Category: BUSINESS

 

When you find yourself jobless it’s pointless to keep on blaming the government for neglecting you, there are over 100 businesses youths can start in Kenya forget about employment.

The best thing about business is that once you start, however small it is, the idea of employment becomes a joke. Most people have found satisfaction in business, where they grow with time and even employ their college mates.

We often find graduates bragging that since they have papers, doing manual jobs will lower their status. This kind of thinking has led many youths into drugs because of frustrations. What I can advise you, don’t wait for a job to come for you, if you find that you are unemployable look for a business venture to keep you busy.

If you are perhaps wondering which business a jobless youth can start in Kenya, below is the list.

Poultry farming

Poultry farming is extremely good for youths who live in the village. With just Ksh5,000 you can start the business.

Imagine if you buy 20 broilers at Ksh70 each, keep them for 5 weeks and sell each at Ksh350.You will earn more than Ksh 3,000.Use the profit to add more broilers, and am sure after 5 years everyone in the village will be singing your name.

Selling CD, Movies and DVD

Selling CDs,movies and DVDs is another business you can start without much capital.You only need Ksh 20,000 to rent a shop in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kisumu or Mombasa, then buy blank CDs and DVDs and start downloading movies for free.

One thing I like about this business is that you will always make more than double the amount you purchase the DVD or CD.

Online writing

There are several online companies requiring skills from graduates. Online academic writing can keep you busy in the meantime as you apply for employment.

Most companies in Kenya pay Ksh150-Ksh250 per single page. If you manage to write 10 pages per day, you will comfortably make at least Ksh1, 500, which translates to Ksh45,000 per month-this money is not taxed.

Online marketing/Blogging

Blogging is a wonderful profession but most youths believe it’s just for passing time. We have over 3,000 Kenyans who are full time bloggers. If you ask these guys to stop what they are dong and search for a job, they can commit suicide.

There are bloggers in this country who earn up to Ksh 3 million per month.

Alternatively, you can start online shop where you sell women clothes, shoes, handbags, electronics, smartphones, TVs etc.

An online store require a website, marketing skills and where to source your products. You can contact venas news if you need a clean website. Our email address [email protected].

If you need to advertise you can also contact venas news where you pay as little as Ksh1, 000 per month and get value for your money.

Start farming profitable crops.

The best crops to farm in Kenya include cabbages, sukumawiki, traditional vegetables, watermelon and tomatoes.

You should avoid planting crops that take more than 6 months to mature.

Start fast food restaurant in major towns

Don’t mind about chunk food-your interest is to make money. A fast food restaurant in a busy environment will bring you up to Ksh15, 000 per day-ask anyone with the same.

Data Analysis and proposal writing services

If you have skills in data analysis, excel and business proposal writing in Kenya, you can reach out to undergraduate and masters students who are lazy to do their projects.

Experienced data analysts charge Ksh 15,000 to analyze diploma data, degree data takes Ksh25,000 while masters data takes Ksh 30,000-Ksh50,000.

If you have 3 clients a month you can make up to Ksh100,000

Also you can do business proposal writing where you are tasked to come up proposals companies should send for grants and loans. You can make up to Ksh 150k making a single proposal.

Real Estate brokerage firm

To start a real estate brokerage firm in Kenya is so easy. What you need is to position yourself well so that you can get clients who want you to manage their rental houses.

You can also market plots for various real estate companies.

House cleaning services and Catering business

Many people in the estates have dirty carpets and mattresses which need to be cleaned. You can start a company to do this business.

To import goods from Dubai,you need to know few procedures,which are not hectic.Dubai has become a business hub, where traders travel to buy commodities (cars,jewelry,clothes etc) cheaply and sell at profit in their home countries. There are procedures to follow before deciding to do regular importation of goods from Dubai. One thing that excites traders is the low cost of air ticket and the ease of accessing areas where the goods are sold.

The best goods to import from Dubai include furniture, electronics, computers, jewelry, auto parts, lights and lighting equipment, telephones, phone accessories, textiles and others”.

There are two options:

1. You can fly direct to Dubai if you are familiar with the country or
2. Use an agent at Dubai

If you decide to travel to Dubai alone chances are that you might spend more than you can gain from the business, but if you are familiar with the area and your products are bulk enough to recover the ticket cost then there is no point of using agents.Hovever, it’s highly recommended to use trustworthy agents, who have been in the business for long.

It costs $ 500-10,000 to fly to Dubai, spend some time there and pay air ticket, and also requires at least $ 30,000 to make significant profit if indeed you decide to overlook agents.

I usually advise new traders to use experienced once when they are flying to Dubai.Doing this will enable them understand the dynamics of business in Dubai.

The second option, which involves using agents, is the most preferred method of importing goods from Dubai.

Some of the popular agents in Dubai include:

Empteezy Dubai

Oceanfront Shipping LLC

Blue Pearl Loistics LLC

Cotec General Trading LLC

Prem Dutt Logistics

Adam P.C General Trading

Once you have identified a reliable trading partner, which you can be referred by a person who had been served by them, make sure you make payments to their account which they will use to purchase goods based on your order.

The agents then make a call informing you of payment receipt and how long you expect to wait for your products. It’s important to note that waiting time is in most cases 2-4 weeks depending on the distance from you home country to Dubai and how fast the custom officers clear your goods.

Also, once the agents purchase goods for you they will send a reference code to you and copy the same to another agent in your country who will clear your goods.

In some cases, the goods are transported through the plane and are cleared at the airport.

To conclude, you must make sure someone you know refers you to a credible agent, otherwise you can easily lose your money to fake agents purporting to be clearing agents.

 

We have compiled a list of richest and most influential people from the Kikuyu tribe. As you are aware, the Kikuyu tribe eats their sweat and they are the most enterprising community in East Africa.

In Nairobi alone this tribe, which comprise of 22 % of the Kenyan population, command over 70 % of the capital city, meaning they simply own Kenya.

Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s fourth President ranks first ,followed by business mogul Chris Kirubi.S.K Macharia,the media magnet also is ranked highly with a total net worth in excess of Ksh40 billion.

Jane Wanjiku Michuki is definitely a strange name in this list, but you are aware of former powerful minister,John Michuki,who breathed his last some year back. The entrepreneur left over Ksh30 billion worth of assets.Jane, being the able wife, inherited the wealth.

Below is a list of wealthiest Kikuyu in Kenya

1. Uhuru Kenyatta
2. Chris Kirubi
3. K Macharia
4. Jane Wanjiru michuki
5. Charles Njonjo
6. Philip Ndegwa
7. Mwai kibaki
8. Stanley Githunguri
9. Dancan Ndegwa
10. Pius Ngugi
11. Joe Wanjui
12. Eprahim Maina
13. William Kabogo
14. Eddy Njoroge
15. Samuel Gichuru
16. Benson Wairegi
17. Joram Kamau

 

Social media, especially Facebook,is one of the platforms that can allow you make unlimited amount of money. There are over 5 ways you can easily make money through Facebook and become rich.

There are over 10,000 Kenyans who make money through this platform, and this is how they make it:

Sponsoring a post

If you have a website which is not performing well, you can use your Visa Card to pay for services on Facebook so that they can show your website to your targeted audience. You can also sponsor a post you have written on Facebook or your website to drive traffic to your site. In this way, people will know your site and keep on visiting it in future.

Sponsoring a post on Facebook requires a budget of Ksh1, 000 per day and a weekly budget of at most Ksh7, 000.

Marketing your products on Facebook

If you are a data analyst, you provide catering services, you are a photographer or you have any other business you do that you want people to recognize it, then Facebook is the best platform to market it. Simply open a page-opening a page takes few seconds-and invite your friends and tell them to share to their friends. If your products are what the market requires then you’ll find it easy penetrating the market.

Almost every big organization, businesses or media houses have Facebook pages for their products. You will be left behind if you don’t take a step and have yours.

Manage company Facebook Pages

You can start a company or be a free lancer who manages company  Facebook pages.I think you know most companies don’t have time to run social media platforms. As a n individual you can convince them to allow your manage their platforms so that you can keep updating on what’s happening in the company and do PR for them.

There are so many individuals doing the same in Kenya and they make up to Ksh 500,000 per month.

Manage Facebook pages for famous politicians and prominent personalities

Many politicians don’t have time to check on what’s trending on social media.They,therefore,require someone who can monitor what is happening in the platforms and update their social media pages for PR.Several politicians in Kenya,who include Raila Odinga,Alfred Mutua,Uhuru Kenyatta,William Ruto,Kalonzo Musyoka have employed people to run their social media handles.These politicians pay them up to Ksh700,000 per month.

Advertise company business and events on your Page

If your page is very popular and you want to make money, you can approach a company that wants to advertise their products. Then write a nice post concerning the company’s services, which will reach out to your audience.

 

Kenya has among the tallest buildings in Africa. The tallest building is located in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya and it’s 300 metres tall. The iconic building, which is yet to be completed is set to be the tallest  building in Africa.

We list some of the tallest buildings in Nairobi, Kenya

Haas Tower

This building will be built by Haas Group and is set to be 66 floors. Already the foundation is complete and the construction is underway.

The building is expected to be completed in 2018 and will host several multinational companies.

Haas Group,which is undertaking the project,is expected to spend over Ksh 7 billion.

KCB Tower

KCB Tower is the headquarter of Kenya Commercial Bank and has 33 floors.It is among the newest buildings located at Upper Hill Nairobi and houses several offices.

Before the building was constructed,KCB headquarters were located at Kencom Building Nairobi CBD.

Times Tower

Times Tower is 140 m tall and has 33 floors. The tallest building in Nairobi CBD hosts Kenya Revenue Authority offices and is well guarded.

The building was completed in the year 2000 and was occupied the same year.

Teleposta Tower

Teleposta Tower is a government building which was completed in the year 2000.The building is 120 metres tall and contains 27 floors.

The area where it’s located is commonly referred as GPO, simply because it host Kenya Posts and Telecommunications offices.

When you are new in the city, you will always be told to wait for a visitor at either Kencom,GPO or National Archives, and that’s when you will realize Teleposta tower exist.

Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC)

Kenyatta International Conference Centre commonly known as KICC is one of the oldest and among the best designs in Nairobi.The building was built in 1974 by Jomo Kenyatta government and is 105 metres tall.

KICC has 28 floors where most of them are used to hold conferences.

The building was made a state corporation and a national heritage, where many Kenyans as well as foreigners pose for photos.

Other tall buildings include:

NSSF Building

I&M Bank Tower^[

Nyayo House

Co-Operative Bank Building

Britam Tower

 

When deciding on buying a Television (TV) in Kenya, you can either go for a digital TV (LED) or analogue TV (LCD) TV, but it all depends on your budget. A list of all TV brands in Kenya shows that there are over 15 brands. We would however list the most popular brands in the market.

Below is the list

1. LG
2. Samsung
3. Sony
4. Hisense
5. Skyworth
6. Hiteq
7. Finflux
8. Sayona
9. Bruhm
10. Sharp
11. Daytek
12. TCL
13. ARMCO
14. Startimes
15. DJACK

All the brands come in 21 inch, 24, 26, 28,32,40,50, etc inches. From research most customers purchase 21,24 and 32 inches.

The best and ideal inches to buy for a home is either 32 or 40 inches.

The average cost of a 32 inch flat screen analogue TV is Ksh23, 000 while a digital one is Ksh 30,000.

The best and most durable brands are Sony,Samsung,LG,TCL,Sharp and ARMCO. Also others can do well for any careful user.

Click to buy from Jumia

Click to buy from Kilimall

 

William Kabogo,the Kiambu Governor,is a rich man, so rich that he can buy freedom, according to his infamous statement last year. His wealth, though not in public domain is enough to feed generations.

The Kiambu Governor was born in 1964 shortly after independency. Before joining politics he worked as Managing Director, Tototo Home Industries where he invested heavily in real estate. During this time he managed to secure plots in several locations within the country.

At one point he worked as a driver to former Member of Parliament for Kibwezi, Harun Mwau, and later joined politics.

Punjab University graduate, who is a father of two, owns a chopper, a palatial home in Mombasa as well as a home in Nairobi. He has invested in hotel industry, real estate, stock market as well as transport industry.

His net worth cannot be revealed but he is believed to be a billionaire.

 

S.K Macharia is the founder and chairman of Royal Media Services, which owns Citizen TV, Citizen Radio ,Inooro TVand a host of other local stations. The business mogul is among the richest people in Kenya and ranked one of the most influential businessmen in East Africa.

In 2013, Forbes listed S.K Macharia the richest man in Kenya with a net worth in excess of Ksh40 billion. Since then, his stations have posted profits annually.

Though he is in and out of hospital, his businesses continue posting profits. Citizen TV, which is Royal Media Services parent media house, charges at least Ksh 183,000 per single advert per minute. The station runs over 50 adverts daily. This implies that in a bad month a single station makes at least Ksh 50 million.

Macharia has specialized in media industry where he has diversified his business. The stations credited to his name exceed 20 where majority broadcast in vernacular languages.

In 2013 he supported CORD leader in his presidential campaign, a decision he regretted later after losing Sh 800 million on adverts. During the period,K24 raided his station, Citizen TV,and poached almost entire experienced staff. The incident almost took Citizen TV to it’s knees. It was forced to recruit interns to fill the huge gap created by those who went for green pastures.

S.K Macharia can be regarded as the most generous employer in Kenya in regards to employee compensation.His stations lead in terms of salaries and renumerations

 

Sofa Sets are the basic requirements for any comfort Kenyan home but more often, people fail to spend much on furniture because their budget is tight. In most cases, expensive furniture take time to get buyers because those who are willing to purchase them are less than 1 % of Kenyan population.

Research shows that Kenyans in major towns spend average of Ksh 30,000 on sofa sets. Only a few spend over Ksh100, 000.

The various popular shops we surveyed had sofa sets costing Ksh 60,000-Ksh250, 000, prices slightly less than half the most expensive sofa set in Kenya. We managed to locate the most expensive furniture, and it was in a popular furniture store in Westlands Nairobi. The furniture, made of mahogany tree, was going for Ksh 999, 000, and has stayed in the shop for 6 months.This is a 5 sitter furniture made of mahogany timber and leather covers.

Popular furniture shops in Kenya, which include:

1. Antarc
2. Nakumatt Supermarkets
3. Jabali Furniture
4. Ayanah Furniture & Interiors
5. Victoria furnitures Ltd
6. Fairdeal Furniture
7. Elegant Office Furniture
8. Dinku Furniture Kenya

Have favourable prices. We found out that furniture (sofa sets) made of hard wood cost Ksh70,000-Ksh200,000 in most shops. While office furniture cost Ksh 13,000-Ksh50, 000.

One of the sellers revealed to us that a good office furniture is one costing at least Ksh21, 000 because it can last for even 10 years. She also added that a good five sitter sofa set costs at least Ksh 60, 000.

 

ADN decoder is one of the best set boxes to buy in Kenya. The set box goes for Ksh 3,600-Ksh4, 500.The list of channels in the set box include

• Inooro TV
• KBC
• Citizen TV
• KTN
• KTN News
• K24
• QTV
• NTV

Etc

If you don’t have enough money to buy a digital LED TV, you can buy the ADN decoder and enjoy more than 15 channels in the set box.

The decoder has also internet services, which are not free but are affordable. If you are the type who wants to use internet at your home you can either buy ADN set box or the ZUKU one.

The signal for ADN channels is super clear compared to Bamba TV set box but Bamba has more channels than ADN.

One advantage of AND set box is that you don’t have to pay monthly subscriptions to watch the stations-it is simply free.

 

 

The cheapest televisions (TVs) in Kenya can be bought as low as Ksh 3, 000, which almost every Kenyan can afford. But the most expensive ones, which are only found in shopping malls, can only be affordable to individuals who are capable of spending at least Ksh 1 million at ago.

Samsung has the most expensive TV in Kenya. The 84 inch set, which was unveiled in Kenya 3 years ago, costs Ksh 3.7 million. The set comes with an inbuilt camera and wireless Internet connectivity and users control channels through the touch screen as well control the TV volume by their voice.

The Samsung TV targets high-end customers and entertainment companies.

In 2012 Sharp unveiled its 84 inch LED TV in the Kenyan market with a whooping price tag of KES 1 million. LG soon followed suit and unveiled its 84 inch LED TV in the Kenyan market which came with a price tag of KES 1.8 million. When we last checked, LG had sold three of these TV sets.

Sony has also unveiled a magnificent LED screen, which goes for Ksh1.5 million. The television can be found at Sony shops in major shops.

Majority of Kenyans spend on average Ksh15,000 on TV,which is 100 times less than what the most expensive TV costs in the country.

 

Sony flat screen TVs come in form of analogue and digital. Analogue TV allows you to use a decoder while digital TV does not require a decoder. The prices of digital LED TV is much higher than those of analogue TVs.I normally recommend buyers to consider buying digital TVs to avoid paying monthly subscriptions for the set boxes.

Prices of Sony TVs vary depending on the size of the screen and features. The most expensive come with a price of up to Ksh1.5 million, but there are TV sets that cost as cheap as Ksh13, 000.

Jumia Kenya, which is one of the cheapest online stores in Kenya sells a 32 inch Sony digital TV at Ksh26, 000-Ksh 28,000.But you can also get a genuine TV of the same size with Ksh 24,000 in Luthuli Avenue Nairobi. However, Jumia delivers the TV to your home.

The 32 inch Sony LED TV is the ideal size for your home and according to analysts, it has the clearest images.

The average price of a 40 inch Sony Led TV is Ksh 40,000 in Nairobi. If you live in up country, you can order from Jumia.A 40 inch TV is suitable for hotels and pubs especially those showing EPL matches.

A 24 inch flat screen, which is slightly smaller than the 32 inch costs Ksh 18,000-Ksh21, 000.This TV is suitable for small families and people who intend to have it in their bedrooms.

Sony TV is so far the best as compared to Samsung, LG and other models. The TV can last for as many years as possible.

Click here to see latest prices

 

Chief Executive Officer is the best paid employee in any organization. In Kenya alone, there are over 5,000 CEOs where only a third earn over Ksh 400,000 per month. The highest paid CEOs can be found in real estate sector, banks, media industry and insurance companies.

The average salary for CEOs in Kenya is Ksh 350,000.

Here are the highest paid CEOs in Kenya

Safaricom CEO

Safaricom is the most profitable company in East and Central Africa. Currently headed by Bob Collymore, the company pays its CEO at least Ksh 10,000,000 per month in salaries alone. Safaricom also pays the CEO staggering figures as bonuses.

James Mworia

James Mworia,one of the youngest CEOs in Kenya,earns Ksh 17 million per month.This is after you include salaries and bonuses.

The CFA holder earns more than any other CEO in Kenya because the company he works for,Centum Investment,has grown under his leadership to become the most profitable and largest investment company in East and Central Africa.

Equity Bank

Equity Bank, which is the largest bank in Kenya in terms of customer base pays its CEO close to Ksh 10 million per month. The CEO also takes home hefty bonus since he is also the executive director.

James Mwangi, who is the CEO, was among the founders of the bank.

KCB

Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) pays its CEO over Ksh 3.5 million per month, excluding bonuses. Currently, Joshua Oigara, the CEO earns this money.

Royal Media Services

Royal Media Services is the largest and most profitable media house in Kenya.Headed by Wachira Waruru, the company pays its CEO at least Ksh 3 million, excluding bonuses.

Standard Chartered Bank

Stanchart is also categorized among the best paying institutions in Kenya. Its CEO earns over Ksh2.5 million per year.

Sportpesa

Sportpesa is threatening! The newest kid in the block has joined the big boys. Sources say it’s CEO will soon overtake KCB CEO in terms of salaries.

Other top paying companies include:

Jumia Kenya

Nation Media Group

AIG Kenya

CitiBank

GlaxoSmithKline

East Africa Breweries

Co-Operative Bank Kenya

 

 

Johnson Nduya Muthama is among the richest politicians in the country and the most influential man in Ukambani.

Muthama dropped at standard seven after finding it difficult to cope with school life. He immediately started business. His first venture was getting involved in Mining business, thanks to his able uncle, Francis Kalinzoya, who took him to Tsavo to try his luck.

Muthama would later form a company, naming it Muthama Gemstones. The Machakos Senator used the company to advance his interests.

Sources say Muthama owns a home in Karen estimated at Ksh150 million. He has interests in mining, real estate, hotel and transport. He has also invested heavily in Nairobi Securities Exchange.

The Senator was at one time exposed after it was discovered he has secret account in SWISS bank.

He separated with his wife Agnes Kavindu two years ago.

 

 

Lenovo is one of the best laptops to own in Kenya. The laptops, which are manufactured in China have become very popular especially for youths who believe it’s better than models like Dell,HP and Samsung.

What exactly motivates an individual to buy a Lenovo laptop? Below are advantages of owning a Lenovo laptop

• Lenovo laptop has long battery life, which makes it the best for individuals who don’t have ready power source.
• Most Lenovo laptops are small, light and portable. Making them attractive to people who don’t want to carry heavy loads from meeting to meeting.

• If you want to browse the web, listen to music write documents, etc. then a Lenovo is a way to do this cheaply.
• Lenovo laptops are cheap, compared to Apple laptops. But the two have the same functionality. What Apple laptop can do, Lenovo can equally do the same.
• The physical design of a Lenovo laptop is extremely attractive
• Lenovo laptop is very duarable.It has been confirmed that someone with a genuine Lenovo laptop will use it for at least 4 years before it wears out.

Good quality Lenovo laptops are found in Nakumatt shops,Airtel shops,Safaricom shops,Orange shops,Ibrahim electronics and Jumia Kenya

With just Sh 20,000,you can have a very quality Lenovo laptop.

 

 

Forbes has produced a list of 30 most promising entrepreneurs in Africa.As expected,Kenyans dominate the list.

Hilda Moraa, Eugene Mbugua and Jamie Pujara are among the most promising youths from Kenya listed in the Forbe’s latest list.

Below is a full list of top 30 most promising entrepreneurs in Africa-2016

Simbarashe Mhuriro, Zimbabwean

Founder, OurSun Energy (Private) Ltd

31-year-old Simbarashe Mhuriro founded Oxygen Africa in 2009 as an investment advisory company to help facilitate foreign investors in Zimbabwe. In 2013, Oxygen Africa partnered with Swiss-based Meeco Group, a renewable energy company, to establish Oursun Energy Zimbabwe – a joint venture Independent Power Producer that specializes in the development, building, owning, and operating of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) energy projects in Zimbabwe. OurSun Energy has raised $7 million and is currently developing two 5MW grid-connected solar plants in Zimbabwe.

Ntombenhle Khathwane, Swazi

Founder, AfroBotanics

Swazi-born entrepreneur Ntombenhle Khathwane, 32, is the founder of AfroBotanics. AfroBotanics, which Khathwane established in 2010, is a Johannesburg-based company that manufactures premium haircare products using African botanical oils and other natural products and formulas to care for the hair and limit damage as to the barest minimum.

Olatorera Oniru, Nigerian

Founder, Dress Me Outlet

Olatorera Oniru, 28, is the founder of Dressmeoutlet.com – a Nigerian e-tailer of fashion products, health & beauty products and home-goods. Dressmeoutlet stocks more than 1,000 products from premium designers globally. Dressmeoutlet ships worldwide and currently has customers in different states across Nigeria, Uganda and the United States of America. The company now employs more than 20 full-time employees and has funding offers from notable investors including Nigerian investor Tony Elumelu.

Bonolo Ramokhele, South African

CEO, LeoFortis Group

Ramokhele, 29, is a co-founder of LeoFortis Group, an investment holding company with investments spanning commodity trading, energy, telecommunications, engineering, and mining with a presence in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and South Sudan.

Thato Kgatlhanye & Rea Ngwane, South African

Founders, Repurpose School Bags

South African entrepreneurs Kgatlhanye and Ngwane, 22 and 23 respectively, are the founders of Repurpose School bags. Repurpose collects and recycles plastic waste into school bags for poor South African students. The plastic bags feature a solar panel in the flap which get charged when the students walk to and from school. These charged solar panels help to provide lighting at night to the students to study.

Lee Grant, South African

Founder, Leegra

Lee Grant, 32, is the founder of Leegra, a South African field marketing and promotions company engaged in sales, merchandising, promotions, product development and strategy. His company services a diverse range of blue-chip clients and multinationals from banking and insurance to fast-moving consumer goods and healthcare.

Samuel Malinga, Ugandan

Founder, Sanitation Africa

The 26 year-old Ugandan agricultural engineer won the Tony Elumelu Prize for Business at the 2015 Future Africa Awards. His company, Sanitation Africa, has developed a full-cycle sanitation system that starts with a local, low-cost yet hygienic modular latrine and ends with the conversion of sludge into cooking briquettes and agricultural manure.

Vanessa Zommi, Cameroonian

Founder, Emerald Moringa Tea

When her mother was diagnosed of diabetes, Zommi, 21, set out to find alternative treatments to keep her mother healthy. She soon discovered the medicinal moringa oleifera tree which grew in her region, and discovered that the moringa leaves could reduce blood sugar levels to treat diabetes among other medicinal qualities. She partnered with moringa farmers who supplied her with the leaves and processed the leaves into moringa tea which she put into tea bags. Emerald Moringa, the company she founded, sells this tea across Cameroon.

Neo Ramaphakela, South African

CEO, Seriti sa Bosotho

Ramaphakela, 32, is the founder of Seriti sa Basotho, a fast-growing construction company. He began the company in 2011 as a gate-making company but grew it over the last few years into a general facility management firm in South Africa. Seriti Sa Basotho has built several houses in South African townships and also handles painting, plumbing, paving, roofing, plastering, ceiling and renovations.

Mutoba Ngoma, Zambian

Founder, Tapera Bio Industries

After studying aeronautical engineering in the United Kingdom, Ngoma, a 31 year-old Zambian entrepreneur returned home to seek his fortune in the renewable energy business. He started Tapera Bio Industries Limited in 2009, a business which is focused on the production and promotion of biodiesel fuel and derivatives of vegetable oils. The company also processes vegetable oils into natural soaps, washing paste and organic shampoo.

Hilda Moraa, Kenyan

Co-founder, Weza Tele

Moraa, 27, is the founder of Weza Tele, a Kenyan fintech startup that provides a number of value added mobility solutions in commerce, supply chain, distribution and mobile payment integration. In May 2015 Afb, a Ghanaian financial services group, acquired the company for $1.7 million.

Eugene Mbugua, Kenyan

Founder, Young Rich TV

The 25-year-old Kenyan is the founder of one of Kenya’s most successful television production companies. His company, Young Rich Television Limited, produces two of Kenya’s most popular TV programmes – ‘Young Rich’ – a weekly show that profiles young, successful Kenyan entrepreneurs, and ‘Get In The Kitchen’- an extremely popular cooking show. Both shows have aired for 9 and 4 seasons respectively, command viewership in the millions, and have sponsorship from several blue-chip companies in Kenya. Mbugua also owns My Yearbook Limited, a company that produces yearbooks and publications for companies, schools and governments. A real-estate company he owns is also developing a 188-unit hostel project to provide housing for students of Kenya’s Egerton University.

Jamie Pujara, Kenyan

Founder, BuyRentKenya

Pujara, a 33 year-old Kenyan entrepreneur is the founder of BuyRentKenya, one of Kenya’s most popular property listing sites. In 2015, South African online media firm One Africa Media acquired a stake in the company. The site, which Pujara founded in 2012, reports 150,000 visitors every month and has more than 15,000 listings of residential and commercial properties.

Tyrone Moodley, South African

CEO, Midbrook Lane (Pty) Ltd

Moodley, 30, is the CEO of Midbrook Lane (Pty) Ltd, a private investment firm. The Johannesburg-based firm typically invests in 7 to 12 private and publicly listed companies at a time with the aim of holding the investments over a minimum period of 10 years. Moodley also serves as a non-executive director of Conduit Capital, a JSE-listed investment company, making him one of the youngest serving board members of a company listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange.

Rachel Sibande, Malawian

Founder, mHub

30-year-old Sibande of Malawi is the founder of her country’s first technology hub. mHub, which she launched in November 2013, is an incubator for technology startups with a special focus on building young technology entrepreneurs through training, skills development and mentorship.

Nadeem Juma, Tanzanian

Co-founder, AIM Group

In 2004, and at the age of 19, Tanzanian serial entrepreneur Nadeem Juma founded Efulusi Africa, a software development company that develops custom software with a focus on mobile finance apps and aggregation. Efulusi is credited for developing and deploying Tanzania’s first mobile banking platform. In 2014, Juma, now 31, founded AIM Group, a leading digital agency in the East African country. AIM Group now has 25 employees and has some of Tanzania’s most prominent brands as clients.

Mike Chilewe Jr, Malawian

Owner, Star Radio Malawi

Chilewe is the son of one of Malawi’s most prominent and successful businessmen, Mike Chilewe. But the younger Mike is charting his own path and cutting his teeth as a media entrepreneur. In 2015, Chilewe Jr, now 26, acquired Star Radio Malawi, a floundering private radio station based in Lilongwe. With the help of media consultants and experts, he has been restructuring the station and is gradually building Star to become one of Malawi’s most successful radio stations.

Kelvin Nyame, Rashad Seini and Kofi Amuasi, Ghanaians

Co-founders, MeQasa

MeQasa, one of Ghana’s leading online real estate classifieds businesses, was founded in 2013 by Ghanaian entrepreneurs, Kelvin Nyame, Rashad Seini and Kofi Amuasi, who are all graduates of the tech entrepreneurship training program at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) based in Accra, Ghana. MeQasa provides a free service that helps brokers, landlords and other real estate industry professionals to conduct business efficiently online, while simplifying the search experience for prospective tenants and buyers. Last October, MeQasa secured a $500,000 investment from Frontier Digital Ventures, a global VC firm headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Ogunlana Olumide & Chukwuwezam Obanor, Nigerians

Founders, PrepClass

Olumide and Obanor, both 24, are the founders of Prepclass- a Nigerian academic solutions provider offering online test prep software, full-length tests, and a Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) experience similar to that of Nigerian university pre-entry exams. PrepClass also provides personalized home tutors in Lagos, Nigeria, skilled at meeting individual academic needs. The company has been funded by CRE Venture Capital and the Venture Garden Group.

Kasope Ladipo-Ajai, Nigerian

Founder, OmoAlata

Ladipo-Ajai, 29, is a co-founder of OmoAlata – a Nigerian brand that processes and packages local Nigerian spices and peppers. Its flagship OmoAlata Peppermix which is a blend of fresh organic tomatoes, onions and peppers has been favorably received in the Nigerian market. Kasope Ladipo-Ajai was the winner of the 2015 She Leads Africa Pitch Competition.

Yasmine El Baggari, Moroccan

Founder, Voyaj

22 year-old Moroccan entrepreneur Yasmine El Baggari is the founder of Voyaj, an online platform that matches hosts and travelers who want to share an authentic, local experience. Voyaj, still in beta, allows members to create a profile that includes a video post where they describe their interests and what they have to offer during a journey.

Aisha Ayensu, Ghanaian

CEO, Christie Brown

Aisha Ayensu, 30, is the founder and Head Designer of Christie Brown, an internationally acclaimed luxury women’s fashion label that subtly infuses modernism into carefully selected traditional African fabrics to create awe-inspiring dresses with a transcontinental finish.

Trushar Khetia, Kenyan

Founder, Tria Group & Society Stores

Khetia, 29, is the founder of Tria Group, a Kenyan outdoor transit-advertising firm that uses public transit vehicles to market leading consumer goods in Kenya. He is also the founder of Society Stores, a fast-growing Kenyan retail chain with 5 outlets.

Anda Maqanda, South African

Founder, AM Group

29-year-old Maqanda owns the AM Group – a provider of engineering solutions, focusing mainly on Engineering Consulting, Design and Construction of Electrical Overhead Power Lines, Renewable Energy, Automation and Research and Development.

Abiola Olaniran, Nigerian

Founder, Gamsole

Olaniran, 27, is the founder and CEO of Gamsole, a Nigerian gaming company, Olaniran founded the company in 2012, and it has venture backing from 88mph, a Kenyan seed fund. The company’s games now have more than 9 million downloads both locally and internationally on the Windows Phone store.

Clarisse Iribagize, Rwandan

Founder, HeHe Ltd 

Iribagize, 27, runs Kigali-based mobile technology company HeHe Limited, which builds custom mobile applications for businesses, provides 24/7 online and offline support and cloud storage services. Iribagize founded the company in 2010 after winning a $50,000 grant from Inspire Africa, a Rwandan TV entrepreneurial contest. Iribagize’s clientele includes a number of government agencies in Rwanda.

 

One of our readers asked, “is business of selling fish profitable in Nairobi?”

We took time to investigate whether fish business is profitable, or is just a risk venture.

We visited several estates within Nairobi, and from what we sampled, the business is extremely profitable.

One seller intimated to us that in a good day, she can make up to Ksh 7,000.The seller is located at City Market Nairobi.

When we visited Kawangware, area dominated by lower and middle class, several fish sellers told us that they won’t miss pocketing Sh 1,000 a day even though there are over 20 fish sellers in the estate.

We established that areas where fish business is most profitable in Nairobi include Embakasi, Gikomba, City Market, Githurai,Kitengela,Kibera,Kahawa ,Rongai,and Thika.In all these places, fish business is thriving.

To start the business,an individual requires a capital of as little as Ksh 10,000;that is if you are selling in an open air market. But if you need a fridge and a room where you will put up the business,Sh 80,000 is enough to start.

You can source the fish from Gikomba, Muthurwa or City Market.But fish from Gikomba market are cheaper.