Zambia, one of the fastest-growing black countries, is not only endowed with natural riches, but also with a plethora of business ideas in Zambia that may be started with minimal money.
We detail the best small business ideas in Zambia in this article.
Some of them can be launched with a little amount of money, Some of these business ideas may be operated from the comfort of your own home!
So, if you want to start a business in Zambia, we start preparing a list of 25 small business ideas in Zambia that you can get started with right now.
Small Business Ideas in Zambia
1. Start blogging
Start a blog if you can write or have the ability to learn how to write. Blogging is an excellent method to earn money online in Zambia.
All you need is access to the internet, excellent research skills, a passion, a laptop, and a lot of time.
Your time is the most essential and perhaps most costly investment you can make in a blogging business.
Also, if you want people to discover your blog articles without having to promote them all the time, you should learn how to optimize your content for search engines like Google or employ the services of an SEO Expert in Lusaka.
So how do you get started?
It’s simple: when you initially start your side hustle, you don’t have a lot of traffic or exposure.
As a result, you should raise the price of your product early on in your blogging adventure.
One strategy is to start with a B2B consultancy funnel and sell to companies rather than individuals.
Businesses have more money than people, so instead of concentrating on advertisements and affiliate schemes at first, concentrate on high-end consultancy.
This new blogging strategy for making money is built on three main success pillars:
- Choose a niche for your blog based on the audience’s financial possibilities, professional leverage, and market needs.
- You may increase your backlink acquisition and Domain Authority (DA) quicker by not writing as much and outsourcing some parts of your content and SEO operations.
- Finally, by implementing the right high-end blog monetization strategies at the right time in your blog’s lifecycle, you can 100x your revenue while only closing 3-4 high-end clients rather than hundreds of affiliate sales.
2. Mobile Phone Accessory Sales
In Zambia today, this is a highly profitable business.
While hiring space is a good idea if you have the money, this business may also be done on the go, by transporting your goods to where they are required.
In this scenario, you must first define your market and meet their requirements.
For simple market penetration, you may even collaborate with businesses like this Samsung online shop in Zambia.
The tremendous increase in the usage of mobile phones in Zambia is what drives this business.
Zambia’s population is estimated to be 17 million people. More than 10 million people are linked through their mobile phone lines.
Batteries, memory cards, battery chargers, earpieces, screen protectors, pouches, and other accessories are in high demand.
Computer Village (Lusaka) and online shops provide supplies.
One guaranteed method to enter into internet imports is via the Phone Accessories business.
You may also differentiate your business by offering mobile phone insurance.
This has been shown to increase consumer trust in your goods.
3. Online Radio Business
If you want to start an internet radio business, you should be aware that it differs from conventional radio settings – particularly because the source of your internet radio business is a computer.
Before you begin this business, you should be aware of the subjects you will need to cover in business to appeal to your target market, as well as the kind of businesses you will be starting on.
4. Cell Phone Repairs and Maintenance
If you are patient enough to learn how to repair and maintain mobile phones, this is a lucrative business opportunity.
In Zambia, you may start a phone repair and maintenance business for less than ZK500,000.
All you need to get started is some training, a laptop, software tools, some common household equipment (screwdriver, soldering iron, brush, battery tester, and so on), and some marketing to let people know what you do.
You will also need to establish excellent working connections with merchants of high-quality accessories.
A repair kit may be purchased from any eCommerce shop for as little as ZK50,000. Simply pay with your debit cards, and you’re ready to go.
5. Mobile Car Wash Business
Mobile auto vehicle wash removes the requirement for a real business site, thus lowering start-up expenses.
As a mobile detailer, you will work in client parking lots, driveways, and garages, providing you the benefit of marketing exposure.
The disadvantages include not being able to operate outside in bad weather and having to travel with all of the required equipment and materials, including huge amounts of water.
6. Production and sale of plantain chips
You’ve probably seen it around – the wonderful crispy snack made from unripe plantain. Along the roads, hawkers sell them.
The problem is that you probably had no idea it was such a profitable business in Zambia.
To participate in the plantain chip business in Zambia, you do not need to be a UAC or Leventis Food.
A small-scale plantain chip business with a ZK50,000 initial investment may earn ZK10,000 per day in profit.
If you’re searching for low-cost business ideas in Zambia, this is a great option.
It is a kind of business that may be started with as little as ZK5,000.
You may start right in your kitchen.
Simply write your Business name on the transparent nylon and you’re ready to go.
You will need to acquire some mentoring from someone who is currently in the business, learn some recipes, and create a supply chain for both raw materials (plantain) and completed goods.
7. Tomato Farming Business
Agriculture is now one of the top cash-chain investments in Zambia. This is a profitable business that is also inexpensive to start.
However, before you start the tomato business in Zambia, you must first determine which kind of tomatoes are in demand.
This information may be obtained from seed suppliers, who will be able to provide you with more up-to-date information on popular demand.
They will also inform you about the most popular kinds. You must also verify that the seeds you choose will grow properly.
8. The Gym Business
Fitness has always been a cause of worry, and Zambians have got the bug as well.
This is due to the high prevalence of cancer, which continues to destroy individuals.
If you are interested in fitness and health, you may consider starting a gym-related business in Zambia.
You’ll need enough money to outfit your gym center.
9. Start a Rental Service
People are always in need of goods that they do not have.
Chairs, canopies, vacuum cleaners, cutleries, cooking utensils, music boxes, ladders, and other items are examples of things you may start contracting out.
You may not be able to satisfy demand if you are recognized to be in this business in your area.
If you have an intriguing collection of costly devices or equipment, you could try using them as a side income source by renting them out on an hourly basis.
If the business takes off, you may add additional products as you learn what customers want to rent.
To publicize your services, create a leaflet, place an ad in a local newspaper, or utilize social media.
10. Supply and Distribution of Eggs
Aside from their nutritional value, eggs are used to create a variety of goods such as confectioneries, cosmetics, soaps, hair conditioners, shampoo, adhesives, and face masks, to name a few.
Egg supply is a business that may be established in small size and scaled up to become a large enterprise.
If you wish to start this business, the first step is to find chicken farms that produce high-quality eggs and/or big egg wholesalers.
Then, in your neighborhood, create a network of purchasers who are diverse and numerous.
You just need empty egg cartons and a delivery truck to succeed.
11. Production and sale of ice blocks
Ice block manufacturing comes to mind while discussing small business ideas in Zambia.
Zambia is situated in a tropical climatic zone with plenty of sunshine and heat.
Unfortunately, the power supply is extremely inadequate, making it impossible for households to have a sufficient quantity of cold water in their refrigerators.
This is what makes ice block manufacturing a profitable business in Zambia.
People need ice cubes to keep their water and drink cool.
Your market consists of homes in your neighborhood, retail stores, restaurants, and bars that need their beverages to be kept ice-cold at all times.
The nice thing about this business is that you can start with very little.
You’ll just need a deep freezer and a medium-sized generator to get started. As you earn money, you may expand by purchasing an ice block machine.
So, you’re searching for a small business to start? This might be it.
12. Production of Liquid Soap
The market for liquid soap in Zambia is so vast that well-known brands are unable to keep up with demand.
This commodity is required by every home in the nation. As a result, there will always be a demand for it.
You just have to be the one to provide.
Look around you for handmade liquid soaps with no branding, packed in discarded plastic bottles and sold for between ZK2,000 and ZK10,000.
This is one of the most important investment possibilities in Zambia right now.
You may earn a lot of money selling liquid soap to supermarkets and other stores that sell to end consumers, restaurants, bakeries, caterers, and housekeepers.
You may need to get some training, which is offered through vocational centers operated by churches, the government, and non-governmental groups.
Create a big market via branding and high-quality packaging, and you’ll be smiling at the bank.
13. Start a Mini Importation Business
Trade and commerce have been reimagined as a result of the internet.
Many individuals have hit gold by importing goods online through eCommerce sites such as Alibaba, Aliexpress, DHgate, worldwide sources, and so on.
Determine the needs of the population. Search all eCommerce websites and get the help of a procurement agent to buy these goods.
The agent will then deliver them to you for you to sell them and earn money.
Despite the decreasing value of the Kwacha, those involved in this business continue to grin to the bank.
Goods that you may import are diverse and may include: mobile phone accessories, cosmetics, fashion items, and so on.
14. Mobile Food business
Consider this: what sells quickly in Zambia? Food is one of man’s most necessities. Whatever a man’s situation is, he must eat.
As a consequence, the food industry will always be profitable in Zambia. It is one of Zambia’s most successful companies.
The key to success here is to stand out by selecting a specialized menu, a niche, and a market segment. You can’t please everyone all of the time.
Choose a market with greater returns with caution. You may, for example, opt to serve employees of large businesses such as a digital banks, oil and gas firms, and international corporations and establish a connection with their HR departments to enable you to deliver your food during their lunch or certain hours of the day.
As part of your service, you may provide customized delivery of specialized meals to busy executives.
15. Website Design and Development
Many companies now have an internet presence. Many high-net-worth individuals, such as politicians, corporate executives, and successful business owners, are increasingly utilizing internet tools such as websites to market their brands and personalities.
The need for website designers has risen as a result of this trend.
You’ll be in good business if you learn how to utilize popular design tools and create great websites.
You must be able to design quality websites, develop web graphics, construct web pages, and upload web pages to the server to be successful.
You’ll also need to know how to register domain names and use hosting services.
As your capacity grows, you may expand your service offering to include domain name registration and hosting.
16. Sports Betting Agent
Are you wondering how to earn money in Zambia? Consider sports betting.
In Zambia, this has become a goldmine business as young and old take advantage of their passion for football to earn money while playing the round leather game.
This also explains why there is an increase in sports betting businesses (bookmakers). Sports betting firms need agents to interact directly with athletes.
A clean atmosphere for office space (a shop would do), a generator, a computer, a printer, an internet connection, and a fixtures board are all required.
Following that, you get into an agency arrangement with your bookmaker.
Some businesses pay you to play a board game, play a virtual game, or make a deposit on behalf of your clients.
17. Marketing of Information
This is another internet-based business in Zambia that has lifted individuals out of poverty.
Do you know something that others don’t, or do you know anything that others know but may convey differently, or do you know someone who knows something that others may not?
You might make money by putting the material in the form of a report, an ebook, a video, or audio and selling it online.
Take notice that you do not need to create it since there are many tools available online to assist you.
You may outsource the writing to Fiverr, purchase master resale rights or private label rights books, rework and rename them, and then sell them.
18. Social Media Marketing
The social media arena has evolved into an essential instrument that may boost not just a company’s exposure but also its profitability.
Indeed, some forward-thinking businesses today have social media planning as a full-service department inside their company, while others outsource it.
As a result, there is a raising need for individuals with social media marketing strategy and development abilities.
Take advantage of this advancement to learn the tricks of selling goods and services on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Online Forums, and Blogs and offer this to the many individuals and corporate organizations, including SMEs, who want to enter digital marketing space and make money for themselves.
You can learn more about how to make money on Facebook by clicking here.
19. Marketing Through Affiliates
This online money-making opportunity in Zambia is a profitable business that anyone can start with little or no investment.
An affiliate marketer is someone who assists businesses or individuals in selling their goods in exchange for a commission.
Products that may be sold online here can be either digital or physical.
You may join as many affiliate programs as you like and use your affiliate links to market the goods through social media or specialized websites.
Many Zambians have made millions as a result of affiliate schemes.
20. Bakery and Cake Shop
Making, decorating, and selling one-of-a-kind cakes and cupcakes for events ranging from birthdays to weddings to anniversaries is a wonderful business idea for the hobby baker to explore, and it has the potential to be extremely lucrative.
You can get started on a tight budget by baking and decorating in your kitchen.
Sending samples of your cakes to interested parties to ensure they send business your way is an excellent marketing strategy, as is showcasing photos of the cakes on Instagram with relevant hashtags.
21. Online Dropshipping Business
This is one of Zambia’s innovative business concepts. It is a kind of business that may be started with very little money.
What you’ll need is a laptop or smartphone, internet access, and access to your social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and so on ( which could serve as your online shop)
This is one of the most profitable business ideas that has earned individuals millions of Kwacha.
The key to the business is recognizing and understanding what customers need at any given time, as well as knowing where and how to get those goods (AliExpress is an excellent location to start dropshipping in Zambia).
22. Daycare Centre
Even after giving birth, there will always be a necessity to earn a livelihood. This is one of the reasons childcare facilities are profitable.
Their services are second to none and essential.
If you have a soft spot for infants and children, you may want to consider starting a childcare center.
One thing you should keep in mind before starting this kind of business is that you will need to register it properly to prevent issues with the authorities.
You may discover how to register a business name in Zambia by reading this article.
23. Car Rental business
Cars are not a luxury in most parts of the globe, but rather a necessity.
However, there are occasions when certain individuals may need vehicle rental services. This is when a vehicle rental business comes in handy.
Make certain you shadow an expert who can teach you all the ropes in a short period.
24. Uberpreneur
Many individuals wonder, “What kind of business can I start with 2 million Kwacha?” ” If this describes you, you should think about Uber.
People opt to drive with Uber for a variety of reasons.
Some do it to have the freedom to drive whenever and wherever they want.
They are the boss, and they work for as long or as little as they choose, according to their schedule. Every week, the typical Uber driver earns between 80,000 and 120,000 Kwacha.
Uber driving is now one of the most profitable business ideas in Lusaka and a few other areas of Zambia.
It not only allows you to work when you choose (including evenings and weekends), but it also allows you to make some additional money while doing so.
While some drivers do this full-time, others just do it at night after work and on weekends.
25. Start a car wash Business
The need for car washes will always be high, and anybody, regardless of age, may start their own business.
With a little extra money, you may start a car wash that caters to the upper crust by erecting a sitting area complete with a TV screen where your clients can relax while their vehicles are being cleaned.
If you have the room, you may turn it into a multi-income stream business by selling beverages, shawarma, and other foods in the sitting area.
The most important items for a vehicle wash business are a rental area, a supply of water, and a washing machine.
Final Thoughts
If you want to start a business in Zambia, you don’t need to overthink things.
The initial priority should not be to start thinking about how to get started without a big amount of money.
What matters is that you decide what kind of business you want to start.
Looking at our list of small business opportunities in Zambia, you’ll notice that starting a successful business in Zambia isn’t as difficult as it seems.