Almost everyone is hustling for online money these days. You’ve got people flipping items on Jiji, applying for Upwork gigs, and jumping from one side hustle to another. But once they stop grinding, the cash stops flowing.

What if we told you there’s a different way?

Instead of constantly trading your time for money, you could create something once — an ebook, template, or online class — and keep selling it long after the first buyer clicks “check out.” The challenge isn’t whether it works, but knowing how to start without wasting months second-guessing your product or price.

This is what Juliet Odhiambo, personal finance coach and founder of Pesa Savvy, figured out. She turned her knowledge into ebooks and online courses on Selar, earning over $12,000 in a year without a huge audience.

In our recent webinar, she shared the steps she used to make it happen, and that’s exactly what you’ll learn in this guide

We’ll cover;

• Why digital products are the easiest entry point for Kenyan creators
• Common mistakes that stop beginners from earning
• How Juliet packaged and marketed her products to make her first $1,000
• Practical steps you can follow to build and scale your own

Let’s dig in.

Why Digital Products Are the Easiest Way to Start Earning Online in Kenya

If you’ve ever tried to make money online in Kenya, you know how tough it can be. Physical products mean stock, delivery costs, and endless back-and-forths with customers. Freelancing or side gigs eat up hours, and the money stops the moment you stop working.

But digital products change that story. Juliet Odhiambo explained it clearly in our webinar: “People will pay you to solve their problems. The bigger the problem, the bigger the payout.”

That’s what makes digital products so powerful. 

They don’t need warehouses, logistics or a huge budget, and thanks to Selar, you can get paid directly through M-Pesa in Kenyan Shillings or in other currencies if your buyers are outside the country.

For beginners, it’s the most practical starting point. Juliet herself started with simple ebooks and recorded lessons on her phone. The most important thing is to solve a pressing problem whose solution people are willing to pay for. 

What Kind of Digital Products Can You Sell in Kenya?

The short answer? Any kind.

One mistake Juliet admitted to making early on was overthinking. She considered everything from ebooks on money habits to templates, and courses but ended up with analysis paralysis. It wasn’t until she picked just one product and put it out that she started earning consistently.

In truth, if you can solve a problem, you can package that solution into a digital product. According to Juliet, there are three key models that define how you can offer solutions and sell them, especially on a platform like Selar:

1. Teaching – Show people how to solve their problems. This could be an ebook, a PDF guide, a recorded webinar, a budgeting template, or even a checklist.
2. Collaboration – Walk alongside your audience. Think group coaching, cohort-based courses, bootcamps, or weekly challenges.
3. Done-For-You Solutions – Create DFY kits, templates, or resources they can plug and play. For example, a pre-made Excel budget sheet or Canva design pack.

She said, “People will buy you before they buy from you.” 

That means your product should reflect your expertise or passion, whether it’s financial coaching, photography, design, or even something as niche as teaching tea etiquette (yes, she gave that example).

Ultimately, the Kenyan market is wide open for all sorts of digital products, from courses on career skills to templates for small businesses. 

Step-by-Step: How to Sell Your First Digital Product

Juliet didn’t hit $12,000 in sales overnight. She started by breaking the process into small, clear steps that any beginner in Kenya can follow. Here’s the system she shared:

1. Start with problems, not products.

Juliet’s advice was simple: “List 100 problems your audience faces.” From that list, pick one you can solve. The mistake most beginners make is creating products nobody asked for. Solving a clear problem is what makes people buy.

2. Pre-sell before you create.

Don’t spend months building. Instead, host a free webinar, go live on Instagram, or post a survey in your WhatsApp groups. Ask if people would pay for a solution. Juliet explained that pre-orders give you proof of demand and build urgency.

3. Build the simplest version first.

Your first product doesn’t need to be huge. It could be a short PDF, a simple video lesson recorded on your phone, or a plug-and-play template. Juliet started with ebooks and courses that required nothing more than Google Docs and her phone.

4. Create a clean sales page.

Your page should say: here’s the problem, here’s the solution, here’s proof, here’s how to buy. Selar makes this easy with a page builder and a platform that supports M-Pesa payments, which is critical for Kenyan buyers.

5. Deliver and follow up

Once buyers get value, ask for testimonials and share them. Social proof makes sales across different channels smoother than it would’ve been otherwise. Juliet grew her audience and increased sales using this approach.

Tools & Platforms You Can Use (With M-Pesa Support)

One of the biggest frustrations Juliet shared was losing sales on platforms that didn’t support African payment methods. Customers wanted to pay, but cards failed, and checkout was complicated. That friction cost her huge losses.

That changed when she switched to Selar. With Selar, Kenyan creators can:

• Accept payments via M-Pesa 
• Sell in Kenyan Shillings and other currencies if buyers are abroad
• Create sales pages without needing web design skills
• Upload multiple types of products — ebooks, courses, templates, memberships
• Tap into the built-in Affiliate Network to expand reach

Even on Selar’s free plan, creators can set up digital products easily. And as you grow, you can unlock extras like integrations (Mailchimp, GTM, Facebook Pixel), memberships, and more advanced features.

Of course, there are other platforms out there, but most don’t prioritise African creators. Selar is trusted by over 350,000 creators across Africa, so you’re building on tools designed for your exact market.

How to Promote Your Digital Product Without Ads

A lot of beginners think they need a big ad budget to make sales. Juliet’s story proves the opposite. She built her first $1,000 in sales without running a single paid campaign. Instead, she focused on trust and distribution.

Here are the strategies she shared:

1. Start with a free session

Host a free webinar or Instagram Live. Teach something valuable and then introduce your product at the end. Juliet used this tactic to pre-sell her courses; it built trust and created urgency.

2. Use WhatsApp groups

In Kenya, WhatsApp isn’t just for chatting. It’s where people share resources, discuss money tips, and recommend products. Juliet encouraged creators to share previews or limited offers in their group chats. It works because the trust is already there.

3. Tell stories on Instagram

Instead of random posts, Juliet recommended using Instagram Stories and Reels to show behind-the-scenes moments. Buyers want to see the human side before they pay.

4. Borrow audiences

Partner with creators who already have the community you want to reach. Do joint sessions or giveaways. It gets your product in front of buyers faster than starting from zero.

Another Way to Earn: Affiliate Marketing

Before you even create your own digital product, it’s worth knowing that you don’t always have to start there, especially if you don’t have it all figured out yet. 

The Selar Affiliate Network allows you to earn by promoting other people’s products and taking a commission for every sale. That means even if you’re still figuring out your niche or what to create, you can still start earning.

Take Emmanuel, for example. He consistently makes over $3,000 a month just by leveraging Selar’s affiliate tools without his own product 

With affiliate marketing presenting that much of a possibility, it’s worth asking which route is best to go for — affiliate marketing or selling your own digital products? 

In truth, they both have their place.

• Affiliate marketing can potentially help you start fast. You don’t need to create anything; you simply focus on distribution and marketing. While you might not own the product, your commissions could get high enough to represent a decent income source. Affiliate marketing is also a great way to practice distribution, grow your audience, and even build your own brand while earning.
• Selling your own digital products takes slightly more effort than affiliate marketing upfront, especially as far as having the digital products themselves are concerned. But the rewards are potentially bigger because you keep more profit.

The smartest approach is to do both. Promote affiliate products to learn how to sell and build confidence. Then introduce your own product when you’re ready. That’s exactly how creators like Juliet and Passive Income Anna blend affiliate earnings with their own products for consistent income and long-term growth.

How Long Does It Take to Make $1,000 in Kenya?

Juliet was clear, it isn’t “easy money.” Selling digital products will take effort, but not forever. When she first uploaded an ebook on Selar in 2023, it took almost a year before she gained traction.

Why? She was overthinking, creating too many products at once, and struggling with analysis paralysis.

The turning point came when she focused on one product, defined her audience, and started marketing consistently. From there, she made over $12,000 in just 12 months.

If you commit to action, creating one product, pricing it right, and promoting it, you can realistically hit your first $1,000 in 1–3 months or less. The exact timeline depends on:

• Your audience size: Bigger reach means potentially faster sales. But even with no audience, affiliates and pre-orders can speed it up. So, no need to worry if you’re still in the process of growing your followers.
• Your product type: A $10 ebook will take 100+ sales to hit $1,000, while a $100 course takes just 10 sales.
• Your marketing consistency: Posting once and forgetting about it won’t work. You need to show up regularly and build trust.

Don’t be obsessed over speed but systems. If you keep creating and promoting, $1,000 becomes a very achievable milestone as opposed to a distant dream.

Mistakes Kenyan Creators Make and How to Avoid Them

Juliet didn’t sugarcoat it; most beginners in Kenya fail not because digital products don’t work, but because they get stuck making the same avoidable mistakes. Here are the big ones she highlighted:

1. Overthinking before selling: Juliet admitted she wasted almost a year making endless lists of possible ebooks and courses, but never launched. The result was zero sales, and she learnt to create one simple product, put it out, and refine along the way.

2. Trying to do too much at once: Many beginners overwhelm themselves by building five different products or complicated funnels. Start with one. 

3. Hiding instead of marketing: You can be brilliant, but if no one knows you exist, you won’t sell. Many Kenyan creators are scared to post, promote, or even pre-sell. Juliet’s advice: “People will pay you if they trust you. Build trust through consistent content.”

4. Targeting the wrong audience: If you’re solving a problem no one cares about, sales won’t come. Spend time identifying pain points before you create.

5. Waiting for perfection: Creators hold back, waiting for the perfect camera, logo, or website. Juliet records with her phone and sells PDFs made in Google Docs. Start simple, then perfect later.

By avoiding these traps, you can shave months off your learning curve and start earning much faster.

Ready to Make Your First $1,000?

Selling digital products isn’t just a side hustle; it’s one of the fastest, most scalable ways for Kenyans to earn online today. Juliet’s story proves it: she went from analysis paralysis to earning over $12,000 in a single year, all by packaging what she knew into ebooks and courses.

The difference between those who dream and those who earn is action. Start small, focus on solving a problem, and allow us to handle the heavy lifting, from M-PESA payments, multiple currencies, hosting, affiliates, and sales tools.

Thousands of African creators are already making money on Selar. The next success story could be yours. Get started free on Selar today and take the first step toward your first $1,000 selling digital products in Kenya.