisp notes, virtual, plastic, money is always good. You want to invest your work so that it can bring more money tomorrow.

When you are freelancing, you never have any rights to your works. As soon as you sell them to the guy hiring you, they cease to be yours. Say you write an article and sell it for a $1 or $5 if you get a good deal , even if your article went viral and earned they guy who bought it a fortune, you would never claim it, even the credits.

It's always a good thing to create a business, however small for your products. There are so many ways you can sell your work so it brings you money everyday. For example you can create a website for your product(say software) and sell it to many customers by charging for downloads. Last time I checked, the mama mboga was selling his Sukuma wiki online, high end market.

By taking time to develop on your works and sell them for what they are really worth, you will never make enough to live off online. Freelancing is for college, build a small business after that. It's a way to grow out dependency. In Robert Kiyosaki's cash-flow Quadrant, the idea is to be on the side where either people work for you or money is working for you. Take some time to look at the image below.

Take some time to invest a future for yourself, so you can get more time to play and share laughs. Trust me, they are the most important things about life.

I have nothing against freelancing, it's an easy way to make a quick shilling, however if you want to make big bucks,  like they say it, you have to grow past that.

Popular Blogs and Bloggers in Kenya

Blogging is the in-thing in Kenya right now. There was Facebook but as of late its no longer so interesting. Unless am getting traffic from them or just checking what is happening on a lazy day like this, you won't find me on Facebook. I love a good opinion and that is where bloggers come in.

Well if you are looking for a good list of popular blogs in Kenya, here we go:

Nairobi Wire
If you want to know what is happening in Nairobi and generally Kenya, this is the blog you should be reading. Mostly covers entertainment news and celebrity gossip.

A Nairobi's Perspective
Generally covers life in Nairobi and the world at large. Read about the opinion of a Nairobi guy and his two cents about everyday life.

Kumekucha
This is a blog about Kenyan politics and news.


Kenyan Girls Relationship Blog
I love this girl! No, I love her articles. If you want to read the latest about love, romance and relationships, some female gossip, you should be subscribed to this blog.

The Lily Review-Tell your Story
Another blog about love and relationships. Expert analysis of relationship issues and more.

The Photography of Mutua Matheka
Love photography? You've got to love this blog. Look at stunning photos taken by Mutua Matheka. If am not wrong this guy won some wordpress award for his efforts at photo blogging.

Wamathai
For the lovers of poetry and creative fiction, this is the blog you should be reading.

Mars Group Blog
The Mars group are famous for their role in activism. This is their official blog.

Kenyan Jobs-A collection of Kenyan Jobs
This blog post fresh jobs everyday. If you are a job seeker than you should be subscribed to their email list or rss feed. For those who are seriously tarmacking, safe your fare and read this blog everyday. You might land a job very soon.

I must admit that this might not be the most comprehensive blog list ever. If you are a blogger and you feel your blog has been left out. You can add it here at Kenyan blog list.