If you are looking to start a business in Zimbabwe, there are numerous business opportunities available. The country is richly endowed with natural resources and its economic prospects are very promising.
The country also has a well-developed financial system, as well as a good road network. There are a lot of business ideas in Zimbabwe for entrepreneurs to start their businesses.
Many small businesses have appeared in recent years. Small business ideas can play an important role in reducing unemployment and poverty in the country.
The most common question entrepreneurs ask is “how do I get business ideas”. Business ideas aren’t all that hard to come by.
The real work comes in turning an idea into a viable business. And that’s where most people get stuck.
You need to learn how to test your idea, how to get the initial investment, and how to find the right people to work with.
Here are some small business ideas that you can start with little money:
Profitable Small Business Ideas in Zimbabwe
1. Start a Profitable Blog
Blogging is a great way to make money online. Blogging can be both fun and profitable way to earn money online.
It’s also a great way to express yourself, share your passion for a subject, or get the word out about your business.
Many free blogging services make it easy to start a blog. Here are some great ways to earn money from your blog:
Affiliate Marketing: Affiliate marketing is when you promote other people’s products and get a commission for every sale you make. This can be done through Amazon, Clickbank, or other affiliate networks.
You get paid based on sales volume, not how much time and effort you put into promoting the product.
Freelance Writing: Freelance writing is another popular way to make money online because it doesn’t require any upfront investment of time or money. You can just start offering your services to your current audience.
Private Ads: If you want to take full control over advertising on your blog, you can sell private ad space directly with advertisers.
Ad Networks: Ad networks such as Google Adsense offer ads on your blog based on the content of your posts, as well as visitor location and other factors.
2. Open a Hardware Shop
Opening a hardware shop in Zimbabwe is one of the best choices you can make. Hardware shops are an integral part of any community.
This is because they sell items that are useful to the community and these include building materials and tools.
It is important to note that your hardware shop can only be successful if it is located in the right area, has a good inventory, has enough funds, and has an effective marketing strategy.
This location will ensure that you get many customers as well as grow your business. Also, ensure that your hardware shop is located in an accessible area.
The best way to find out about the best location for your hardware shop is by skimming through the local newspapers or asking around local real estate agents.
The success of your hardware shop depends on ensuring that you have the right items for sale.
You should start by making a list of the items that you are planning on selling at your hardware shop. You can do this by consulting other successful hardware shops as well as finding out what potential customers want.
After making this list, identify suppliers who will provide these items at reasonable prices to ensure that you make profits from selling them.
3. Open a Restaurant
Opening a restaurant is one of the most lucrative businesses in Zimbabwe. There is always a high demand for food and the sector continues to grow.
Restaurants come in all shapes and sizes, from simple takeaways to fine dining establishments.
If you are interested in starting this type of business, you will need to research your local market and come up with a menu that is different from what your competitors offer.
You can also decide to specialize in specific cuisines such as Thai or Indian dishes.
4. Start a Waste Management Firm
If you are looking for business ideas in Zimbabwe, it would be a good idea to consider waste management.
In the past, many people just threw their waste on the ground, but with new laws and regulations, there is now a need to properly dispose of waste.
If you were to start a waste management firm, then you would need to have the right equipment.
You will also have to have a team of people who are willing to work hard and get their hands dirty.
A lot of companies make use of this service, so there is always work available. You will also be able to make sure that your local area is clean and that people can enjoy living in it.
5. Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services
Dry cleaning and laundry services are a great business opportunity in Zimbabwe as long as you provide quality service at a reasonable price.
A lot of clothiers are now outsourcing their laundry to save on costs, so if you have the capital to start your own laundry business, it is a great idea.
To start the business, you will need a water source, electricity, and laundry detergents. Additionally, you have to have space for hanging the clothes as well as for drying them.
You can start by offering your services to friends and family before reaching out to other potential clients.
To grow the business, you should consider taking it online where clients can drop their clothes at your home or office and then collect them once they are ready.
6. Open a Sports Betting Agency
Sports betting is one of the most popular forms of gambling in Zimbabwe. You can start a sports betting business and make a lot of money.
You need to have a small capital to start up this business. It is not very expensive to open a sports betting agency and you can get started on a small budget.
To start up your sports betting agency, you will need to register as a company. This can be done easily and for free at the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
Once registered, you need to find an office space that has enough space for your customers to enjoy their sporting activities comfortably while they place their bets.
Remember, you need to have a reliable power supply and an internet connection to run this business smoothly.
7. Start a Uniform Sewing Business
If you love to sew, a uniform sewing business may be the ideal business for you.
Whether you want to start your own uniform sewing business from home or would prefer to rent space and hire employees, there are several things you will need to plan.
Choose a niche for your uniform sewing business. Some uniform sewing businesses specialize in nursing uniforms, others specialize in security guard uniforms, and others specialize in uniforms for students.
Decide what type of uniform clothing you wish to specialize in and focus on that market.
Prepare a plan for your new uniform sewing business indicating the types of uniforms you will sew, the prices you will charge, and the location where you will sell your products.
Obtain the necessary permits, licenses, and insurance required by your state or local municipality to operate your uniform sewing business.
8. Start a Staffing Agency
Starting a staffing agency is one of the small business ideas in Zimbabwe that work well.
There are many people seeking employment, but there are also many businesses seeking new employees.
A staffing agency links these two groups together while taking a cut of the hiree’s pay.
The larger your network and your understanding of the process, the more successful you will be at delivering quality hires to businesses.
Another thing that could help your staffing agency business is to specialize in one industry or area of expertise.
This will make it easier for both employees and employers to find each other and build relationships with you as the expert in their field.
9. Start a Tourism and Hospitality Agency
Tourism is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy. The nation has a lot of tourist attractions: natural and man-made.
And there are lots of businesses that support tourism which can be profitably operated in the country.
The truth is that, if you want to start any kind of business that involves tourists and hospitality services, then you are surely going to make good money from it.
If you are interested in becoming an agent to tourists, then one of your options is to start a tourism and hospitality agency.
This type of business can be started with little or no cash, depending on the scale you want to operate at.
If you want to start on a large scale, then you will need more cash to be able to rent an office space and also employ people that will help run the travel agency.
10. Open a Tutoring Centre
If you have a passion for teaching, opening a tutoring centre can be a rewarding way to earn money.
You can either tutor at your home or rent out an office space. If you choose to tutor at your home, you can take advantage of the fact that the overhead costs would be low.
This will give you more profit.
If you want to open an office, consider renting out a space that is close to schools and colleges.
This will give you easy access to students and make it easier for parents to drive their children over to your tutoring centre.
11. Open a Bakery Store
The bakery is one of the most profitable food processing business opportunities one can initiate by having owned or rented space.
Selecting the right product and proper marketing strategy are the major deciding factor in getting success in the bakery business.
Bakery products have a huge consumer base in every neighbourhood. There are several small-scale types of machinery available to start a small-scale bakery unit.
In addition, you can initiate the business with both respects to product and location. You can start the bakery business at a home location with a small investment in machinery.
The bakery business is not limited to the production of bread only, but it also covers biscuits, cakes, pastries, confectionery items, and other allied bakery products.
12. Open a Daycare Centre
Opening a daycare centre is a good business idea for Zimbabweans. You can tap into the market of very busy working mothers who need someone to take care of their children during the day.
In addition to that, many young families have recently relocated to Zimbabwe and would like to put their children in a reliable daycare centre.
If you decide to start this business, you will have to prepare a detailed business plan and find investors, as it can be quite costly to open your daycare centre.
In addition to that, you will have to obtain a license from the Ministry of Education to operate legally.
Other than that, before you start looking for customers, you should do thorough research on the market and see whether there are already enough daycare centres in your area or not.
13. Start a Coffee Shop
A coffee shop is one of the best small business ideas in Zimbabwe. Coffee shops are booming and becoming increasingly popular.
They offer a wide range of services from regular coffees, lattes, and cappuccinos to speciality beverages such as caramel macchiatos.
First, you’ll need to determine what kind of coffee shop you’d like to open.
There are plenty of different models to choose from, from smaller cafes with only a few locations that serve coffee and coffee-based treats to large chains with many locations across the country.
Think about what kind of coffee shop you want to open and what it will take for you to succeed in your goals.
Once you’ve decided on the right business model, you’ll need to find the right location for your coffee shop.
Coffee shops can be located in almost any area where there are potential customers, but they’re often found in high-traffic areas with lots of foot traffic.
The best places for coffee shops are places where people go every day—such as near commuter train stations or on college campuses.
As soon as you have your location picked out, it’s time to make a plan for how you’ll run your business.
This includes everything from hiring employees to figuring out what equipment and supplies you’ll need to buy.
14. Computer Repair and Maintenance Store
Computers have become one of the most frequently used business equipment in any modern office setup.
The demand for computer repair technicians has become very high because computers are constantly being repaired due to breakdowns and viruses.
If you have the technical knowledge, you can open a computer repair & maintenance store and make good money out of it.
You can open a computer repair and maintenance store in Zimbabwe. This is a lucrative business because computers break down all the time.
There is also a need for maintenance services. You can take advantage of this opportunity by opening your computer repair and maintenance store.
Once you have opened your computer repair and maintenance store, you should start marketing it to people. You can also consider expanding your business by offering IT consulting services.
15. Start a Courier Service
You might be wondering whether you can start a courier service business in Zimbabwe. The answer is yes. However, it does not mean that you should start any type of courier service.
If you are going to start this type of business, then you should do what it takes to become number one in your chosen niche.
It is important to state that the logistics industry is indeed growing by leaps and bounds and that is not about to change anytime soon.
More and more people are using courier services to meet their shipping needs whether they are moving personal items, making online purchases, or running a small business.
If you want your courier service business to attract customers, then you should make sure that your services are unique and outstanding compared to what your competitors offer.
Apart from having a website, you should also invest in marketing as much as possible to reach new clients and keep existing ones.
16. Livestock Farming
Livestock farming is a very profitable business in Zimbabwe. It’s a lucrative business that has the potential to bring in huge profits when done right.
Livestock farming involves rearing animals for meat, leather, and other animal by-products.
You can start a livestock farm by focusing on just one type of animal or you can rear several types of animals on your farm.
If you don’t have enough capital to start big, you can start small and grow your livestock farm over time.
It’s also important to note that you can become a livestock farmer even if you don’t own land.
You can buy/rent land, run your livestock on someone else’s land or run your livestock on commonage.
When starting, focus on poultry farming because it is the most popular and most profitable form of livestock farming in Zimbabwe.
17. Open Fitness Centre
Opening a fitness centre can be a great way to help others get fit and stay healthy with your own business. A fitness centre requires a lot of work, but if you’re passionate about health and fitness, it can be very rewarding.
Choose the type of fitness centre. How large do you want your gym to be? Do you want it to have a variety of exercise equipment or just one or two types?
There are many different types of gyms including Aerobic-only Gyms, Weightlifting Gyms, and Boxing Gyms. You will need a good amount of money to open up a fitness centre, so secure financing first.
Consider getting a personal loan or asking family members and friends for help. Securing financing will also let you know how much you have available to spend on the gym itself and its equipment.
18. Event and Party Planning
Event and party planning can be done professionally or as a hobby. However, if you have the skillset, passion and creativity required it is one of the best business ideas in Zimbabwe to venture into.
The reason for this is that many people are willing to spend on having a great time. These can be weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, and many other occasions.
The benefit of becoming an event planner is that it appeals to many different people. Some like the idea of organizing parties and others like the idea of being their boss.
A love of making social connections helps this business idea thrive as well.
If you have a knack for organizing parties, events, or weddings, then you could turn those skills into a profitable business by starting your party planning service.
You may decide to specialize in providing services for certain types of events, such as weddings or corporate functions.
Alternatively, you may choose to specialize in certain aspects of event planning, such as decorating, entertainment or catering.
19. Start a Real Estate Investment
With the country experiencing a real estate boom, investing in property is one of the best business ideas in Zimbabwe.
Starting your real estate investment is an excellent business idea in Zimbabwe because of the country’s booming real estate industry. And there are plenty of ways to get started.
You can either make your money by flipping properties, managing rental properties, or even operating a brokerage.
To get started, you will need to register your company and apply for licenses with the relevant authorities.
And while you’re at it, consider joining the Real Estate Institute of Zimbabwe (REIZ) to be able to network with other players in the industry and access training opportunities about the industry.
20. Greenhouse Farming
Zimbabwe is a country that has been affected by drought for many years. This has resulted in food shortages and poor harvests.
Greenhouse farming is one of the options people have turned to as a way of overcoming this problem.
Greenhouse farming is the practice of growing crops in an enclosed area.
There is controlled temperature and humidity, which ensures that crops are grown under optimal conditions. The crops are also protected from pests and harsh weather.
Protection from pests: The enclosed environment makes it possible to keep pests away from the crops. This is done by trapping them or using exclusion methods (like using screens).
Pesticides can also be used to kill them, but this needs to be done with caution because they can kill beneficial insects as well.
Protection from harsh weather: The most common problem faced by farmers in Zimbabwe is drought.
This can be overcome through irrigation technology, which allows you to water your crops at will. You can also protect your plants against frost or heat stress through temperature control mechanisms.
Early harvesting: Crops grown in greenhouses tend to yield more than those grown outdoors because of the favourable conditions they are grown under. Crops have longer growing seasons, which leads to more harvest.