Last updated on June 16th, 2023 at 11:57 am
Quick question: Which is the best online business in Kenya?
In this article, you will learn two things;
- The best online business ideas you can start
- How to get started
It is not enough to know the idea. You also deserve to know how to get started.
This way, you can start making money online in Kenya as soon as possible.
But before we do that, let’s first look at some geek stuff.
As of 2020, Kenya is on top of Africa, with approximately 87% internet penetration.
I guess it’s because of innovations like MPESA in our backyard.
We now top the charts as the most ‘interneted’ people (if such word existed?).
What does this mean?
As someone with an interest in making money, you no longer have to rely on traditional businesses to do that.
Reason being, with an idea, you can reach up to 22.86 million internet users in Kenya (DataReportal).
So, yes, you wouldn’t miss getting a sale if you pick the best online business in Kenya.
8 Profitable Online Business Ideas in Kenya
With that said, let’s look at the ideas.
#1. Affiliate Marketing
According to Wikipedia, this is what affiliate marketing means;
Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts.
Pay attention here because you’ve been lied to.
Affiliate marketing involves you promoting someone else products and getting rewarded (commission) when you successfully refer someone to them.
This means that you don’t get paid unless your referral buys.
Why is this is the best online business in Kenya?
It has to do with the ease of getting started.
You only need two things;
- Affiliate link
- Platform.
You can get the affiliate link within the platform you signed up on.
As for the platform, this is where it gets interesting.
You have a variety of options to promote the link.
First, you can use all the free available options including your social media accounts. But there is one perfect way to do affiliate marketing in Kenya.
And that is through having a website. We will talk more about this later.
Good news for you.
We have an affiliate program where we pay a 10% commission when you refer someone to us.
#2. Blogging
Blogging is the process of publishing content about a specific topic regularly on a platform.
The platform can be free, such as social media, Linkedin Pulse, or Medium.com.
It can also be a website you own, that is where ‘blog’ comes in.
Blogging in Kenya is easy, all you need is a topic to write about and a platform to share your messages.
Again, the platform can be free;
- Medium
- Linkedin Articles
Or, start your own (recommended).
Here is why;
With the free platforms, you don’t own them obviously, meaning you cannot make money.
But with your own website, you can implement strategies that earn you money consistently.
Here are some a few;
- Promoting affiliate links. For example, you can sign up for our affiliate program and start a website about web hosting in Kenya. And then insert your affiliate link within the articles. As people read your article, they might click and buy, earning you commissions.
- Sign up for AdSense – here, Google will be paying you to display ads on your blog
- Offer sponsored posts. This is a strategy where other website owners pay to publish articles on your blog.
Now, to get started blogging in Kenya, you need a domain name and hosting account.
- Here is how to get a domain in Kenya.
- See 4 things to consider when choosing a web hosting in Kenya.
#3. Social media consultant
There were 8.80 million social media users in Kenya in January 2020 (DataReportal).
No wonder brands are going nuts trying to have a consistent social media presence.
But there is a problem;
They just can’t.
Social media marketing requires a lot of things; planning, implementing, reporting, and tweaking (rinse and repeat).
And this is why most of them give up.
This is where you come in.
If you understand how social media marketing works in Kenya, you have an upper hand. And can make money easily, making this one of the best online business in Kenya.
To get started, you need to first make sure you actually have the skills required to do social media marketing successfully.
If not, here are some free courses to consider;
With skills, go ahead and approach a client.
Show them how you are going to help them achieve their goals through social media.
Agree on payment terms, whether retainer or per project.
#4. Freelancing
Freelancing is the best online business in Kenya.
Why?
Because as a freelancer, you make your own rules and can earn as much as you want.
Additionally, you work when you feel like and on projects you want.
To get started as a freelancer in Kenya, you need to pick a skill that is in demand.
Here are some of them;
- Article writing
- Web design
- Graphic design
- Virtual assistant
- Transcribers
So, pick a skill you are comfortable with. Learn more about if you don’t already know much.
To get clients, head over to Fiverr, Upwork, or other freelancing sites in Kenya and open an account.
Make sure your bio is fully completed with your experience, rates, and contact information.
#5. SEO Consultant
Having a website is only half the equation to making money online in Kenya with a blog.
Once you have a website, the next thing is driving traffic.
You have two ways;
- Paid traffic – you spend money to get eye-balls on your site.
- Free traffic – you are leveraging free channels to get people into your website.
One of the best free ways to get traffic is through search engine optimization (SEO).
But there is a problem;
SEO involves a lot of moving parts, and sometimes, things can get technical.
This is where you come in.
If you understand how to make a website rank up high on Google, you can start an online business as an SEO consultant in Kenya.
To get started, go to the prospect’s website and do a little SEO audit. Compile it into a report and send it their way.
In the report, tell them why they aren’t ranking as expected. Include some recommendations on what to improve.
Ask them to hire your services for a more in-depth and comprehensive deep dive.
#6. Online Store
See websites like Jumia and Kilimall?
You can join them and make money selling products online in Kenya.
First, you don’t need to compete directly with them.
Instead of stocking all the products, focus on a small niche.
For example;
Start an online store for headphones in Kenya. As your customer base grows, consider adding more products.
We have an article on how to start an online store in Kenya, read it here.
#7. YouTuber
YouTube is huge now in Kenya.
Look at people like Padi Wubbon, Njuguna The Comedian, and Crazy Kenah.
Their videos attract thousands of views every time they upload new content.
Getting started with YouTube in Kenya is easy;
- Find a topic that people love to watch like comedy, inspirational videos, tutorials.
- Create a channel
- Start uploading videos consistently
Now, to make money, sign up for a YouTube advertising program.
Additionally, go for endorsements, product reviews, or selling merchandise.
#8. Build Niche Sites
This is one of the untapped online business ideas in Kenya.
Here, you are creating sites for specific niches.
What is a niche?
According to Google Dictionary, a niche is;
a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.
It is a segment of a larger market that can be defined by its own unique needs, preferences, or identity that makes it different from the market at large.
For example;
There is the women’s fashion industry, right?
Then there are the subcategories such as women’s shoes, women’s jewelry, dresses…you get the idea?
Now, creating niche sites means that you start a website targeting specific groups within a larger group.
Instead of creating a website for technology in Kenya, you go for phones in Kenya. That is a niche site.
For this to work, you first need to ascertain the profitability of the niche you are going into.
This involves looking at the size of the audience interested in the topic, and whether they actually spend money on this niche.
If you are creating a website on women’s watches, ask yourself, do women spend money on watches? If not, scrap the idea and get another one.
Once you have the perfect niche to go after, find ways to monetize.
If there aren’t any, it will be a waste of your time since, in the end, you need to make money.
Here are some examples of niche websites in Kenya;
- Phones.co.ke for Smartphones in Kenya
- HeadPhones.co.ke for headphones
- Fridges.co.ke for best Fridges in Kenya
Bonus
Once you have created the niche sites, you can sell them.
First, grow them to a point they generate income, and then look for buyers.
Wrapping up the best online business in Kenya
There you have it;
- Best business ideas to start in Kenya
- How to get started immediately.
If you skipped to this end, that is what we talked about in this guide.