2018-2019 sa freelance media industry and rates report€¦ · dubber, l., & mapaling, c....

SA FREELANCE MEDIA INDUSTRY

AND RATES REPORT

2018/2019

Dubber, L., & Mapaling, C. (2019). 2018-2019 SA freelance media industry and rates report.

Johannesburg, South Africa: SAFREA.

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Introduction Independence. Flexibility. Entrepreneurship. Leaps in technology. The future of work. The freelance revolution began a number of years ago and is accelerating at great speed, with independent professionals – freelancers – changing the way we connect, create and collaborate the world over. The Southern African Freelancers’ Association (SAFREA) hopes that as companies start to more fully understand the bottom-line benefit of the gig economy and increase their utilisation of freelancers’ services, they begin to realise and fairly remunerate the incredible value that freelance media and communications professionals offer their businesses in 2019 and beyond. According to respondents of the 2018/2019 SA Freelance Media Industry & Rates Survey, freelancing is a choice and one made for a multitude of reasons, including flexibility, freedom to choose projects and clients, and as a way to supplement income. Conversely, the biggest challenges facing freelancers include low rates, poor client payment practices, and exploitation by clients with a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude. SAFREA works to raise the professional standing of freelancers in the media and communications industry and promotes professional standards and ethical conduct by both freelancers and their clients. In this report, we delve a little deeper into the motivations and composition of the industry to identify the challenges that impact our fellow freelancers and the exciting opportunities that exist for creative entrepreneurs in Southern Africa. Our rates indicator has become known as one of the most reliable benchmarking tools in the media and communications industry. It not only guides freelancers but encourages their clients to follow fair standards of remuneration for the professionals to whom they entrust their business story. These rates are made public as such and do not constitute any form of control or pricing policy. Pricing is at all times agreed directly between freelancers and their customers, in line with the freelancer’s experience and qualifications, and availability of client budgets. To avoid any misunderstandings, SAFREA recommends that a written agreement stating full terms and conditions is entered into prior to commencement of any and all work. This report is the third of its kind for SAFREA. The 2018/2019 survey was completed by a total of 393 respondents, between 28 January and 28 February 2019, comprising both SAFREA members and non-members.



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Highlights

• Women run the world of freelancing with more than 77% female respondents. • Freelancing has no age limit; respondents range in age from 19 to 80. • There are a number of new freelancers on the scene, with nearly 40% of respondents

indicating that they have only been freelancing for the last five years. • Wordsmiths dominant the freelance landscape, specifically editors, journalists and

copywriters. • Freelancers are highly qualified and experienced; 27,99% hold a Bachelor’s Degree and

25,45% hold a post-graduate qualification (e.g. Honours). The majority of respondents also have over 10 years of experience in their primary and secondary specialties.

• More than a third of respondents earn less than R10 000 per month; this despite freelancing being respondents’ primary source of income. Just over a quarter of respondents (27,99%) earn between R11 000 and R20 000 a month.

• Our rates categories continue to expand. This year, we added script writing in more detail, additional editing categories, and South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreting.

• A number of rates have changed since the 2017/2018 report (Thekiso & Mapaling, 2018), with ranges widening to incorporate rates on the higher and lower end of the scale.

• Three out of four freelancers work in the corporate/private sector and the majority of respondents work in print and/or online.



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General Information Location Most freelancers are based in Gauteng (42,49%) and the Western Cape (36,64%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (7,38%).

Age Freelancing attracts people of all ages – from 19 to 80 years old! While the majority of freelancers fall in the 31 to 60 age bracket, there are significant younger and older contingents to bolster the ranks.



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Gender Women dominate the freelance sector as more than 77% of respondents are female. The leading reasons for choosing freelancing as a career – flexibility and freedom – tie in with what largely appears to remain a woman’s duty of balancing family and work responsibilities. Freelancing therefore enables female media and communications professionals to do the work they love in a way that suits their lifestyle and personal circumstances.

The Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa (Statistics South Africa, 2018a) reveals that women accounted for less than half of total employment (43,8%) in the second quarter of 2018. According to Stats SA’s expanded definition of unemployment, the rate of unemployment amongst women was 7,5% higher than that of males. Perhaps it makes a little more sense then why so many more women choose to freelance and carve out a career for themselves outside of the formal employment sector.



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Education Freelancers are highly-educated, highly-skilled professionals who deserve to be treated – and paid – accordingly. 110 respondents (27,99%) hold Bachelor’s Degrees and 100 (25,45%) have obtained Honours or equivalent post-graduate qualifications.

Primary Specialty & Years of Experience Most of the respondents engage in some form of writing and editing, including sub-editing, journalism, copywriting, public relations and communications. More than 50% of respondents have between six and 20 years of experience in their primary specialty.



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Secondary Specialty & Years of Experience Many freelancers offer multiple, complementary professional services. In addition to their primary specialty, respondents are specialists in a variety of writing and editing services, again with the majority of respondents (29,01%) having up to 20 years’ experience in their secondary specialty.



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Overall Freelance Experience An interesting new insight this year is that 39,19% of respondents have been freelancing for fewer than five years. Over a quarter of respondents (27,99%) have been freelancing for between 6 – 10 years, with 20,87% having successfully freelanced for up to 20 years.



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Types of Clients & Fields of Work We asked respondents to identify their most regular clients and fields of work. Nearly three-quarters of freelancers find work in the corporate/private sector, specifically in the print and digital/online fields.

In a follow-up question, we asked what other fields respondents work in, and print and digital/online once again came out tops.



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Marketing Platforms In line with the fact that the majority of freelancers work in the digital/online space, it makes sense that social media is considered an important marketing tool for creative entrepreneurs. 31,61% of respondents cite Facebook as their primary marketing platform, followed by LinkedIn (21,61%) and Instagram (13,39%). Interestingly, 15,48% respondents indicate that they do not use any of the platforms listed for marketing purposes. This is an opportunity for freelancers just waiting to be mined.



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Average Monthly Income This is one of the most crucial – and alarming – insights of the entire report. For the third year running, most respondents (34,61%) report that they earn less than R10 000.00 per month. This is followed by 27,99% of respondents who earn between R11 000.00 and R20 000.00 per month and 16,79% who earn up to R30 000.00. Less than 2% of respondents earn above R70 000.00 each month.

Over 80% of respondents indicate that freelancing is their primary source of income.

A review of the Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) Quarterly Employment Statistics for the third quarter of 2018 (Statistics South Africa, 2018b) reveals that in August 2018, average monthly earnings for all formal non-agricultural sector employees rose by R697 to R20 860. Over the past 12 months, average monthly earnings have increased by 5,0%. The current average freelancer income of R10 000.00 is clearly well below par, with future improvements only possible if clients show a willingness to pay fair and reasonable rates, and freelancers refuse to take on lower-than-acceptable paying work.



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Understanding the Freelancer Why are you a freelancer? There are many reasons that media and communications professionals choose to freelance. The most popular reasons are as follows:

• Supplement income (as full-time employees or retirees) - 23,50% • Flexibility - 22,22% • Freedom (autonomy) to choose projects and clients - 19,66% • Entrepreneurship - 11,97% • Multi-disciplinary nature of freelancing - 10,26%

Additional reasons included under ‘Other’ are intellectual stimulation, complementing a full-time job, and a genuine love for the commissioned work.



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What are your concerns/challenges within the freelance industry? Freelancers face a number of challenges, not just from clients but fierce competition from fellow freelancers and by virtue of operating in the Southern African media and communications landscape as well. The top concerns or challenges, according to the 2018/2019 respondents are as follows:

• Rates (in general) - 19,25% • Lack of benefits associated with a full-time position

(e.g. medical aid, pension) - 11,82% • Payment (including non-payment and late payment) - 11,61% • A lack of understanding freelancing as a business - 11,25% • Exploitation of freelancers by clients with a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude - 10,63%

Additional challenges listed under ‘Other’ include insecurity of ongoing work, irregular income, access to training, and limited own marketing efforts.



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Industry organisation membership Freelancing can be lonely. One of the best ways to curb the isolation is to join an industry organisation that fosters a sense of community amongst like-minded professionals and assists freelancers with access to training, networking and collaborating regarding job opportunities. 26,96% of respondents belong to the SAFREA, while 15,71% hold Professional Editors’ Guild (PEG) membership. Respondents also list other industry organisation membership under ‘Other’ including: South African Guild of Editors (SAGE), South African Science Journalists’ Association (SASJA), and Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT). Interestingly, 29,30% of respondents say that they do not belong to any organisation at all. This indicates a very real marketing and recruitment opportunity for SAFREA and the like.



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Rates Trends This section focuses on the pricing strategies that freelancers employ for various disciplines. It is merely a benchmark and individuals should continue to use the options that work best for their business.

General It seems that the most popular charging method is per hour – 18% of respondents always charge this way and 54% sometimes invoice on an hourly basis. With wordsmiths dominating the freelance landscape in Southern Africa, it is not surprising that charging per word is also popular with 21% (always) and 39% (sometimes) opting for this charging method. Depending on a freelancer’s field, charging per half- or full-day may be the most effective pricing strategy. 29% of respondents sometimes charge a half-day rate and 36% sometimes charge for a full day. A flat rate or retainer fee is another charging method – 10% always charge this way and 60% sometimes choose to quote and invoice this way. Per word

21%

39%

40%

How often do you charge per word?

Always

Sometimes

Never



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Per hour

Per half day

18%

54%

28%

How often do you charge per hour?

Always

Sometimes

Never

2%

29%

69%

How often do you charge per half-day?

Always

Sometimes

Never



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Per full day

Retainer/Flat rate

10%

36%54%

How often do you charge per full-day?

Always

Sometimes

Never

10%

60%

30%

How often do you charge per retainer/flat rate?

Always

Sometimes

Never



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How often do you accept a job that is negotiated well below your standard fee? 65,14% of respondents admit to accepting a job well below their standard fee while 29,77% say they never do. 5,09% of respondents always accept low-paying jobs.

According to respondents, there are a number of reasons for agreeing to a lower rate: “I need the money.” “The availability of work, the feeling of inexperience, the only fee the client is offering, and no negotiation whatsoever.” “It might be a job that opens doors; might be a cause close to my heart; might be a favour for a friend.” “I work closely with many students and I feel it is more important for me to assist them in bettering themselves through education rather than charging them so much that they are even further indebted in their pursuit.” “It depends on the cause. If it’s sometime I believe in and they really can’t pay the full fee then we can compromise.” “I lack knowledge on how to structure my fees.” “If it is a big project that will guarantee an income over a long period, I will at times accept.” “To build my brand and reputation.” “Because they might commission someone who is willing to go lower instead of me and then I’ll miss out on the work.”

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Always Sometimes Never

How often do you accept a job that is negotiated well below your standard fee?

Always Sometimes Never



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We now look at each media and communications field covered by the 2018/2019 survey in detail. ‘Not applicable’ responses have been excluded from the results. Writing/Content Development Per word (36%) is the most popular charging method in the writing/content development sector, followed by retainer/flat rate (31%) and per hour (25%).

36%

25%

31%

8%

Writing/Content Development

Per word Per hour Retainer/flat rate Other



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Script writing Script writers tend to charge based on a retainer/flat rate (30%), followed by per episode (24%) and per hour (21%).

Advertising Freelancers who work in advertising tend to charge per hour (47%) or retainer/flat rate (32%).

8%

21%

24%

30%

17%

Script writing

Per word Per hour Per episode Retainer/flat rate Other

9%

47%

32%

12%

Advertising




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PR/Communications PR/Communications specialists charge per hour (38%) or retainer/flat rate (35%).

Online Freelancers who work in the online space tend to use a mix of retainer/flat rate (32%), per hour (31%) and per word (29%).

22%

38%

35%

5%

Public Relations and Communications


29%

31%

32%

8%

Online




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Social media Social media specialists usually charge per hour (49%). 30% choose to charge per social media post.

Editing In a job where every word counts, it is not surprising that most editors charge on a per word basis (43%). This is followed by a per hour rate (32%) and per page (15%).

30%

6%

49%

15%

Social media

Per post Per word Per hour Other

43%

15%

32%

10%

Editing

Per word Per page Per hour Other



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Transcription Transcription specialists tend to charge on an hourly basis (54%).

Translation Translation services will usually be billed on a per word basis (77%).

30%

54%

16%

Transcription

Per word Per hour Other

77%

15%

8%

Translation

Per word Per hour Other



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Interpreting Those who work in the interpreting sector tend to charge per hour (52%).

Photography Photographers tend to use a range of charging methods, but the most popular remains per hour (40%), followed by per image (22%) and per full-day (18%).

52%

31%

17%

Interpreting

Per hour Project fee Other

22%

40%

5%

18%

15%

Photography

Per image Per hour Half-day Full-day Other



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Videography The majority (43%) of videographers prefer to work on a project fee basis, followed by a full-day rate (28%) and an hourly fee (20%).

Workshops/Training Freelancers who work in the workshops/training sector usually charge a project fee (46%) or a full-day rate (24%)

20%

0%

28%43%

9%

Videography

Per hour Half-day Full-day Project fee Other

19%

7%

24%

46%

4%

Workshop/Training




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Graphic design Graphic designers tend to charge on an hourly basis (44%) or using a project fee (42%).

44%

0%2%

42%

12%

Graphic Design




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Rates Indicator This section gives an indication of the average price range that the respondents charge for various disciplines and focus areas. It is merely a benchmark and individuals should continue to use the options that work best for them and their business. We tracked specific rates, based on the 2017/2018 report (Thekiso & Mapaling, 2018), as well as additional baseline input from our industry partners. All stated rates exclude VAT. WRITING/CONTENT DEVELOPMENT What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per hour Magazines R3.00 - R4.00

R400.00 - R500.00

Newspapers R2.00 - R3.00

R400.00 - R500.00

Corporate content R2.00 - R4.00

R400.00 - R600.00

Technical/specialist content R2.00 - R4.00

R400.00 - R700.00

Annual reports R2.00 - R3.00

R450.00 - R550.00

Government documents R2.00 - R3.00

R450.00 - R650.00

Textbooks

R1.50 - R2.00 R350.00 - R500.00

Novels/books

R0.50 - R2.00 R300.00 - R400.00

Ghost writing R4.50 - R7.50 R450.00 - R550.00



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SCRIPT WRITING What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per hour Other Script writing (General – television)

R2.00 - R3.50 R500.00 - R650.00 *

Head writer (Long-running series/soaps/telenovelas)

* * R40,000.00 - R90,000.00 per month

Storyliner (Long-running series/soaps/telenovelas)

* * R5 000.00 - R7 000.00 per episode

Story editor (Long-running series/soaps/telenovelas)

* * R1 900.00 - R3 300.00 per episode

Script editor (Long-running series/soaps/telenovelas)

* * R1 900.00 - R3 300.00 per episode

Researcher (Long-running series/soaps/telenovelas)

* * R1 200.00 - R4 400.00 per day

Script writing (General – corporate)

R3.50 - R5.00 R550.00 - R700.00 *

Corporate AV script writing with research supplied

* * R350.00 - R550.00 per minute (for 15 minutes or less)

Corporate AV script writing with writer doing research

* * R500.00 - R750.00 per minute (for 15 minutes or less)

Specialty AV script writing which requires project expertise

* * R1,500.00 - R2,000.00 per minute (for 15 minutes or less)

Educational AV script writing

* * R750.00 - R1,750.00 per minute (for 15 minutes or less)

*Rate not tracked / Not applicable



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ADVERTISING What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per hour Marketing material (brochures, adverts, etc.)

R2.00 - R3.00

R450.00 - R550.00

Advertorial R3.00 - R4.00

R500.00 - R600.00

Copywriting R3.00 - R4.00

R450.00 - R550.00

PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per hour Flat rate Media release writing

R2.00 - R3.00

R450.00 - R550.00 R1 500.00 - R2 000.00

Strategy development

R3.00 - R4.00

R550.00 - R 1 200.00

*

Speech writing R3.00 - R4.00

R500.00 - R600.00

R1 500.00 - R2 000.00

Media relations R3.00 - R3.50 R450.00 - R550.00

*




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ONLINE What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per hour Website content R1.50 - R3.50 R450.00 - R550.00

Online consumer content R2.00 - R2.50

R400.00 - R500.00

SEO content R1.50 - R3.50 R450.00 - R550.00

Consumer/journalism blog content

R2.50 - R3.00

R400.00 - R500.00

Content marketing R2.50 - R3.00

R450.00 - R550.00

Web-based content R2.50 - R3.00

R450.00 - R550.00

Email marketing content

R2.50 - R3.00

R450.00 - R550.00

SOCIAL MEDIA What do you charge for?

Type Per post Per word Per hour Social media content creation

R200.00 - R350.00 R2.50 - R3.00 R350.00 - R450.00

Social media management/coordination

* * R400.00 - R500.00

Social media strategy development

* * R500.00 - R550.00




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GENERAL EDITING What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per page Per hour General copy-editing (light)

R0.20 - R1.20 R50.00 - R100.00 R350.00 - R550.00

General copy-editing (medium)

R0.20 - R1.50 R50.00 - R100.00 R350.00 - R550.00

General copy-editing (heavy)

R0.40 - R2.00 R50.00 - R150.00 R350.00 - R550.00

Substantive/structural editing

R0.35 - R2.00 R150.00 - R200.00 R400.00 - R600.00

Developmental editing

R0.50 - R1.00 R150.00 - R200.00 R350.00 - R750.00

Proofreading R0.20 - R0.55 R30.00 - R170.00 R300.00 - R500.00 Copy/sub-editing R0.20 - R1.80 R90.00 - R120.00 R350.00 - R550.00 Reference checking * R75.00 - R225.00 R300.00 - R400.00

*Rate not tracked / Not applicable SPECIFIC EDITING What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per page Per hour Magazines R0.20 - R1.50 R45.00 - R65.00 R350.00 - R450.00

Newspapers R0.50 - R1.00

R50.00 - R100.00 R300.00 - R400.00

Academic theses

R0.20 - R1.50 R45.00 - R65.00 R200.00 - R600.00

Corporate content R3.00 - R5.00 R150.00 - R200.00 R450.00 - R550.00

Technical/Specialist content

R0.20 - R1.50 R35.00 - R150.00 R450.00 - R550.00

Government documents

R0.40 - R1.50 R100.00 - R200.00 R400.00 - R500.00

Textbooks R0.20 - R0.50

R50.00 - R100.00 R350.00 - R550.00

Fiction R0.20 - R0.50

R50.00 - R100.00 R300.00 - R500.00



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DOCUMENT FORMATTING What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per page Per hour Academic

R0.20 - R0.50 R25.00 - R125.00 R250.00 - R400.00

General

R0.20 - R0.50 * R250.00 - R450.00

*Rate not tracked / Not applicable LAYOUT COORDINATION What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per page Per hour Corporate newsletters

R0.15 - R0.65 R250.00 - R400.00 R400.00 - R500.00

Magazines

R0.15 - R0.65 R125.00 - R275.00 R400.00 - R500.00

TRANSCRIPTION What do you charge for?

Type Per word Per hour Transcription R1.50 - R2.50

R400.00 - R550.00



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TRANSLATION What do you charge for?

Type Per word Between English and Afrikaans R0.50 - R1.00

Between English and an official African language

R0.50 - R2.00

Between English and major world languages

R0.50 - R2.00

Between English and less common world languages

R0.50 - R2.00

Sworn translation R1.00 - R2.50 Specialised translation (e.g. financial, legal, highly technical or scientific)

R1.00 - R2.50

INTERPRETING What do you charge for?

Type Per hour Between English and Afrikaans R350.00 - R450.00 Between English and an official African language

R400.00 - R500.00

Between English and major world languages

R400.00 - R500.00

Between English and less common world languages

R450.00 - R550.00

Between English and South African Sign Language (SASL)

R400.00 - R600.00



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PHOTOGRAPHY

Type Per image Per hour Half-day Full-day Product, advertising, branding, interiors, architectural

R200.00 - R450.00

R800.00 - R1 000.00

R3 000.00 - R5 000.00

R5 000.00 - R8 000.00

Event photography

R50.00 - R250.00

R850.00 - R1 500.00

R3 000.00 - R5 000.00

R4 500.00 - R7 500.00

Advertorial, editorial, modelling

R600.00 - R3 200.00

R800.00 - R1 500.00

R3 000.00 - R5 000.00

R5 000.00 - R8 000.00

Wedding R50.00 - R100.00

R600.00 - R1 200.00

R4 000.00 - R7 000.00

R7 000.00 - R12 000.00

Media houses, newspapers

R200.00 - R700.00

R400.00 - R650.00

R1 750.00 - R3 250.00

R3 250.00 - R5 750.00

PHOTOGRAPHY/POST-PRODUCTION What do you charge for?

Type Per image Per hour Half-day Full-day Post-production, retouching

R100.00 - R200.00

R300.00 - R500.00

R1 000.00 - R3 000.00

R1 500.00 - R3 500.00

Dropbox / FTP R1.50 - R4.50 per MB

R50.00 - R175.00

* *

Digital capture fee processed

R100.00 - R170.00

* * *




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VIDEOGRAPHY

Type Per hour Half-day Full-day Camera with professional sound, proper lighting and stabilised shots, with no edits required

R1 500.00 - R3 500.00

R2 500.00 - R4 500.00

R3 500.00 - R6 500.00

Post-production, video editing

R400.00 - R600.00 * R2 500.00 - R4 500.00

*Rate not tracked / Not applicable WORKSHOPS/TRAINING What do you charge for?

Type Per hour Half-day Full-day Facilitating workshops/training sessions

R450.00 - R850.00 R3 500.00 - R6 500.00

R5 000.00 - R12 000.00

Module/content creation

R450.00 - R750.00 * *




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GRAPHIC DESIGN What do you charge for?

Type Per hour Half-day Full-day General graphic design

R350.00 - R550.00 R1 000.00 - R2 000.00

R2 000.00 - R5 000.00

Logo design R300.00 - R500.00 R2 500.00 - R3 500.00

R2 250.00 - R5 750.00

Creating visual concepts

R200.00 - R800.00

R1 100.00 - R1 800.00

R1 000.00 - R5 000.00

Presenting design concepts

R300.00 - R500.00 R1 250.00 - R1 950.00

R2 250.00 - R3 750.00

Original images R300.00 - R500.00 R1 200.00 - R1 700.00

R2 000.00 - R5 000.00

Illustrations R300.00 - R800.00 * R2 250.00 - R4 250.00

Incorporating changes recommended by clients or art directors into final designs

R250.00 - R450.00 R1 000.00 - R1 800.00

R2 250.00 - R3 750.00.

Reviewing designs for errors before printing or publishing them

R350.00 - R550.00 R1 000.00 - R1 800.00

R2 250.00 - R3 750.00

Transforming statistical data into visual graphics and diagrams

R350.00 - R650.00 R1 200.00 - R1 600.00

R2 250.00 - R3 750.00




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GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT & PRODUCTION What do you charge for?

Type Per hour Half-day Full-day Advertisements R300.00 - R600.00 R1 200.00 -

R1 600.00 R2 000.00 - R3 400.00

Brochures R300.00 - R600.00 R1 200.00 - R1 600.00

R2 000.00 - R3 400.00

Magazines R350.00 - R550.00 R 1 000.00 - R 1 800.00

R2 250.00 - R4 750.00

Corporate reports R350.00 - R650.00 R1 200.00 - R2 000.00

R2 250.00 - R3 750.00

Please note that this rates report is not prescriptive and aims to provide an overview of current rates trends. It should be viewed as a benchmarking guide and freelancers should factor in their experience, expertise, client’s budget and the creative field in question when setting their individual rates.



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Conclusion The recently published report, Freelancing in America: 2018 (Edelman Intelligence, 2018) estimates that freelancers contribute approximately $1,4 trillion annually to the US economy, an increase of almost 30% on the previous year. Thirty-six percent of the US workforce is currently freelancing and by 2027, the commissioners of the study, Upwork and Freelance Union, believe that the majority of the US workforce will be freelancing. While we may be working off a much smaller base in Southern Africa, it is not unrealistic to believe that we will follow a similar trend. We already live in a digitised, globalised society and it’s only going to become easier, cheaper and faster to connect with each other, create value, store and disseminate information. And let’s not forget to mention the arrival of Generation Z into adulthood. These young entrepreneurs (born after 1994) have grown up with technology and they are going to expect a world of work that rewards creativity, celebrates individuality while pursuing collaboration for mutual benefit, and encourages flexibility and freedom at home, at work and everywhere in-between. We believe that today’s freelancers are frontrunners in the business world of tomorrow and SAFREA is home to many of these creative thinkers, innovators and gamechangers. Our ever-growing community of freelancers have access to networking, training and resources (including our vibrant e-group, busy social media pages and website packed with useful information) to grow their freelance businesses and flourish as creatives in a challenging economic environment. By fostering a community of sharing and collaboration, we aim to not only raise the standard of freelancing in the media and communications industry but raise the level of pay for all so that highly skilled, highly experienced freelancers throughout Southern Africa – not just our members – are paid fairly for the excellent standard of work they deliver. When asked why they sometimes accept a job that is negotiated well below their standard fee, one freelancer responded as follows: “Desperation for work and survival and to stop the tears from flowing.” By producing this annual report to assist freelancers better understand their professional value and benchmark their rates, we hope that freelancers – like this individual – start to feel empowered and supported by organisations like SAFREA to insist that clients pay them what they are worth, not just for themselves, but for the upliftment of the entire freelance industry. Visit www.safrea.co.za for more information and to become a member of our freelance community.

Acknowledgement and thanks We would like to extend our gratitude to our industry partners who took the time to give their input into the survey questionnaire – Writers’ Guild of South Africa (WGSA), Professional Editors’ Guild (PEG) and the South African Translators’ Institute (SATI). Cover photo credit: Domenico Loia, Unsplash



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References Beall, G. (2017). 8 Key differences between Gen Z and Millennials. Retrieved from

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2018-2019 sa freelance media industry and rates report€¦ · dubber, l., & mapaling, c....

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