The world of remote work is expanding rapidly, creating unprecedented opportunities for professionals across Africa. With studies showing that 73% of Africans desire to work remotely and approximately 42% already working from home at least once a week, the demand for reote work in Kenya and work from home opportunities has never been higher. Yet despite this enthusiasm, many international companies remain hesitant to hire African talent. Their reluctance often stems from misconceptions about our capabilities, concerns about operational challenges across time zones, and unfortunately, past negative experiences that have reinforced stereotypes.
As someone who has thrived in remote work in Kenya since 2017 and recently had the experience of hiring freelancers for a different clientelle, I’ve witnessed firsthand the specific patterns of behavior that sabotage opportunities for talented Kenyan professionals seeking remote jobs and virtual assistant positions. What began as a simple hiring task turned into a revealing investigation into why many of us struggle to secure lucrative work from home jobs with international companies.
The remote work landscape offers incredible potential for Africans – from full-time positions to flexible online jobs for students and specialized roles like virtual assistant jobs. However, breaking into this market requires understanding and overcoming certain barriers. Today, I’ll share the six critical barriers I’ve identified through my personal experiences both as a remote worker and as someone responsible for hiring remote talent. These insights aren’t merely theoretical observations but practical lessons drawn from real interviews and years of successful navigation of the global remote work marketplace.
1. Poor Written Communication
In the remote work environment, written communication forms the backbone of your professional relationships. Whether you’re applying for virtual assistant jobs in Kenya, online jobs for students, or specialized work from home positions, your written communication often serves as your first and most frequent touchpoint with clients and employers. Unfortunately, this is where many African professionals seeking remote jobs consistently falter.
During my recent freelancer search for my European client, I encountered several concerning patterns. One candidate from Kenya (whose portfolio initially impressed my client) would take days to respond to urgent messages. When he finally replied, his messages appeared dismissive and unprofessional in tone. Despite having excellent technical skills, his written communication created immediate doubt about his reliability and professionalism.
Another candidate consistently failed to provide clear, concise information when asked direct questions about his experience. His responses were filled with grammatical errors that made comprehension difficult, forcing me to ask the same questions repeatedly. This pattern extended across multiple candidates, regardless of their technical capabilities.
When working in remote jobs or any work from home setting, asynchronous communication becomes the standard practice. This means people read messages at different times but responses must be prompt, clear, and professional. In this environment, your written communication directly reflects your professionalism. Poor writing skills or unprofessional tone creates immediate red flags for potential employers, effectively killing opportunities before you even get a chance to demonstrate your actual abilities.
This communication challenge impacts all types of online jobs across Africa, from entry-level virtual assistant positions to specialized technical roles. The inability to express oneself clearly through writing has become one of the most significant barriers to securing legitimate work from home jobs in Kenya, Nigeria, and across the continent.
2. Unprofessional Video Etiquette
The rise of remote work in Kenya has elevated video calls from occasional conversations to essential business tools. For those seeking work from home jobs in Nairobi, virtual assistant positions, or any form of online employment, video call professionalism has become a critical skill. Yet many African candidates fail to recognize how their video presence directly impacts employers’ perceptions of their capabilities.
During my hiring interviews, I witnessed a particularly memorable example with another Kenyan candidate. Despite having the strongest portfolio among all applicants, his video presentation was disastrous. He joined our call using his phone without any stabilization, creating a shaky, unprofessional view. His camera lens seemed dirty, resulting in a blurry, smudged image. Even more problematic, he positioned himself in a dark corner with a door open behind him, creating backlighting that rendered his face nearly invisible. This made it impossible to establish any personal connection during the interview.
For those with darker skin tones (which includes most Africans seeking remote work), professional video presentation becomes even more critical. Standard cameras often struggle with exposure for melanated skin in poor lighting conditions, making proper lighting not just a professional consideration but a practical necessity. When your face appears as a shadow or is barely visible, it creates an immediate barrier to connection, which is vital in building trust during video interviews.
These video etiquette failures aren’t merely annoying—they create lasting negative impressions that can permanently damage your employability for online jobs and remote positions. When you can’t manage a professional video presence, employers immediately question your ability to handle more complex professional responsibilities. In a competitive market for legitimate work from home jobs in Kenya and across Africa, these seemingly small details can make the difference between success and rejection.
3. Misrepresentation and Dishonesty
Perhaps one of the most disturbing trends I encountered while hiring for remote positions in Kenya was the prevalence of misrepresentation and outright dishonesty among candidates. This problem directly undermines Africa’s reputation in the global remote work marketplace and creates significant barriers for honest professionals seeking legitimate work from home jobs.
During my hiring process for a European client, I shortlisted four candidates based on their portfolios. Their profiles indicated they were from various locations: one from Kenya, one from London, one from the United States, and one from Nigeria. Shockingly, upon further investigation and during video interviews, it became clear that three of the four candidates had lied about their locations. The candidates claiming to be from, London, and the US were all actually based in Kenya.
When confronted about this discrepancy, one candidate attempted to justify it by saying, “I used to be a student in London, then I went back to Kenya, and now I’m pursuing further studies and building an animation company.” This explanation only compounded the issue by demonstrating a lack of integrity and professional judgment.
This pattern of deception creates several problems for the African remote work community. First, it reinforces negative stereotypes about African professionals that make international companies hesitant to hire from our continent. Second, it creates an environment of mistrust that honest professionals must then work harder to overcome. Third, it signals to employers that the candidate doesn’t believe their actual qualifications and location are sufficient to secure the position.
The practice of misrepresenting one’s location, qualifications, or experience might seem like a clever strategy to overcome biases, but it ultimately backfires dramatically. When discovered (and it almost always is), such dishonesty immediately disqualifies candidates, regardless of their technical skills or portfolio quality. More damagingly, it reinforces the very stereotypes and biases that make securing online jobs and virtual assistant positions more difficult for African professionals in the first place.
For those seeking remote work opportunities, virtual assistant jobs, or any form of work from home employment, honesty remains the only sustainable approach. Building genuine professional relationships based on trust and transparency is essential for long-term success in remote work environments, where face-to-face accountability is limited.
5. Essential Skills Gaps
A critical yet often overlooked barrier to securing quality remote work opportunities in Kenya involves gaps in fundamental digital skills that form the foundation of effective remote work. These aren’t necessarily specialized technical skills but rather the basic digital competencies that make daily remote collaboration possible and efficient.
While interviewing candidates for my European client, I noticed that even technically skilled professionals often lacked these essential capabilities. One candidate struggled to navigate shared documents during our call. Another couldn’t efficiently schedule follow-up meetings across time zones. A third submitted disorganized files that required significant reformatting before they could be used.
These fundamental skill gaps extend far beyond my personal observations. During my participation in the ALX Virtual Assistant program last year (which I highly recommend for anyone seeking work from home jobs in Kenya or across Africa), I was surprised to discover that the curriculum began with basics like creating and organizing Google Drive folders, formatting documents, and managing calendars. The program’s approach reflected a clear understanding that these foundational skills are precisely what many African professionals lack, despite their other qualifications.
Essential skills Remote workers in Kenya Overlook include:
- The ability to use keyboard shortcuts to work efficiently in common applications. This seemingly minor skill significantly impacts productivity and professionalism when working remotely. Watching someone slowly navigate menus instead of using basic shortcuts immediately signals digital inexperience.
- Google Workspace or Microsoft Office proficiency beyond surface-level usage. Remote work often involves collaborative document editing, comment resolution, version control, and other more advanced features that many haven’t mastered.
- Basic spreadsheet functionality for data organization and analysis. Even non-technical roles frequently require organizing information in structured formats, performing simple calculations, or creating basic data visualizations.
- Calendar management across time zones, including setting up meetings with proper agendas, attendance tracking, and follow-up protocols. This becomes particularly critical when working with international clients for remote jobs or virtual assistant positions.
- File organization and sharing protocols that facilitate seamless collaboration. Understanding appropriate file naming conventions, folder structures, and access permissions prevents confusion and demonstrates professionalism.
- Simple design capabilities using accessible tools like Canva. Many remote roles require creating basic visual content for internal use or client presentations.
These may seem like trivial skills compared to specialized technical knowledge, but they form the essential infrastructure of remote work success. When you struggle with these basics, it creates immediate doubt about your ability to handle more complex responsibilities, regardless of your other qualifications.
One particularly successful remote worker in Kenya I know developed a streamlined client onboarding system where potential clients could schedule calls through a single link. The system automatically sent educational email reminders, prepared customized presentations based on client information, and enabled contract signing and payment processing directly from the call. This level of digital infrastructure sophistication demonstrates mastery of the fundamental skills that make remote work efficient and impressive.
For those seeking legitimate work from home jobs in Nairobi, virtual assistant positions, or any form of online jobs, developing these foundational digital skills is not optional but essential. They represent the basic professional toolkit necessary for effective remote collaboration.
6. Remote Work in Kenya and the Underpricing Trap
The final yet perhaps most insidious barrier preventing Africans from securing quality remote work is how we often undervalue our services. This self-imposed limitation affects everyone from students seeking online jobs to professionals pursuing full-time remote work opportunities.
This pattern emerged clearly during my freelancer interviews. One candidate immediately offered to complete our animation project at “a very cheap price” without even understanding the scope or requirements. Another promised to work for “whatever budget you have available” before discussing deliverables. This approach not only signals desperation but fundamentally misunderstands how pricing influences perception of value in the remote work marketplace.
A psychological principle holds true across cultures and industries: higher prices signal higher quality, while lower prices suggest inferior value. This isn’t merely theoretical—I’ve experienced it directly in my own remote work journey. When I began freelancing, I charged minimal rates to secure clients, believing my location in Africa meant I couldn’t command Western-level compensation. This strategy attracted clients who treated my work as low-value and expendable.
The turning point came when I had a client who paid me $100 weekly for articles that took only two hours to create—effectively $50 per hour. This experience revealed that clients care about solutions, not geographic location. They willingly pay rates comparable to Western professionals when they perceive corresponding value.
My highest-paying client eventually agreed to $2,500 for two weeks of work requiring only about four hours daily. This wasn’t because I had dramatically improved my technical skills but because I had repositioned myself as a high-value problem solver rather than a low-cost service provider.
This underpricing problem creates a vicious cycle for those seeking remote jobs and work from home opportunities:
Lower prices signal lower quality to potential clients, regardless of actual work quality. Your $5 logo design might be excellent, but the price itself suggests otherwise.
Clients who select primarily based on low costs typically prove more demanding, less respectful of boundaries, and less likely to provide positive referrals.
The constant grind of low-paying work prevents you from investing time in skill development that could qualify you for higher-value services.
You remain trapped in a pattern of offering low-value services that perpetuates the stereotype that African professionals cannot deliver premium quality work.
The reality is that the most successful Africans in the remote work space charge rates equivalent to their Western counterparts. They understand that pricing is not merely about covering costs but about signaling value and positioning in the marketplace.
Think about this fundamental truth: clients seeking remote workers or virtual assistants are primarily motivated by the desire to solve problems efficiently. The greater the problem you solve, the higher the compensation you can justifiably command. Someone creating basic Canva designs using built-in templates might reasonably charge $50 per project, while someone developing complex interactive animations could command $10,000 or more for the same client. The difference isn’t geographic location but the value of problems solved.
Comprehensive Solutions
Having identified these six critical barriers preventing Africans from securing quality remote work opportunities, let’s explore practical solutions that can transform your prospects in the global remote job marketplace. These strategies apply whether you’re seeking virtual assistant jobs, online jobs for students, or specialized work from home positions.
Mastering Written Communication
If written communication isn’t your strength, technology offers powerful tools to help bridge the gap. Draft your proposals, cover letters, or responses, then use AI tools like ChatGPT to help improve grammar, tone, and clarity. Study these corrections carefully to gradually improve your own writing skills.
Make responsiveness a priority. Even a brief acknowledgment that you’ve received a message and will respond more thoroughly later is better than silence. Set specific times each day to check and respond to messages, ensuring you never leave clients waiting for days.
Consider investing in online courses specifically focused on business writing and communication. Many affordable options exist, from platforms like Coursera to specialized training programs offered by organizations like ours that focus on work from home jobs training including academic writing.
Transforming Your Video Presence
Position your camera at eye level using books or an inexpensive phone stand. This eye-level positioning creates psychological equality in conversations rather than looking down on clients or appearing subordinate.
Ensure your face is well-lit by sitting facing a window or light source. For those with darker skin tones, abundant lighting becomes even more critical to ensure clear visibility.
Create a quiet, distraction-free environment for all video calls. If your home environment presents challenges, consider alternatives like quiet cafés with reliable internet or co-working spaces for important interviews.
Clean your camera lens before all calls to ensure a clear image. This simple step takes seconds but makes a significant difference in how you’re perceived.
Treat every video call with the same professionalism you would bring to an in-person meeting. Dress appropriately, eliminate distractions, and give your full attention to the conversation.
Practice video call techniques with friends or family members before important interviews. Ask for feedback on your lighting, positioning, and overall presentation.
Embracing Honesty and Authenticity
Build your professional identity on absolute truth. Never misrepresent your location, qualifications, or experience, regardless of perceived advantages. Dishonesty, once discovered, irreparably damages your reputation and reinforces negative stereotypes.
Instead of hiding your African identity, learn to position it as a strength. Highlight unique perspectives, work ethic, and cultural insights that add value to international teams. Many companies now specifically seek diverse talent to enhance their global perspective.
Be transparent about potential challenges like time zone differences or infrastructure issues but simultaneously present solutions. For example, “While I’m based in Nairobi (GMT+3), I’ve arranged my schedule to ensure 4 hours of overlap with your team’s working hours. I also have reliable backup internet and power solutions to ensure uninterrupted availability.”
Developing a Consultant Mindset
Approach every client interaction as a problem-solving opportunity rather than a job application. Before discussing your capabilities or pricing, take time to thoroughly understand the client’s needs, challenges, and objectives.
Prepare thoughtful questions that demonstrate your expertise and genuine interest in their business. For example, rather than saying, “I can design websites,” ask, “What business goals are you hoping your new website will help you achieve? What specific challenges have you faced with your current online presence?”
Share detailed case studies from past work that demonstrate not just what you did but the process you followed and, most importantly, the results you achieved. Concrete examples of problem-solving build confidence in your capabilities.
Listen more than you speak during initial consultations. The client who feels heard is far more likely to trust your recommendations and value your expertise.
Acquiring Essential Digital Skills
Invest time in learning foundational remote work skills through structured programs. Our comprehensive work from home jobs training programs provide essential skills for everything from virtual assistant jobs to online writing gigs. Even if you don’t plan to become a VA, these programs teach remote work etiquette and digital skills that transfer across all online jobs.
Create a personal development plan targeting specific digital skill gaps. Free resources like YouTube tutorials and library books can help build these competencies without significant financial investment.
Practice using digital tools daily, not just when working with clients. Set up personal projects that require you to use spreadsheets, collaborative documents, or presentation software to build muscle memory with these essential tools.
Join online communities focused on remote work skills. Platforms like Reddit’s r/remotework or Facebook groups dedicated to virtual assistants offer valuable advice, resources, and support from experienced remote professionals.
Strategic Pricing for Value Perception
Research standard global rates for your services rather than comparing yourself only to local markets. Websites like Upwork, Fiverr Pro (not regular Fiverr), and industry surveys provide valuable benchmarks.
Position yourself based on the value you provide, not your location. Your marketing materials, portfolio, and client communications should emphasize outcomes and solutions rather than hourly rates or geographic advantages.
Gradually increase your rates as you build confidence and testimonials. Starting with slightly higher-than-comfortable prices often attracts better clients who value quality over cost-cutting.
Seek higher-value problems to solve, which naturally command higher rates. Specialized skills addressing complex challenges will always command premium compensation compared to commoditized services.
Conclusion
Breaking into the remote job market isn’t easy—it demands skill, time, and dedication. If you’re just starting out, don’t be discouraged. Instead, learn from the common mistakes highlighted above to avoid becoming just another statistic. Take your time, refine your craft, and focus on delivering real value that reflects the quality of what you offer. Don’t feed into the negative stereotypes often associated with African remote workers—prove them wrong with excellence.
If you’re new to the field, we’ve got plenty of helpful resources to guide you through navigating remote job platforms. Be sure to also check out our online writing training program, designed to equip you with essential digital skills and set you on the right path.