How Rwandans are navigating online work

After losing her retail job, Sandrine Iradukunda, 24, a transcriptionist based in Kigali, thought she had hit a dead end—until a cousin overseas showed her how to earn money online.

Today, she’s part of a growing wave of Rwandans finding opportunity in the global digital economy—but not without risk.

She listens to audio files (like interviews, meetings, or podcasts) and transcribes them accurately. Also called a transcriber, a transcriptionist is a professional who creates written copy of either video or audio content.

Her cousin introduced her to transcription—typing out interviews, podcasts, and other audio content for clients. Iradukunda started watching free YouTube tutorials on the skills needed to transcribe perfectly. Within three weeks, she applied to a legit platform called GoTranscript, a company that provides human-made transcription services. She passed their transcription test and was approved as a freelancer.

“At first, I thought it was too good to be true. I kept asking myself, how can someone from Kigali, with no connections and no experience, get paid by a company overseas just for typing? But I was determined to try,” said Iradukunda.

“When I passed and started working, I got my first $15 per hour job, I couldn’t believe it. I literally cried when the money hit my account. It was the first time I saw proof that online work was real and that I could actually do it. Today, I work part-time for clients in the U.S., earning over $300 a month which is enough to cover rent and support my spendings.”

Digital jobs have become a lifeline for many, whether to make ends meet, build a career, or escape rigid 9-to-5 routines. From freelance design and content writing to virtual assistance and tech support, more people, especially the youth, are turning to the internet to make a living.

Digital jobs are roles you can do online using a computer or even a smartphone, often from the comfort of your home or any location with internet access. These jobs span across various fields such as freelance writing, graphic design, transcription, data entry, virtual assistance, social media management, web development, digital marketing, and online tutoring, among others.

Digital work doesn’t require any degree to get started. As long as you have a marketable skill, a stable internet connection, and a clear plan, you can begin earning and building a career online, according to the experiences of remote professionals.

‘Getting scammed taught me a hard lesson’

But with opportunity comes risk. From fake offers to online scams, many people give up before finding something real.

In a desperate search for remote work, Jean-Claude Umuhire, a 32-year-old online affiliate marketer from Rwamagana District, paid $100 to someone he only met online. This person claimed they could apply for digital jobs on Umuhire’s behalf in 2018. After submitting the required documents, Umuhire was asked to pay an additional $70 due to system changes.

Fearing he’d lose his initial investment, Umuhire went ahead and made the second payment only to be completely ghosted.

“I thought about my $100 and decided to proceed so I wouldn’t make a loss. But after the second payment, I lost contact with the person. That’s when I began to question whether online jobs were even real,” he said.

“I was angry at myself for being so green. But I also realized I needed to stop looking for shortcuts. I had to learn the skills and apply properly, like everyone else. I really wanted something flexible.”

Motivated to start afresh, Umuhire turned to Cousera, an organization that offers online courses, certifications, and degrees in a variety of subjects, and he learnt the basics of digital marketing. He joined free Facebook groups where people shared real advice on freelancing and building portfolios.

Within two months, he landed his first legitimate client through Remotive.io, a fully remote job opportunity from vetted tech companies, and he earned $450 for the first successful project.

“Getting scammed taught me a hard lesson and also forced me to take control. Now I work independently as a freelance. I also help other people avoid fake offers because I know exactly how damaging they can be.”

Although freelancing offers new digital income opportunities in Rwanda, the sector remains small and marked by inequality. According to Rwanda’s Online Workforce & Digital Labor Market Report (2019–2025), only 1,437 Rwandans earned income through Upwork – an American freelancing platform – between 2017 and 2023, collectively earning $6 million.

However, the top 20 freelancers captured 69% of that total, leaving over 1,400 others to share the rest.

“Despite an effective average hourly rate of $22.87, freelancers typically expected to earn $30.87/hour, indicating pressure from global competition, undervalued projects, or strategic underbidding. The report concludes that Rwanda’s freelance workforce is highly concentrated among a few skilled individuals, echoing global patterns but on a smaller scale,” said Alex Ntale, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda ICT Chamber.

The report also highlights that Rwanda’s freelance workforce is small, highly concentrated, and limited to a few well-trained individuals mirroring global trends, but with less scale.

Despite the potential of digital freelancing to expand economic opportunities, Rwanda faces several structural challenges that limit widespread participation. According to Ntale, a key barrier is the skills gap many aspiring freelancers lack essential capabilities like bid writing, client communication, and deadline management.

“There is also no national programme to onboard Rwandans into the gig economy, unlike Kenya’s Ajira Digital initiative. Infrastructure remains another obstacle, with reliable internet and workspaces largely limited to Kigali, leaving rural and secondary city residents behind,” he said.

“Payment systems present further difficulties, as platforms like PayPal and Payoneer are not fully integrated with local banks or mobile money. Culturally, freelancing is not widely accepted as a legitimate career path, leading to low societal support.”

To address these challenges, the report recommends launching a National Freelance Rwanda Programme and setting up decentralized digital work hubs with high-speed internet, mentorship, and support services aimed at creating a more inclusive and geographically balanced freelance ecosystem.

How to spot scams

One of the clearest signs of a remote job scam is being asked to pay money upfront, said Umuhire.

“Legitimate employers never request payment for training, job placement, or application processing. If someone asks for a $50 account setup fee or claims you need to pay to upgrade your application, that’s a red flag,” said Umuhire.

“Another warning sign is a job offer that sounds too good to be true, like promises of earning $500 a day with no skills or experience, or being hired without an interview. Genuine employers provide clear job descriptions, outline expectations, and require some level of qualification or vetting.”

Umuhire said that scammers often rely on unofficial communication channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or Facebook inbox, without offering any professional email address or website.

In contrast, real companies usually use domain-based emails and have a verifiable online presence.

Pay attention to how the job post is written. If the language is riddled with spelling mistakes, bad grammar, or strange formatting, it’s likely a scam. Professional companies put effort into their communication and recruitment materials, he said.

“Scam recruiters may also try to pressure you into acting quickly, saying things, for example, ‘Only 3 spots left send money now!’ This urgency tactic is designed to keep you from researching or thinking critically,” said Umuhire.

“Another red flag is when a job lacks clear details. If the post doesn’t mention the nature of the work, payment method, working hours, or what’s expected of you, proceed with caution. Legit employers are transparent from the start.”

And always verify the company or client.

If you can’t find them on Google, LinkedIn, or professional job boards, they may not be real. Always research before agreeing to anything or sharing personal information, he said.

Where to find legit online jobs

Upwork, a global freelancing platform where businesses and independent professionals (freelancers) connect to work on remote projects, is one possibility.

Fiverr, popular for graphic design, writing, voiceovers, video editing, digital marketing, and others, is another.

Freelancer is another app that offers thousands of jobs in tech, writing, design, engineering, and more.