10 most lucrative business ideas in Kenya [2023/2024]

Lucrative businesess in Kenya are many. But just to mention the most profitable ones, that’s why this article is written. Here is the curated list of the ten most lucrative business ideas you can try out in Kenya.

1. Travel agency business
2. Daycare business
3. Taxi/Uber
4. Baking and Pastries
5. Food business
6. Furniture business
7. Freelancing
8. Automobile part sales
9. Cosmetics business
10. Home decoration services

Both the citizens and foreigners are given equal right to venture into any business of their choice in Kenya. But trust me, you’d not want to just attempt any business without knowing whether it is lucrative or not.

Hence, I have helped you to curate the best list of most profitable businesess in Kenya you can venture into without huge startup capital or in-depth knowledge.

However, all that’s required to get started is your passion for the business and determination. These two factors will transform your business financial status and keep you going.

10 Most Lucrative Business Ideas In Kenya:

1. Travel agency business

People of Kenya loves to travel the world for education, tourism, and most of all, to make money in more developed countries. This is why travel agency is one of the most lucrative businesess in Kenya.

Many people who are interested in traveling the world usually needs the help of a travelling agent to achieve their dreams. Moreso, apart from helping people traveling out of the country, Many people also want to come to Kenya for tourism to explore the country.

A travel agency can also tour guide foreigners to different places within the country. So, you make money through helping both travellers and explorers to achieve their dreams.

To maximize your earning potentials as a travelling agent in Kenya, you should setup an online presence for the business. You can advertise your business through social networking, like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn e.t.c., where many people will be aware of your agency.

2. Daycare business

Instead of a Nanny, parents prefer to drop their children at daycare schools where they do baby sitting jobs and at the same impact some basic Education to the child.

This has made daycare more lucrative business idea in Kenya. It significant demand in the country makes it a very profitable business people are venturing into.

However, with little or no start-up capital, you can start daycare business in Kenya. All that’ll be required to get started is a space, learning materials and toys.

To maximize your earning potentials and succeed in daycare business, you have to know how to take care of children, passionate about them and offer affordable services to their parents.

3. Taxi/Uber

Taxi driving is another lucrative business idea in Kenya. This business fetch driver a daily income. Although, a drop is cheap and affordable, but there are lots of people who make use of them.

If you can drive a car, you can venture into taxi driving business to earn daily money. This is a business suitable for people of different age ranges.

Taxi business doesn’t necessarily required a huge startup capital to get started. You can begin with an old car or new one if you have enough money to buy a new car.

You’ll also need to paint the car to “Yellow” and put sign that indicates “Taxi” on top the car roof. This will notify customers that your car is available for their service.

To maximize your earning potentials as a Taxi driver operating in Kenya, you should register your car with companies like Uber, bolt, etc. Download their app on your phone, and start to receive order. This will help to boost your business.

4. Baking and Pastries

This business required startup capital to get started as a beginner. You’ll need Oven which is the most expensive material in Baking and cake making.

However, if that is sorted out, baking and pastries is one of the most lucrative businesess in Kenya today. 

Every weekends in Kenya, people do parties, cake, buns, pofpof, doughnuts, chin chin e.t.c., are needed as small chops in the parties. Party organizer hire people to do all that.

Hence, if you know how to bake, you can make money offering your service. However, to be successful in this business, ensure you have a brand and must offer a delivery service.

In addition to earnings maximization, you can also use social networking such as reaching out to more customers on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter TikTok, etc., to advertise your baking business and build your brand.

5. Food business

Every single person in Kenya eat food right? Even some people eat three square meals in a day. So, there’s no way to survive on this Earth without food. This is why selling Foods is most lucrative business in Kenya.

Food is one of the basic things human being need to survive in life. So, whatever aspects of food you are dealing with, people will always come to your restaurant to eat.

However, Food selling is lucrative but you still need to research the type of food lacking in a particular area and make it available to the people there. This will helps boost your business.

Food business is a win-win situation for both the business owner and customers. And as you are meeting customer’s demands, you will be enriching your bank account with Money.

6. Furniture

Crafting woods and other materials to beautify the house, offices and other reputable organizations is a very successful business in Kenya. Generally, a Furniture specialize in making chairs, walldrops, sofa sets, tables, e.t.c., for clients.

The Furniture business really needs startup capital to get started. You can become successful in this business if you are passionate about it and have the required skills.

Besides skills and startup capital, another important factor to consider when planning on starting a Furniture business is Location. You need to site your showroom in a location where people who value nice and modern furnitures can access them.

To maximize your earning potentials as a Furniture in Kenya, you can sell your piece of work in bulk to wholesaler, or you can have a large showroom to show your work.

You can also implement influencer marketing and social networking such as advertising your products on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok e.t.c., to get more sales.

7. Freelancing

Freelancing is another lucrative business. Not only in Kenya, but all countries as well. This business required little or no startup capital because using your talents and skills are involved.

However, Freelancing might take time before it start yielding results, but after some dedication and persistence, you’ll surely become successful in this business.

If you’re not talented and you’re not skillful, it’s fine. Learning any skills of your choice is made easy online with little capital. It doesn’t take time, you can learn skills online at your leisure time.

Freelance skills includes Technical writing, mobile app developing, web designing, contents creating, contents writing, social media manager, project management, virtual assistant and many more.

Freelancing work can be part-time or full-time. There is high demand for freelancers in various fields. Platforms where you can find freelance jobs include Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer and more.

8. Automobile part sales

Spare part sales business is most lucrative and profitable business in Kenya. You can start selling spare parts for Tractors, Trucks, Buses or German cars, and lots more.

Although, selling spare parts for those machines will fetch you big profit but it requires a huge startup capital to start the business in Kenya.

Furthermore, to get started, you’ll also a space to showcase and sell your automobile parts materials. To maximize your earning potentials, sell heavy duty engine’s parts like those ones mentioned above.

In summary, venturing into spare part sales in Kenya is very profitable, and expensive to get started. It demands for huge capital. Although, you can’t expect less from such a highly lucrative business.

9. Cosmetics business

Can you patch and beautiful human body with cosmetics polish? Why don’t you venture into the business. I must tell you that cosmetics business is a lucrative business idea in Kenya today.

Cosmetics business involves nail polish, make-up, hair care products, skincare, manicure, and pedicure. All that’s needed is a cosmetics equipment and a space to carry out your job.

A startup capital will also be required to purchase all the necessary equipments and materials needed to get started. It’ll also be needed to rent a space.

To maximize your potential earnings as a cosmetics business owner on Kenya, you can start manufacturing your natural beauty products, and sell to your customers.

10. Home decoration service

Home Decor is another lucrative business in Kenya, and the last on my list. This business actually involves beautifying homes, offices and party halls.

If you really have home decoration talents and skills, you can make a lot of money from it. Even if you don’t have the skills, you can learn it from professionals who have already ventured into the business.

As a home decorator, you can charge for every single hours you spend in a client’s house. This line of business is flexible because you can schedule your work to suit your convenience. That even makes it possible to still have time to run other businesses.

Lucrative Business Ideas In Kenya FAQs

Now that you know most lucrative and profitable businesses in Kenya, I’ll answer a few common questions about businesses in Kenya.

Can I venture into importation business in Kenya?

Yes! There are different things you can import and sell in Kenya, and importation business is also lucrative in Kenya. What can I import and sell in Kenya?

Food! Food is at the top in this category. Importing foodstuffs and selling them is a very lucrative business in Kenya, but requires huge startup capital to get started.

As a Food importer in Kenya, here are a few profitable Foodstuffs you can import; foods like Wheat products, rice, sugar, and grain.

What can I invest in Kenya?

There are lots of high profitable businesses your can invest your money and time into in Kenya. For example, Real estate is among the most profitable businesses you can invest your money in Kenya.

This business actually involves buying and selling. You buy properties such as houses, lands, industries, automobiles, etc., and sell again at a higher price to your customers to make profit.

However, this requires huge startup capital to get started, but trust me, it actually worth your time and money if you invest in this business in Kenya.

Which Business is most lucrative in Kenya?

Here are some lucrative businesses in Kenya you  can venture into; Real estate, Food business, Importation, Taxi or Uber, Traveling consultancy services.

Although, these business ideas may requires high capital to get started, but it actually worth your time and investment, because these businesses are high in-demand especially in the upper towns in Kenya.

Conclusion:

Lucrative business ideas in Kenya are businesses that are most profitable. Venturing into any of these businesses actually worth your time and money.

However, the above curated list are just few of the most lucrative businesses in Kenya. Also, have it at the back of your mind that to become successful in any business you may venture into, you need the required skills, equipment, and resources to pull such a business through.

Furthermore, you don’t have to limit yourself to these ten businesses I mentioned. There are other businesses in Kenya that are lucrative and profitable to do. And most of it all, venture into what you are passionate about!

Lastly, whichever business you ventured into, start small and work hard towards growing it over time. Set goals, and plan how to achieve these goals. These will make you become successful in any business you enter.

In summary: here is the recap of top 10 most profitable businesses in Kenya.

• Taxi/Uber
• Baking and Pastries
• Food business
• Spare parts sales 
• Importation
• Real Estate
• Traveling consultancy services
• Home Decor services
• Freelancing
• Cosmetics business
• Furniture
• Daycare business

I believe you’ve learned one or two. Please share this information to your friends and family on social media pages and drop your questions and opinions In the comments section.

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