Top Companies for South Africans for Teaching English Online

Teaching English abroad when you live in South Africa may seem like an impossible dream. Moving around to other countries can be difficult, with the requirements for South Africans being complicated. Teaching English online is an excellent alternative for many people and even more fulfilling. It means they can live and work surrounded by friends and family. When finding a job teaching English online, having a South African address can be prohibitive in some cases. Some websites only accept teachers from North America, Canada, or England. However, plenty of teaching English online schools are delighted to welcome applications from teachers living in many different countries, including South Africa. In this blog, we shall discuss the top companies for South Africans to Teach English Online

Before undertaking a TEFL qualification, it’s always worth checking out the chances of gaining successful employment. We understand that course fees can be pretty expensive. So committing is very scary if you don’t know that there will be a job for you at the end. With this in mind, we have investigated many tutoring companies and their policies on accepting teachers from countries such as South Africa. 

Here are some Top Companies in South Africa to Teach English Online

First Future

This online tutor provides lessons for students who are Chinese natives looking to learn English as a second language. You would be required to teach a live broadcast lesson to a class of around 20 students. They gather their students into a classroom, and then you appear on screen to teach. Class times are from 6 pm to 9 pm local time for them. They ask for a bachelor’s degree and evidence that you have taught for around a year. Naturally, they will be looking for a TEFL qualification. So you must ensure that you also have this, and like the ones we offer, that it is internationally recognized and accredited by a governing body. The company provides all materials needed for teaching; you can expect to earn between $18 and $23 an hour.

SayABC

This online tutoring company is also based in Beijing. They have smaller classes where you will only have four students at any one time. They will be native Chinese speakers who are looking to learn English. The program is designed for younger learners, so your students will be around five years to 12 years old. They have their online learning platform and use materials from National Geographic. Teachers are expected to plan their lessons from the materials provided. Classes run from 5 pm to 9 pm local time and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.

The time difference puts China six hours ahead, and therefore the weekend shifts would be pretty antisocial, but the evening class is a lot easier. Remember that the platform may require you to commit to some early changes. They are looking for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and a teaching qualification, where your TEFL certification would come in. Experience is preferred but not essential, but you will need evidence that you are a native English speaker.

iTutorGroup

Many online language companies are based in China and Taiwan, and iTutorGroup is no exception. They offer lessons for adult and child learners, but that is a heavy focus on business English when teaching adults. Your students will come from Japan, Taiwan and China. The platform asks that teachers have a TEFL certification, a bachelor’s degree, and, if possible, a year of teaching experience. The site provides all the materials you will need to teach lessons.

The fact that your adult learners will be looking for business English is suitable for class times. They will be at work during the day, so they will expect to be able to learn in the evenings. With the time difference, this gives you a job between midday and 4 o’clock. Payment varies with a few factors, including your nationality, how many classes you teach, and the reviews left by your students. You will start at around $10 per hour as a general guide. But the most popular and highly reviewed teachers can make $30 an hour.

Cambly

This is considered one of the lower-earning sites; they pay their tutors $0.17 per minute, which equates to around $10.20 an hour. However, this could be an excellent way to gain teaching experience as they do not need applicants for a degree or even a TEFL certificate. We highly recommend the latter as you will learn a lot about teaching English online and be able to do an excellent job. That said, it makes a great starting point for someone looking to break into teaching English online. Your requirement as a teacher is to chat with your students using the Skype platform, and it’s up to the student how long the lesson lasts. There is no requirement to plan lessons, so it can be a perfect way to earn some extra money.

IQBar

Based in the UK, IQBar teaches phonics and English lessons to youngsters and offers exam preparation and English lessons for older students, including adults. The main tasks are 30 minutes long, but teachers can increase their earnings by providing one-hour academic subject mentoring sessions, 30-minute seminars, and one-hour university consultations. They require their tutors to be native English speakers without heavy accents.

You will also need a TEFL certification of at least 120 hours and be able to demonstrate a year’s teaching experience. He will likely start as a Flexi teacher, but getting on a contract will earn you more money. The rates offered are £10 per hour during the week and £12 per hour at the weekend. The way you are more money is to teach more hours than you are contracted, so essentially providing overtime.

All of the details provided for these online tutoring companies were correct at the time of writing, but it’s always worth checking their policies as sometimes things change. You need to remember that many of these opportunities will be self-employed. So you will be responsible for your earnings and any tax due to the government.

Other Online Platforms that Accept Non-Native English Teachers

If English is not considered your first language, you will probably have to demonstrate that you are fluent and capable of teaching. Anyone with a strong accent can also find it harder to teach English online. However, as well as the companies listed above, others might be worth your time who do accept non-native English teachers who can provide evidence that they are suitably well-versed in English to be able to teach.

Engoo

Engoo does not require their teachers to have a degree, but they prefer that you have a TEFL certification. This will help prove that your English is good enough to teach, but they accept applications from non-native speakers. There is also no requirement for any prior teaching experience, and they provide the lessons for you. The pay is not great, starting at $2.80-$10 per hour, but there is no minimum commitment, so you can work as few hours as you like, and it may just fill the gaps.

Ginseng English

The pay is better here, but still not great; you can earn between $10 and $15 per hour. Again, there is no requirement to have a bachelor’s degree, but they do not provide lesson plans; you will have to sort these for yourself. They would prefer that you can provide evidence of previous teaching, and you will need a TEFL certification. The site teaches young adults and child learners, and no minimum hourly commitment is required from teachers.

Italki 

Italki has an unusual concept where tutors can set their fees but should be aware of overpricing themselves and not being chosen. The site does not provide lesson plans. You will need to create these, but you will not need a degree or any previous experience in teaching. A TEFL certification is preferable and will make it easier for you to deliver quality lessons. Your students can be of all ages, and again you do not have to commit to any minimum teaching hours. 

Latin Hire

Latin Hire stipulates that teachers must have a TEFL qualification and a year of teaching experience, but there is no requirement for a degree. They provide lesson plans and offer classes for all age groups. Tutors are asked to commit to at least 5 hours per week, but you can do more work if you have the capacity. You can expect to earn between $7-$13 per hour, which isn’t the highest, but it does give you a good starting point. 

Preply 

This is another site where tutors can set their hourly rates, but again you need to be careful not to price yourself out of the market. Lessons are offered to learners of all age groups, but they do not provide any lesson plans. You do not need a degree or even a TEFL qualification, but again, you may struggle and find yourself out of your depth without learning about teaching English as a second language.

Skyeng 

This company offers a wide hourly rate between $3 and $20. So you will be starting at the lower end for most people. That said, it is an option for people who do not have a degree. But you must have a TEFL certification and some evidence of teaching experience. Your lesson plans will be provided, and your learners fall into all age groups. They do expect a minimum of 15 hours per week from the tutors.

Superprof

Another site where a TEFL qualification is preferable, but a degree is not required, and you don’t have to have taught before. There is no commitment regarding hours, but they do not provide any lesson materials. You would have to sort this out yourself. It’s another tutoring site allowing you to set your hourly rate.

Finding Work as a South African 

So being realistic, just because the site allows you to apply does not mean you will get a job. But there are things you can do to maximise your chances, and plenty of South Africans have made excellent careers teaching English online. So what can you do to help?

TEFL Certification 

Although some sites do not require TEFL certification, we cannot overstate the importance of getting a recognised international, accredited qualification. The accreditation is crucial here because it means that, as course providers, we have worked hard to ensure the course does set you up for a career teaching English. Without accreditation, you could find that your system it’s a worthless certificate, and you can’t find work. Think of it as an investment in your future. Don’t be tempted to sign up for a cheap course on one of the offer sites because the likelihood is that it will not be fully accredited. It would be best if you also were looking for 120 hours, as this is the standard for the industry.

English Proficiency Score

Suppose you are not a native English speaker or are concerned that your accent will count against you. You can also take an English proficiency exam. Both IELTS and TOEFL this exam prove that you can speak and write English to a standard suitable for teaching others. It’s your job to make it easy for your prospective employer to see what you can do. If they have to go looking for verifiable evidence, they likely won’t bother.

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