You don’t need to be a hacker or a digital nomad with multiple passports to be concerned about internet privacy. Sometimes, it’s as simple as sending a client invoice from a café, uploading a Shopify update from a coworking space, or watching a YouTube tutorial in an airport lounge before an important call.
You still need a VPN, not because of drama, but for essential reasons: your safety, your files, and your business. If you’re freelancing in 2025, you’re not just pursuing income; you’re managing risk. In today’s global, always-on hustle economy, your digital footprint is your top priority.
The Freelancer Who Got Burned
Here’s a true story that shook a tight community of African freelancers last year. Chike, a freelance brand strategist in Lagos, had recently secured a new client from the United States through Upwork. After sending off the contract and participating in a few Zoom calls, he submitted his first invoice from a Wi-Fi café. However, just three days later, his Upwork account was flagged for “suspicious location activity.”
Apparently, someone had attempted to access his account from a different IP address while he was logged in. The system froze his payouts — a total of $2,300 — pending review. What went wrong? Public Wi-Fi. No VPN. No encryption. His IP and login credentials had been scooped mid-session. This isn’t a scare tactic — it’s reality. Chike got lucky. After three weeks, his account was reinstated, and he was paid. But the real loss? Time, trust, momentum.
Running Your E-Commerce Hustle Abroad
A friend of mine runs a thriving e-commerce reselling business from Accra, sourcing beauty products locally and selling globally via Etsy and Amazon. Because of geo-restrictions, she uses a VPN to manage multiple storefronts and conduct international market research.
A VPN helps her simulate access from U.S. locations — critical for testing ads, analysing product listings, and monitoring trends in real time. Without it, she wouldn’t even be able to see what her U.S. customers see. It’s not sketchy — it’s strategy.
Why It Matters in 2025
Freelancers aren’t just a niche — they’re part of a growing global workforce shaped by remote work. According to Statista, the share of employees working remotely worldwide increased from 20% in 2020 to 28% by 2023. That shift didn’t just affect full-time employees — it unlocked new opportunities for freelancers, digital nomads, and online entrepreneurs, especially across Africa.
Between 2022 and 2024, platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Toptal reported a sharp rise in African freelance sign-ups, fueled by improved internet access, global demand for tech skills, and the growing appetite for flexible work.
- According to NordLayer, public Wi-Fi networks are often unsecured, unencrypted, and poorly policed — making them prime territory for hackers to deploy malware, hijack sessions, intercept credentials, and execute phishing or identity theft attacks
- Freelancers, small business owners, and solopreneurs are three times more likely to be targeted by phishing and packet sniffing due to their lack of enterprise-grade protection.
What a VPN Actually Does (And Doesn’t)
Let’s be clear. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) isn’t a magical cloak. But it encrypts your internet connection, masks your IP, and routes your traffic through secure servers, making it drastically harder for hackers, ISPs, or platforms to trace or intercept your activity. For freelancers, this means:
- Securing client data on public Wi-Fi
- Accessing geo-blocked tools or payment portals
- Protecting banking, wallet, and invoice logins
- Keeping communications private on platforms like Slack, Zoom, or Gmail
But I’m Just a Writer / Designer / Consultant — Do I Really Need One?
Yes, especially if you deal with international clients or use cloud tools like Google Drive, Notion, Trello, or QuickBooks. Every file you share, every password you save, every session you log — it’s a tiny door. VPNs help keep it locked. And it’s not about paranoia. It’s about posture. Professionalism. Predictive protection. Because the more global you get, the more exposed you are.
In 2025, a VPN isn’t just for techies or streamers. It’s for writers, illustrators, social media managers, coaches, coders — anyone building a business with nothing but a laptop and grit. Whether you’re running your e-commerce hustle abroad or just hopping between co-working spaces, a VPN is your silent co-founder, keeping your grind secure while you chase your next invoice, client, or opportunity. You’re not doing anything sketchy. You’re doing something smart.
