How to Make Money from Instagram Reels in South Africa (2025)

Can you make money from Instagram reels in South Africa?

Well, let’s find out in this guide.

Instagram Reels are short, entertaining video clips that users can create and share on the platform.

Reels can be recorded and edited directly within the Instagram app, providing an intuitive way for users to make engaging video content.

Since launching in 2020, Reels has become one of Instagram’s most popular features.

In South Africa too, Reels has seen massive adoption, especially among younger creators looking to grow their following and express themselves creatively.

South African users are now spending more and more time consuming Reels for entertainment.

Top accounts are receiving millions of views on their Reels, opening up significant money making opportunities.

For influencers, businesses, and ordinary users alike, Reels presents a way to potentially earn money by creating captivating and original video content.

Through Instagram and Facebook’s various monetization programs, South African creators can now start earning an income from their Reels.

This article will explore the main opportunities available for making money from Instagram Reels in South Africa, and provide tips on how to build your audience and maximize your earnings potential using short-form video content.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Monetization Options for Reels in South Africa

There are several ways South African creators can start monetizing their Instagram Reels and earn an income from their short video content:

Instagram Reels Bonuses

One of the most direct ways to earn money is through Instagram’s own Reels bonus programs.

Eligible creators can receive cash bonuses and other incentives for creating quality Reels that receive high engagement:

Instagram Reels Summer Bonus – Paid out bonuses between June and August 2022 for top Reels in SA meeting certain criteria like views and engagement. Up to $800 per reel for the most viral ones.
Reels Play Bonus – Ongoing bonus scheme paying out up to $1,000 monthly for accounts that post engaging Reels frequently.
Facebook Stars Bonus – Additional payout for Reels creators who crosspost Reels to Facebook and earn Stars, which converts into cash bonuses.
Badges – Accounts can earn badges like “Top Reels Creator” for high performance Reels, opening more bonuses and visibility.
Gifting – Fans can send virtual gifts on Reels to support creators, who can convert the gifts into cash payouts.

In-Stream Ads

Creators with over 10k followers and meeting eligibility criteria can monetize their Reels through in-stream ads placed between their reels.

Ad revenue earned is shared between Instagram and the creator.

Branded Content & Sponsorships

Major brands are eager to sponsor Instagram Reels as they become more popular. Creators can earn by:

Creating branded Reels promoting products, services or campaigns.
Promoting brands in their Reels captions or hashtags.
Working on extended sponsorships for recurring Reels promotions.

The more views, followers and high engagement a creator has, the more they can charge for Reels sponsorships.

Affiliate Links & Promo Codes

Reels creators can include affiliate links or offer special promo codes in their captions or comments to earn commissions on resulting sales and transactions.

Optimizing Your Reels Content

Creating Reels that grab attention and go viral takes skill and strategy.

Use these best practices to make engaging, high-quality Reels that viewers love:

Leverage Trends and Challenges

Jumping on trending challenges, audios, hashtags, and meme formats will help your Reels get discovered more easily.

Use relevant trends like #OOTD, #Foodie, or #SavageChallenge to optimize reach.

Quick Hooks & Cliffs

Grab attention immediately with an interesting visual, text caption, or soundbite in the first 2 seconds before viewers swipe away.

Cliffhangers keep them watching till the end.

Text & Graphics

Brief punchy text, animations, and visual effects help convey your story and make it more shareable.

Apps like Inshot allow easy editing.

Pick The Right Music or Sounds

Audio makes or breaks a Reel!

Use popular songs, viral sounds, reactions, and background scores that enhance the content.

Ensure proper licensing.

Engaging Captions

Well-written, witty, or thought-provoking captions intrigue viewers to watch till the end.

Pose questions to spark conversation.

Post Consistently

Regularly publishing new Reels feeds the algorithm and keeps your content ranking higher in your followers’ feeds.

Interact with Followers

Respond to comments and engage with your viewers.

Ask them questions or for feedback in captions.

This builds an invested community.

Optimize Hashtags

Include a mix of popular and niche hashtags so your Reels appear both in broader feeds as well as targeted ones.

Share Previews

Post Reels teasers and previews on your Instagram profile, Stories and feed to maximize visibility and drive traffic.

The most viral Reels often combine entertainment with value for the viewer.

Provide inspiration, tips, humor or a behind-the-scenes look they can’t get elsewhere.

Analyze your metrics to refine your content formula.

Growing Your Audience with Reels

Expanding your reach and followers is crucial to maximize earnings from Instagram Reels in South Africa.

Adopt these tactics to grow your audience:

Cross-Promote Your Reels

Share your Reels across Instagram Stories, feed posts, IGTV, and other channels to reach more of your existing audience.

Ask followers to share and tag their friends too.

Use Relatable & Audience-Targeted Hashtags

Include hashtags your target audience searches for and relates to so your content appears for them.

Mix broad and niche hashtags.

Collaborate with Nano & Micro-Influencers

Do shoutouts or collaborations with relevant smaller influencers in your niche to gain access to their engaged follower base.

Run Instagram Ads

Consider running Instagram Reels ads to get more views and follows.

You can promote your best performing organic Reels this way.

Partnerships & Cross-Promotions

Partner with complementary brands or influencers to co-create Reels and cross-promote each other.

Expand your collective reach.

Leverage Instagram Reels Recommendations

Instagram’s algorithm recommends Reels it thinks users will like.

Make content optimized for recommendations to increase visibility.

Analyze Performance Data

Check Instagram Insights to see which Reels get best engagement.

Refine the elements that work and apply them for more high-performing Reels.

Engage with Your Community

Building relationships and interacting with your followers keeps them invested in you.

This drives more engagement and traffic.

Consistency Is Key

Post Reels frequently and consistently to build anticipation with your audience.

This trains the algorithm to show your content more over time.

Growing your Reels audience takes patience and testing.

Monitor data carefully to determine what resonates most with your followers and the algorithm.

Measuring Your Reels Performance

To maximize your earnings potential on Instagram Reels in South Africa, it’s crucial to track key metrics that quantify your performance:

Follower Growth

Monitor follower growth week-over-week to gauge audience traction.

Analyze which type of Reels attract more followers.

Views

Total views indicate content visibility and reach.

Benchmark views per reel and aim to increase them over time.

Completion Rate

This metric shows the percentage of total viewers who watched your Reel till the end.

Higher completion rates signal engaging content.

Engagement Rate

Calculate your engagement rate by dividing total likes, comments, shares by views.

Good Reels have 2-10% engagement rates.

When people share your Reel it expands visibility.

Look at shares per Reel to identify most shareable content formats.

Comments

Reels that spark conversation tend to perform better.

Track total comments and responses to analyze engagement.

Saves

When viewers save your Reels it indicates they found it useful, memorable, or highly relevant.

Traffic Sources

Check where views are coming from – hashtags, audio, accounts, explore page etc.

Refine your discovery strategy.

Earnings

Obviously, track any Reels bonuses, gifting revenue, sponsorships, or sales generated to quantify monetization success.

Use built-in analytics in Instagram Insights as well as third-party tools like HypeAuditor or Influencer Marketing Hub to derive data-driven insights.

Set realistic yet ambitious KPIs and benchmarks for your top metrics.

Learn from what’s working and constantly optimize your process.

Legal Considerations for Earning from Reels

While Reels open up exciting money making opportunities, South African creators need to keep certain legal guidelines and disclosures in mind:

Copyright & Licensing

Ensure you have the rights to any music or media used in your Reels to avoid copyright infringement.
When using trending audios or songs, check if they are original recordings or covers/remixes, and attribute properly.
Purchase royalty-free content subscriptions or license popular songs through platforms like Soundstripe if needed.

Disclosure Requirements

Clearly disclose sponsored Reels with #Ad or #PaidPartnership to comply with Instagram and ASA regulations.
Ensure transparency when promoting affiliate links, codes or products by mentioning terms upfront.

Personality Rights

Respect people’s rights to consent, privacy and how their persona is portrayed, especially for identifiable individuals featured in your Reels.
For Reels with children, ensure necessary parental consents as per Instagram and POPI Act policies.

Restricted & Sensitive Content

Avoid content in Reels that is dangerous, illegal, highly controversial or infringes Instagram community guidelines. This can lead to demonetization.
Limit alcohol, tobacco, adult content etc which have restrictions around promotion and advertising.

Tax Obligations

Declare any Reels income on your tax returns appropriately and maintain invoices/receipts if registered as a creator business.

By being mindful of key regulations, remaining authentic and transparent with promotions, and protecting people’s consent and rights, you can build an ethical and legal Reels monetization approach.

Being compliant will enable more sustainable income vs risky shortcuts.

Key Takeaways

Instagram Reels enable South African creators to earn bonuses, sponsorships and affiliate income.
Optimize your content for trends, engagement and audience growth.
Track key metrics like views, completion rate and earnings to benchmark performance.
Disclose sponsorships properly and avoid copyright infringement or illegal content.
Post viral Reels consistently, collaborate with others and advertise to maximize your reach.