AfterQuery
San Francisco applied research lab that pays professionals to turn their own working knowledge into AI training data — "we teach machines how experts think". The expert marketplace is a separate site from the company one: afterquery.com is corporate, and the work a South African can actually take is at experts.afterquery.com. You apply once, are verified, and are then invited to projects in your field. Roles run from medical and legal review through finance, software and content evaluation. The company raised a $30M Series A in 2026.
Can a South African join?
Bottom line: Yes — South Africans can join AfterQuery.
"We welcome experts worldwide (availability of projects may vary by country)" — step one of their own sign-up process — alongside the headline "Work From Anywhere in the World". AfterQuery does not name South Africa and we have found no South African testimonial, so treat this as a platform that is open worldwide rather than one recruiting here. Their own caveat is the honest part and worth reading twice: being welcome to join is not the same as projects being available in your country.
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What it pays
Bottom line: Most expert work pays between $25 and $200 an hour, depending on how specialised your field is. There is no single rate - read the role.
Published per role, which is rarer than it should be. Rates on their expert site on 2026-08-22: Medical MD Expert $120–$200/hr; Finance Expert (Undergraduate / Early Career) $50/hr; Content Writer and AI Evaluation Specialist $35–$50/hr; General Expert / Data Annotator $25–$60/hr; and a global content evaluation role at $15. They state "$1M+ paid out" across the platform. The spread is wide because it tracks the expertise, not the hours — read the individual role.
How the money reaches you
Bottom line: You are paid per task or project. AfterQuery does not say which payment services it uses, so ask how the money would reach a South African account.
Per task or per project. Their FAQ: "Experts are paid per task or project based on transparent rates set upfront. We offer fast, reliable payouts with multiple payment options available." Which options, they do not say — no rail is named anywhere on the site, so confirm how money would reach a South African account before you take work on.
How hard is it to get in?
Bottom line: Takes some effort — expect a screening step.
Four steps, in AfterQuery's words: create an account, then "meet with our team or take an asynchronous video interview to discuss your experience and goals", then "pass a short skills assessment", then start earning. Verification is real — their FAQ says "all experts undergo a verification process that includes credential checks and expertise validation", and they ask for "advanced degrees, significant industry experience, or demonstrated expertise". But they also say plainly: "No prior AI experience required — we provide clear instructions and guidelines." So the bar is your existing profession, not AI. One current role is openly titled Undergraduate / Early Career, which is unusual on these platforms.