Kasi business ideas offer a great way for young entrepreneurs to get a share of the township economy and compete with big brands.
The majority of people in South African still live in urban townships and informal settlements, and there is no shortage of commerce in these areas. Money trades daily and some people make a decent living with a township business.
Because big businesses do not focus a lot on townships and rural areas, this presents a great opportunity to enter the market early and trade ahead especially on services already with high demand.
Disclaimer: This is meant for South Africans with ambition.
1. Local delivery system
In South Africa, a lot of people in townships still travel to get fetch and deliver items themselves, in these changing times of social distancing an opportunity arises to solve this problem. People especially the elderly, need medicine, food, appliances, and other services that can be delivered to their door.
With apps like Jungleworks.com and Appinstitute.com you can easily create your app and start marketing it.
2. Rental Property (Back Rooms)
The most underrated and lucrative Kasi business idea that young entrepreneurs are crushing in the township economy.
More like the strategy used by successful real estate moguls, build as many rooms as you can and rent them out.
Rent in townships starts from R900 per room right up to R2,700 for a house. Build at least 10 rooms for R1,500 and you’ll automatically cash in R15,000 per month from your kasi real estate business.
It’s that simple.
Renting percentage in Gauteng is way higher than properties buying. People are always moving between cities, where there are jobs and career opportunities.
If your rooms are near a mall, trust me, you’ll always have people wanting to rent at your place.
Speaking of finding people to rent in your rooms, you’ll need to signup at www.amarooms.co.za, a platform that connects you with a potential renter.
Though the start-up cost is high and tenants can be a nightmare, if you get it right and get started you might be enjoying a steady income for years to come with great potential for expansion.
Remember people are always looking for accommodation and the cheaper the better for most of them.
3. Become a Reseller
There are many products and services not offered in townships however, you can easily source and sell them with a bit of markup. Products like exclusive clothing items, gadgets, art, and other various accessories.
Another lucrative kasi business idea that don’t require a lot of capital but your selling skills to push an existing product and service.
Your confidence and thinking power are important here, you can resell small goods and services or large but, those usually require time and experience to do.
Look for ideas on the internet, try: Amazon.com or https://www.alibaba.com/
There are lots of options and ideas here.
4. Transport Services App
In townships taxis usually drop off their customers on the main road and sometimes far from home, and operate within certain hours, this can be a challenge if you are holding lots of items.
Uber and bolt are still not available in some townships and this allows you to enter the industry ahead of them, cars and drivers are available all you have to do is get an app and start advertising your services.
With apps like Appypie.com, Apptunix.com, and Applikeuber.com
With most of these apps, you don’t even have to know how to code, but you have to be willing to learn new things by yourself.
5. Pet Grooming
There are many dogs in South African townships and many owners are not familiar with ways to properly take care of their pets so, one of the easiest businesses to start locally is per grooming service such as deworming, washing, and flea control.
This is easy to start a business that even involves door to door sales with barking dogs as an indicator of potential customers… or simply design and app with: https://www.appypie.com/
To learn how to start a pet grooming service please read these articles: Start a Dog Grooming Business / Doggy Parlour and How to Start a Dog Grooming Business
6. Drug, Depression and Elderly Care
One of the best businesses to enter given the lack of services in townships is a care centre. Drug abuse and depression are on the rise, the elderly are still neglected and left alone.
Many people are willing to pay good money to have most of these services fulfilled while they are busy working on making money.
For more information have a look at these websites:
7. Mobile Restaurant
Having the ability to test different locations is a great advantage in the fast-food industry, with a mobile restaurant you’re able to start a business fast and at low investment and operational cost.
People eat daily….. some more than 3 times a day, and if the food is good they will come to buy so, once you have traveled a bit and have great spots you can easily expand.
8. Furniture Moving
Towards the end of every month, people in townships tend to move a lot between rented rooms and need your transportation services.
If you have a bakkie or truck, then you embark on this profitable kasi business idea and start making that additional income you always wanted.
You’ll help people carry their belongings from one room or kasi to another at an affordable rate. You’ll then be building your clientele and whenever they want transportation, you’ll be on their speed dial.
Even better:
When there’s not enough business in kasi for your transportation services, you can always park next to a mall or where there’s a building material store.
There’s plenty of business in that space.
9. Internet Cafe
While everyone nowadays has access to the internet, internet cafes in townships are still lucrative businesses with good profit margins.
Not everyone has a computer or printer in their homestead, set up your internet cafe business to help customers with printing and other digital services.
Ensure your business is located on the busiest streets to attract walk-in customers that may require your services.
And yes, it’s not cheap to start an internet cafe business, it would probably cost you over R150,000 to get started. But once up and running, you’ll begin to enjoy the fruits of your investment.
10. Local Dating App
Since we know it is easy to build your app, you might as well build something that is in demand, and that’s love… many people are lonely and in need of company. If you can build a unique app for a unique audience and market it right, you might be a winner.
An app for single mothers and dads between 30 and 40 years for Bloemfontein people only can probably succeed.
11. Online Gadgets Store
Many people love gadgets, from phones, watches, game consoles, and many other new and innovative thinga-majics. Most of these items are exclusive and can only be found internationally and not at your local spaza shop,
So, how about you be the first to get some of those items and sell them locally at a good profit margin, you can go online to search for ideas. Amazon
To open an online store have a look at Shopify
12. Sports and Recreation Center
In a lot of township neighborhoods, you do not find a lot of safe, and clean environments suitable for family social activities. A place for kids and adults to come and play, this can be indoor soccer, basketball, netball, or tennis now if you add a great restaurant, you have a Papachinos going on there.
Money can be made from memberships, tournaments, day visitors, and the restaurant
So, there you go 10 business ideas that you can start from (Kasi)a South African township.