Best Businesses to Start in Kenya

Starting a business can be precarious without a candid plan in place. Are you looking to start a successful business in Kenya with a guarantee of constant flow of customers and stable income?

Look no further, we have explored the vibrant Kenyan business landscape to bring you the best businesses to start in Kenya this year.

Different factors have been considered in generating this list including the essential capital requirement.

Best Businesses to Start in Kenya

1. Start a Laundromat

This is a lucrative business opportunity especially in the middle-class areas such as Ridgeways, Kilimani, Westlands, and Lavington. The laundry business is fairly profitable and easy to start. Home laundromat, which includes washing, drying, folding plus pick and deliver has increasingly becoming popular in Kenya.

Home laundromat is easily one of the most profitable businesses in Kenya to start with 100k. All you need is a washing machine with dry cleaner, several iron boxes, and an iron table.

• Washing machine with dryer retails @ Kes. 80,000
• Iron Box @ Kes. 2,000
• Iron Table @ Kes. 5,000

On average a home laundromat can earn you between KES 3,000 to KES 6,000 per day depending on the location.

2. Airbnb Business

Are you searching for a fast growing business in Kenya? Here is another idea. With Airbnb you can rent a room, furnish it and make extra money at the comfort of your sofa.

Cozy furnished studio apartments in Nairobi are highly sought after. Unlike the traditional accommodations studio apartments can be set up on small scale with relatively lower starting capital.

A medium sized studio apartment in busy towns such as Nairobi can fetch you between KES 2,500 to KES 15,000 per night. With the demand for studio apartments growing rapidly this is an irresistible source of passive income.

3. Launch a Gym

Opening a gym is another great business idea due to the growing interests on health and fitness among Kenyans. However, such investment demands strategic research to avoid devastating losses.

Starting a gym business in Kenya has been highlighted by business specialists as one business to start with 500K in Kenya. Health and wellness has become a top priority for most Kenyans and the demand for gym facilities and personalized fitness solutions is anticipated to surge in the coming years.

How to start a gym business in Kenya is a question that scares many potential investors. However, no need to worry thorough research has confirmed that this industry has untapped market and it is not unscalable as hypothesized by some pundits.

But how profitable is gym business in Kenya? The answer to this question hinges on several factors such as services offered and gym location. Besides, based on our intensive research we have identified that on average a gym in Kenya can earn KES 10,000 to KES 100,000 per day.

4. Start a PlayStation Business  

Millennials especially those in college and universities fancy spending time playing a PlayStation. That is why this is a lucrative opportunity to venture in Kenya.

 

This is one one of the business opportunities in Kenya for youth. A strategically positioned PlayStation business can earn you between KES 2,000 to KES 15,000 per day.

When it comes to investment capital, about Ksh. 350K is enough to secure a gaming console (PS5), several TV screens, and rent room to get you started. To start a successful PlayStation business in Kenya you will need to identify a place near learning institutions such as universities or colleges.

5. Start a Blog

Highlighting unique business ideas in Kenya without the mention of blogging is an outright misnomer. Blogging has become one of the widely embraced source of passive income for many Kenyans.

There is a widespread misconception that starting a blog is reserved for computer gurus. But in the modern digitalized world it is possible to create blog with ease and share your ideas to the world.

The cost of making a blog in Kenya depends on factors such as webhosting services and the type of blog. If you are stuck on how to create a blog in Kenya as a beginner you can consult a web designer, they charge considerably low fee for this money-making venture.

How to make money blogging in Kenya can be achieved in several ways including affiliate marketing and google ads. It is worth noting that the income for blogging depends on the amount of traffic your site generates. However, the average income for bloggers in Kenya is KES 50,000.

6. Shelf Space Rentals

Renting shelf space is not only a fast-growing business in Kenya but also one of the most unique business ideas in Kenya. If you want to venture into business and enjoy the thrill of untapped market here is an irresistible business opportunity for you.

To get started you will need a good location in high traffic areas such as Nairobi CBD. Once you have acquired the location you can create shelves that will house outlets like small scale boutiques.

Each shelve is rented for between KES. 2000 and KES. 5,000. If you make 100 shelves you can be making a profit of KES 200,000 per month from the comfort of your sofa.

7. Wines and Spirits

Wines and Spirits business tops the list of the most profitable business in Kenya 2023. With the basic knowhow of wines and spirits you can venture into this business with 500K. The fee caters for rent, alcohols, room furniture and licenses.

Based on our intensive research wines and spirits makes it to the list of the fastest growing businesses in Kenya. It is worth with a good location you can generate an average income of between KES 40,000 and KES 100,000 per month.

8. Vacuum Cleaning  

Are you in the search of businesses to start with 30K in Kenya? Look no further vacuum cleaning is a feasible option for you.

You can turn you 30K into a successful cleaning services company in Kenya. A wet and dry vacuums price in Kenya is KES 12,500. After acquiring vacuum cleaner, the other thing, you need is to make your business known using social media ads.

Here is how a 30K budget fits in the vacuum cleaning business

• Vacuum cleaner KES. 12,500
• Uniforms KES. 5,000
• Cleaning detergents KES. 5,000
• Bucket and Brushes KES.5,000
• Social Media Ads KES. 3,500

Worst Businesses to Start in Kenya

We have addressed some of the best businesses to start in Kenya, but what are the worst businesses to start in Kenya this year.. The list below features some of the risky business ideas that might dent your entrepreneurial spirit.

Insurance Company: they are deemed one of the most successful business, but the industry is undeniably impregnable for startups. Giant multinationals dominate the industry leaving new entrants to gamble for scraps.

Mitumba Clothes Import Business: It has become a nightmare for veteran mitumba vendors to source their products. As such, imagine the mind-numbing challenges start-ups would face without knowhow on how to maneuver in the industry and generate profits.

Photography: the industry is saturated with photographers getting a customer as beginner is almost incomprehensible these days. Unless you are well rooted with event management avoid this venture at all cost.

Movie Shop: with the rise of free streaming services movie shops have nearly become obsolete in Kenya. A movie shop is easily one of the worst businesses in Kenya.

Closing Remarks

The above are some of the best businesses to start in Kenya based on our independent research. We covered businesses in various startup capital brackets. Some the best businesses include laundromat, Airbnb business, gym, playstation, blogging, wines and spirits, and vacuum cleaning.

We highly recommend you attend The County Business Week’s expo events to learn more about these and other businesses you can start and grow.