Freelancing and virtual assistance are some of the trending digital vocations nowadays. There is a steady increase in the number of people looking for and offering various services online. There are global examples of such platforms e.g. Fiverr and Upwork. Personally, I have noticed that it is very difficult to get gigs on those platforms if you are from this side. That is disappointing given how I am, and most of us are qualified for most gigs posted on those platforms. That is one of the reasons why having our own platforms would be a good thing. In this article, I am talking about one of such platforms that we should hop onto – Munyayi.

Who Is Munyai?

‘Munyayi’ in Shona culture basically refers to someone who is a ‘go-between’. Munyayi is a digital company, which provides a seamless interface between people living in the diaspora and professional service providers. The platform was created to provide jobs for local Africans through Africans in the diaspora. It provides a digital marketplace for service providers in Africa to tap into the millions of Africans in the diaspora. They also go beyond that.

They provide tailored project management services for bigger projects such as construction, solar irrigation, and business investments. Consider an example of an African in the diaspora building a house back home. They will facilitate project management by providing up to date 3D images, 4K videos, risk assessments, detailed progress reports, and more through skilled professionals.

How The Platforms Works

The platform works in two ways namely, for freelancers and employers. A freelancer refers to someone who is looking for a job or gig. An employer is someone needing a task done. Here is how you go about it:

FREELANCER

Profile

You start by signing up and then completing your profile. You select your skills and expertise; you also upload a professional profile picture. You will have to go through the verification centre checklist. Once you are done you are good to go.

Browse Jobs

You can then browse for jobs that suit your skills, expertise, schedule, and price. There are several job categories available. It is wise to optimize your filters to maximize the likelihood of getting related gigs. You will actually get alerted when relevant jobs become available.

Bidding

You need to sell yourself and you do this by pitching. You need to demonstrate that you fully understand the job. You have to explain why you are the best fit for the job. It is smart to come up with a brief of each job you are interested in rather than using a generic one.

Getting Paid

Payments to the freelancer are held in Munyayi’s Nostro Account. The agreed payment only gets released to the freelancer upon completion of the job. Your account options are PayPal, FCA or RTGS account, and International bank account.

EMPLOYER

Project

You also start by signing up. Then you can start posting projects or jobs; you are not charged anything to do that. Once you post something you will start to receive bids from freelancers. The other option is to go through the available freelancers and make offers to freelancers. You have that liberty and you can also compare proposals or bids. You can chat in real-time with freelancers.

Making Payment

Munyayi has a secure payment system. You release funds according to your goals schedule or you can make full payment upon completion. The funds are withdrawn from your account into Munyayi’s Nostro Account and in turn, released to the freelancer.

Pricing

As a freelancer, you sign up for free. For every task that you complete, Munyayi deducts a service fee of 15 per cent. Suppose it is a US$50 gig this means Munyayi will get US$7.50 and you will get US$42.50. As for the employers, there is no listing fee and there is no service fee.

You can alternatively download the mobile app version either on Google Play or iOS stores. I encourage you to go check out the website and also the mobile app. The platform can only become far-reaching if we sign up, start using it, and spread the word.