Start a Load Shedding Solutions Business
Start, Run & Grow a Laundry Business
Start a Satin (Hair) Product Business
Start a Hyperlocal Buying & Selling or Service Business
Start a Ghost Kitchen/Restaurant Business
Plastic Recycling Business UPDATE
Start an Aquaponic Farming Business
Start a Uniform Business
Open a Clearance Supermarket
Start a Caravan Hire / Rental Business
Start a Renewable Energy Company
Start an Expanded Polystyrene (Styrofoam) Manufacturing Business
Start a Road Freight Company – Part 1
Start a Shipping Container Rental Business
Start a Gas Appliance Company
Make & Sell Soft Play Equipment
Start a Tyre Retreading Company
Import and Sell Products
Make & Sell Pipe Furniture
Start a Lighting Business
Start a Shop Fitting Company
Start a Plastic Recycling Company
Start a Vinyl Wall Art (Stickers & Decals) Business
Make and Sell Trestle Tables & Desks
Start a Contract Transport Business
Start Your Own Online Travel Agency In South Africa
Make & Sell Easy to Assemble Furniture
Start a Wedding Planning Business
Start Your Own Aluminium Window and Door Making & Installing Business
Start an Ice Making Business
Start a Steel Roof Sheeting Manufacturing Company
Start an Airbnb Business – Become an Airbnb Host or Host on Behalf of Property Owners
Start a Bottled Water Company
Start a Paper Recycling Business
Start Your Own Stationery & Office Supply Business
Start an Event Planning Company
Start a Bike Repair, Service and Retail Shop
Buy & Sell Job Lots
Start a Yoga Instructor Training Business
Start a Project Management Consulting Business
Dog Grooming Business / Doggy Parlour
Start a Welding Business
Solar Panel and Geyser Supply & Install Business
Fence Manufacture, Supply or Install Company
Handyman Service Business
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Service Business
Laser Cutting, Marking, Etching & Engraving Business
Call Centre Business
Start a Garage Door Installation, Automation & Repair Business
Start a Carpentry Business
Buy & Sell Second Hand Goods
Start an Online Job Board Business
Open a Dance Studio
Start a Sawmill / Timber Mill Business
Start a Rigging / Machine Moving Company
Start a Seed Company
Start a Clay Brick Manufacturing Business
Start a Сoncrete Block Making Business
Start a Hydroponic Farm Business
Start a Digital Marketing Agency

Advertising

Sell Advertising Space on Calendars

Calendars are often looked at and this makes it a great medium to sell advertising space on. Start your own business selling advertising space on calendars. The business The calendar advertising business is basically designing the calendar and then signing up businesses to advertise on the calendar and then have it printed while making a […]

Start Your Own Public Toilet Advertising Agency

Public toilets have lots of foot traffic and a captive audience for adverts. Start your own business selling advertising space in public toilets. But this is not just about making money it could help solve a problem in South Africa: a lack of public toilets.

Automotive

Polish Tyres In Parking Lots

Approach people to polish the tyres of their vehicles in parking lots (or taxi ranks) using a long lasting paint instead of polish. Tyre polishing is the process of “polishing” car tyres to give it a long lasting shine. However you will be using fireplace paint instead of polish.

Restore the Sun Damaged Headlights of Cars

Many cars headlights start to look yellow and hazy after years of exposure to the sun. But there are products on the market that can restore it to almost good as new. Start a business to restore the sun damaged headlights of cars. Process Headlight restoration involves using a substance to apply and restore the […]

Start a Dent Removal Business

Cars often bump into various things and this can cause unsightly dents that can also impact the resale value of a car. Start your own business by offering dent removal as a service. You will basically be doing what is known as “paintless dent removal” which is a method for removing minor dents from cars.

Start Your Own Car Key Cutting Business

Car key cutting is a business that can be run by one person. Here are the various different types of car keys and what to focus on. Start your own business making duplicate and replacement car keys. Different types of car keys Car keys fall into two broad categories: non transponder and transponder aka “chipped” […]

Start a Car Hire Business

Car hire businesses hire cars to people from a few hours to days at a time. Here is how to get started with your own car hire business. The industry When thinking car hire you probably thinking about the “big three” (Europcar, Avis, Hertz) you usually see at airports that hire cars to tourists.

Start a Business Plasti Dip Coating Cars & Rims

Plasti Dip is a rubber coating that is used to change the colour of cars and rims. It is much cheaper than a spray job and can be easily removed if the owner wants to revert back to the cars original colour. What is Plasti Dip Plasti Dip is a protective rubber coating that was […]

Make & Sell Car Ramps

Car ramps allow people to safely access the bottom of a car without the need to lay flat on the ground. Start your own business manufacturing car ramps. Business model This is a simple manufacturing business model: make the ramps and resell it. Factor in all costs, materials, time and work out a profit margin […]

Start a Windscreen Removal, Repair and Replacement Business

The windscreens of cars often need to be removed, repaired and replaced. Start your own business offering these services. The business Firstly I want to point out that this is actually three distinct services and you will get operators in these businesses that offer one of the abovementioned services.

Start a Mag Repair & Refurbishment Service

The aluminium wheel rims on cars often come into contact with pavements and various other road hazards. This causes the wheels to crack, dent or cause unsightly nicks and scratches. Start your own business repairing and refurbishing car mags. The business There is essentially two parts to this business.

Buy & Sell Cars

Buying and selling cars can be a lucrative business but it has some challenges and pitfalls to look out for. Introduction The buying and selling of cars is a simple retail model buy add markup resell, it has more profit potential than most other small retail, buying and selling or 2nd hand businesses […]

Building

Make and Sell Stumbelblocs

Stumbelblocks are concrete blocks that were invented to give anyone with limited skills and limited means the opportunity to build their own home in a cost effective way. The interlocking building blocks are made with the Stumbelbloc plastic moulds, which are simply filled with a concrete mix and left to dry.

Refurbish, Convert and Sell Shipping Containers

Shipping containers has various uses (shops, offices, housing etc.) outside of their intended purpose. Start your own business refurbishing, converting and selling shipping containers. Getting started Ideally you are going to need to get a supply of shipping containers and a piece of land to store them while they are being refurbished, converted and on […]

Start a Pizza Oven Installation Business

Nothing beats the taste of wood fired pizza, whether people are making pizza to resell or just want to make wood fired pizza for their families they will need a wood burning pizza oven. Start your own business installing pizza ovens. The business This business entails purchasing a DIY pizza oven kit, assembling and installing […]

Start a Scaffolding Hire Business

Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other manmade structures. Scaffolds are widely used on site to get access to heights and areas that would be otherwise hard to get to.

Make & Sell Paving Bricks

Paving bricks or “pavers” are thin, flat stones designed for use in paving projects such as walkways, patios, and driveways. Start your own business making and selling paving bricks. Getting started The most cost effective way to get started in this business is to make concrete paving bricks, which requires concrete and a mould.

Start a Borehole Drilling Business

A borehole is a narrow shaft bored in the ground; it may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water, other liquids such as petroleum or gases. We will look at starting your own borehole business aimed at homeowners for the extraction of water, although the same technique can be used for […]

Start an Epoxy Floor Coating Business

The floor covering industry (laminate, tiling, carpeting etc.) is a good and stable business but it is very competitive. Epoxy flooring is a sector with less competition in South Africa and may be something worthwhile to look at when deciding to start a small business and you don’t have a lot of capital.

Start Your Own Wall Cladding Business

Wall cladding is decorative paneling added to enhance the look of a wall. Start your own business installing wall paneling. The business Wall cladding or paneling is part of the home décor and interior decoration business. It is used in both domestic and commercial settings.

Buy & Sell Secondhand Building Materials

When looking to start a sustainable and profitable business sometimes you have to look hard to spot opportunities. However there are certain themes that you can follow that makes the process a safer bet. You have to remember you won’t always be able to start a business that you want; this is because no one […]

Start a Timber & Joinery Supply Company

A timber & joinery company supplies timber and joinery to use for various purposes. Joinery from doors to door frames, arches, window frames as well as timber mouldings: standard, meranti, pine as well as custom made timber and joinery. Value proposition A timber and joinery supplier supplies materials for both new houses and renovations.

Business

Buy and Sell Firewood
Make and Sell Briquettes
Make and Sell DIY Kits
Start a Social Enterprise Donating Some of Your Profits to a Good Cause
Start Your Own Purified Water Business

Start an Artificial Grass Business

Artificial grass also known as artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It was previously mostly used in stadiums for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial buildings as well.

Start a Business Exporting Locally Made Products

Exporting is the process of sending goods to other counties to be sold (where it will be “imported”). Start your own business exporting locally made products. Introduction In South Africa small business circles importing and exporting is often thrown around as where opportunities are. But it’s not that simple.

Start a Discount Card Business

A discount card is a card that entitles the card owner (member) discounts at a variety of establishments. Start your own discount card business. Overview The typical discount card business goes like this: The owner of the discount card business signs up various vendors which agrees to give anyone bearing the discount card a discount […]

Start a Crime Scene Cleanup Business

South Africa’s extremely high crime rate has opened up a myriad of business opportunities in the security and self-defense industry from armed response to CCTV unfortunately sometimes it’s not enough and over 50 people are murdered in South Africa every day. What is a crime scene cleanup business A crime scene cleanup businesses job is […]

Start a Frosted (sandblast look) Window Business

A frosted window business applies sandblast look vinyl to windows for various purposes including branding, decorative, privacy and safety. Prelude The cheaper and easier a business is to start the more competitive and less lucrative it is. A highly lucrative business usually requires both skills and capital, and when I say skills I mean expertise […]

Start a Pest Control & Fumigation Company

Imagine, you’re in a restaurant with your spouse and kids, and suddenly a giant rat appears in front of you. You will never ever again visit that place. Mice, rats and other rodents can scare any person. So it’s no wonder that business owners, as well as homeowners place great importance on pest control.

Start a Coworking Space in South Africa

Studies show that an average salary in South Africa is around R15000 (with it being heavily skewed towards a small percentage of high earners). This is why more and more people have started working online. A well-qualified programmer, a software developer can make R100000 per month, and even more.

Start an Online English Teaching Agency

Millions of people around the world take English lessons online to learn the universal language in order to broaden their study and work opportunities. An English teaching agency offers teaching lessons over the internet. Here is how to get started. Introduction There are opportunities out there for people to teach English on various platforms, what […]

Start an Access Control Wristband Company

Access control wristbands are used at various events, conventions, sports and functions. It is a way to determine who has paid for entry or who has a valid invite or ticket. It is basically a classier way than using a stamp. Introduction Access control wristbands are usually made from cheap materials such as tyvek or […]

Start a Drop Shipping Business in South Africa

Drop shipping is a retail business model where a seller doesn’t keep the products they sell in stock. Instead, only after a seller sells a product, they purchase the item from a supplier and have it shipped directly to the buyer/customer. This is an excellent business to get into if you don’t have a lot […]

Start a Debt Counselling Business

Debt counselling is a service provided to consumers who can no longer afford to pay the monthly installments on their debts and is being threatened with legal action by their creditors. A debt counsellors job is thus to help their clients keep the wolf from the door by negotiating lower payment terms, while this usually […]

Start a Safety Wear Supply Company

A safety wear company sells safety and protective clothing such as overalls, steel toe shoes, hard hats, protective eyewear, dust masks, gum boots, and various other products including reflective items and even first aid kits. The best place to get into this from a small business perspective is on the supply side: you are a […]

Business Services

Start a Commercial Cleaning Company
Start a Signage Company

Start a Digital Signage Company

If you have an interest in signage, advertising or media but don’t want to get into the hypercompetitive vinyl/Chromadek/Perspex/Correx/PVC canvas/ABS plastic signage market, the digital signage industry is something to look at. Digital signage uses LED, LCD or projection screens to display images, video or other rich media and has various applications from advertising health […]

Crafts

Make and Sell Magnetic Photo Frames
Buy and Sell Leather Offcuts
Make and Sell Domed Fridge Magnets

Buying & Selling

Buy and Sell Shop-soiled Appliances

Shop-soiled goods are items in a shop that have been on display usually as demo models and have imperfections ( cosmetic scratches or dents) from being displayed out of the box and from being handled. For this reason it cannot be sold as new and is usually discounted.

Buy and Sell Dust Masks
Buy and Sell Secondhand Clothing
Buy & Sell Decorative Stone
Buy and Sell Blank Magnetic Sheet and Car Magnets

Buy & Sell “Back to School” Stationery Supplies

I just came back from my local flea market and business was booming at the stationery guy’s stall. At the beginning of every school year there is a rush from parents to get their children’s stationery sorted for the new year. Tap into this seasonal business demand to make some extra money, whether alongside your […]

Buy & Sell Shade Cloth

Shade cloth is a multipurpose material used for both weather protection and privacy. Start your own business buying and selling shade cloth. What is shade cloth? Shade cloth is a material used for protection from the sun and privacy among other uses. See below for more uses.

Buy & Sell Water Storage Containers and Tanks

With South Africa experiencing a drought and the Western Cape running out of water people have started to take precautionary measures such as purchasing containers and tanks to store water. Start your own business buying and selling water containers and tanks. Different types of containers and tanks There is essentially two different types of containers […]

Buy & Sell LED Strip Lights

An LED strip light (also known as LED tape or a ribbon light) is a flexible circuit board containing light-emitting diodes (LED). It is used in for indoor and outdoor lighting, signage, growing plants, various inspection (UV) and entertainment purposes (nightclubs, DJ’s) etc. Start your own business buying and selling LED strip lights.

Buy & Sell Artworks

When thinking “art dealer” you are probably thinking various high-end connotations, but there is a way to buy and sell artwork as a small business owner. Here I look at some of them. The business Art dealing is the business of buying artworks from the artist (or gallery or reseller), possibly framing it and then […]

Start a Business Buying & Selling from Auctions

A buying and selling from auction business buys products at auctions and then resells it either from home, garage, storage unit, shop or warehouse. Introduction This is a relatively simple business, go to auction, bid on items that you believe that you will be able to sell for a profit.

Decor

Make and Sell Professional Looking Framed Photos

Make & Sell Concrete Furniture

I often hear people say they don’t have enough capital to start their own business when in reality you can start your own business with a few bags of cement and make products such as paving bricks, balusters, garden pots, vibracrete slabs, grave stones, furniture and a lot more.

Design

Draw Cartoons for Websites
Design and Sell Website Templates
Design Logos For Small Businesses
Sell Your Designs as Clip Art

DIY

Build and Sell Biltong Making Machines
Make and Sell Bakkie Mattresses
Make and Sell Braai’s Made from Washing Machine Drums
Make and Sell Furniture Made From Wooden Pallets

Education & Training

Start a Tutoring Agency
Start a Forklift Training Company

Start Your Own Occupational Health & Safety Training Business

Occupational health and safety training is the purpose of training employees in various occupational safety procedures. It is used for purposes of workplace safety (which could cover clients visiting premises as well) as well as compliance purposes where in some industries and for example on ships you need someone on board which has undergone certain […]

Start a Photography School

Skills development is probably one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa today, that and the desire for people to better themselves (which can be taught with life coaching). Photography is a skill that can be easily learnt and not much is required to earn a living from it, making it perfect for unemployed or […]

Start a Massage Training Business

A massage training business runs training and courses teaching people various message techniques and upon completion issues a certificate so that they can find employment or open their own business. This is a business that requires little to get started for both you and your students.

Entertainment

Open Your Own Recording Studio
Start a Party Bus Business
Start a Pool Table Hiring Company

Events & Conferences

Offer Short-term Accommodation for Major Events
Organise and Host Speaking Events or Conferences
Start Your Own Photo Booth Rental Business
Build and Hire Out Mini Golf (Putt-Putt) Courses
Start a Temporary Fence Hire Business
Start a Stage Rental Business
Start a Tent & Marquee Hire Business
Hire out Popcorn, Candy floss and Slush Machines
Open a Kiddies Play & Party Venue
Start a Limo Service
Start a Catering & Hiring Company

Farming Business Ideas

Start a Poultry Business

Start a Pig Farming Business

Pig farming can yield a better financial return than other livestock such as sheep and cows but there are a few things that you need to consider. Here is how to get started with a pig farm. For those of you that cannot work with pigs for religious reasons, you can perhaps look at fish […]

Start Your Own Plant Business

There are few businesses that are so cheap to start than one growing and selling plants. However just because an idea is feasible does not mean it will be a sustainable or profitable business (after you’ve been paid). That is why you need to get your business model (planning) and strategy (execution) right.

Start a Fish Farm

There are various small business opportunities in the fish farming industry. But today we will focus on getting started by farming Tilapia fish. What is Tilapia? Tilapia (pronounced tih-LAH-pee-ə) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid. Tilapia are mainly freshwater fish inhabiting shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes and less commonly […]

Flower Farming Business
Sugarcane Farming
Silkworm Farming
Egg / Chicken Hatchery Business
Start Growing Wheatgrass in Your Garden and Sell Frozen Wheatgrass Cubes
Grow Green Onions and Sell it for a Profit in South Africa
Start a Honey Bee Farming Business in SA
Walnut Cultivation in South Africa: Create a Passive Income Stream
Buy a Tractor, a Plow and Offer Plowing Services to South African Farmers
Plant an Apple Orchard and Sell Fresh Apples
Become a Trusted Middleman in the Agricultural Business
Start Your Own Goat Farming Business in South Africa and Produce Goat’s Milk
Start Your Own Ostrich Farm in South Africa and Sell Ostrich Eggs
Rural Farming in South Africa: Connect Rural Farmers with Exporters Using the Internet

Fashion

Supply the Fashion Industry with Innovative Swing Tags
Make and Sell Customised Tomy Takkies
Make and Sell Custom Trucker Caps
Start an “Instant” T-shirt Printing Business
Start Your Own Embroidery Business

Start a Wedding Dress / Bridal Gown Hire Business

The goal of a profitable hiring business is to recoup your initial investment as soon as possible. We looked at many hiring businesses before and the ones with a quick break-even often require a lot of capital up front and have considerable physical work. The rental of wedding dresses has a quick break-even and is […]

Start a Premium Sock Company

If you looking to dip your toe into the fashion industry, there are a few avenues to take, t-shirts is always popular but is very competitive unless you have something exceptional. Today we look at a single product business that has large margins: the premium sock business.

Food

Grow and Sell Mushrooms
Make and Sell Biltong
Make and Sell Ring Donuts
Start a Bread Making Business
Buy and Sell Bokkoms
Start a Raw Potato Chip Supply Company
Make and Sell Paaper Bites
Make and Sell Pork Scratchings
Open a Caravan Take-Aways
Run a Baking Business from Home
Start a Food Truck Business
Open Up a Dessert Trailer
Buy & Sell Popcorn Kernels

Make & Sell Gourmet Popcorn

When deciding to get into the food business, you can start a staple business selling commodities such as bread or even donuts meaning you have to sell a lot at modest margins to stay competitive to be successful, or you can aim at the higher end of the market selling less of a premium product […]

Buy & Sell Distressed / Salvage Food Products

Distressed or salvage food is food items that traditional grocery stores won’t or can’t sell. This is because food is near or past its expiration date, the can is dented or the label is torn, manufacturer overstock or products from damage or other insurance claims. Business model This business involves buying wholesale lots of salvage […]

Buy & Sell Spices Wholesale

The spice business has good margins and is a popular and fast moving product. But it has competition around every corner. Here is how to get into this business now. The business The spice business has many facets: manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing. The higher up the chain, the more capital you need to get started.

Start a Healthy Vending Machine Business

Enjoy eating hamburgers and drinking Coke? Did you know that modern studies show that this lifestyle can lead to different diseases, like insomnia, depression and even cancer? No wonder that healthy eating ideas are getting more and more popular. Vegetarians don’t eat meat, vegans stay away from meat, milk, and eggs.

Start a Frozen Food Manufacturing Company

A frozen food manufacturing company makes and sells a range of frozen food that is thawed and cooked by the consumer, the margins are fantastic in this business: some dough with food inside and you have a product, but the challenge is growing it pass the micro business stage.

Games & Toys

Make and Sell Indigenous Board Games
Make and Sell Laser Cut Toys, Models and Puzzles
Make and Sell Miniature Building Supplies
Make and Sell Toys Made From Recycled Materials
Rent out Racing Simulators

Gifts

Make and Sell Framed “Meaning of name” Certificates
Make and Sell Personalised Transparent Greeting or Thank You Cards
Print and Sell Personalised Mugs

Start a Business Supplying Branded Corporate / Promotional Gifts

A corporate gift company makes branded items for companies that are given out as gifts for promotional purposes. This can include anything from pens and notepads to branded flash drives. Getting Started The business model is simple and has two components: the item and the print (usually a logo in the case of a company) […]

Start a Personalised Gift Company

Gifts are big business: birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, “Thank You’s” etc. But gifts can also be impersonal. This is where the personalised gift market comes in, where you brand the gift with the person’s name, photo or even company logo (if you wishing them well with their company).

Hygiene

Buy and Sell Food Hygiene Products

Internet & Technology

Build a News Commenting Platform for South Africa
Setup a Website to Service South Africa’s Film Industry
Start a Website Hosting Business

Start a Data Recovery Service

People will often pay to retrieve lost data (documents, pictures and videos) from a hard drive or flash drive. If you have some computer knowledge you can start a data recovery service. The business Data recovery is the process of retrieving lost data from a hard drive or flash drive, whether due to damage to […]

Develop a Curated App That Finds Free, Cheap and Safe Parking Spots

There is a need for an accurate local (or at least major cities) parking app which shows you free, cheap and safe parking spots. Each parking spot must be able to be reviewed as well: A free parking spot is no good if you are parking in a dodgy area where your car is going […]

Develop a Plot Search / Finder Application

A lot of people want to build their own houses from scratch for which they will need a lot or plot of land. Build a local app which does the following: Curate listings of plots currently for sale A deed search for an empty piece of land to find out who the owner is (and if owner […]

Start a Regional Marketplace to Buy and Sell Websites & Domain Names

Websites like Flippa facilitate the buying and selling of websites but it is heavily slanted towards popular domain suffixes such as .com, .net and .org (well mainly .com) as well as popular developed countries. There exists an opportunity in most countries to operate a marketplace to buy and sell country specific top-level domains and other web assets.

Start a Web or App Development Company

I often cover ideas that involve manufacturing or retailing products, but one of the best ways to get employed, start your own business and climb your way out of poverty is to learn a skill, whether the skill is operational / management, digital or a trade skill.

Leisure

Vaping Business Ideas

The popularity of e-cigarettes has skyrocketed in recent year’s opening up various business opportunities in the “vaping” space. Introduction An electronic cigarette or e-cigarette is a handheld electronic device that simulates the feeling of tobacco smoking. It works by heating a liquid to generate an aerosol, commonly called a “vapor” that the user inhales.

Start Your Own E-Liquid Company

E-liquid or e-juice is the mixture used in electronic cigarettes. With the e-cigarette market exploding in recent years there are various business opportunities in this industry and making and selling your own e-liquid is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get started in this industry.

Logistics & Transport

Start an Inner City Courier / Parcel Delivery Service

Start a Furniture Removals & Delivery Business

A furniture removals & delivery or bulk courier business allows you to easily earn a managers salary without much skill. The only thing you need is a suitable vehicle and a driver’s licence. This is a popular business with people who have been retrenched or taken the package who then use their lump sum to […]

Manufacturing

Start Your Own Coffin Manufacturing Business
Make and Sell Tarpaulins
Start a Mattress & Bed Making Business

Make and Sell Perspex Products

Perspex products are display and other products made from acrylic sheet (better known by its trade name Perspex in South Africa). Making items from Perspex is an excellent manufacturing business which combines cheap startup cost, with cheap materials and a high margin completed product. What to make When making Perspex items, always keep the market […]

Start a Generic Perfume Manufacturing Business

A perfume manufacturing company manufactures and sells (usually wholesale) perfumes, probably the most popular type of perfume manufacturing in SA at the moment is selling “generic” versions or perfume “inspired by” leading international brands. This page will cover that; I will cover developing your own scent in future.

Start a Phone & Tablet Screen Protector Making Business

A screen protector or screen guard making business makes and sell self-adhesive screen protectors for mobile phones and tablets. Screen protectors protect the screen from scratches as well as from cracks when it falls. A R50 screen protector can save the user thousands in screen replacements costs.

Make and Sell Pet Accessories & Toys

Millions of South Africans own dogs and cats, as well as other pets and many treat them as part of the family, sparing no expense on their upkeep. There the amount of money South African pet owners spend on pet food is around R5 billion per year.

Miscellaneous

Refill Inkjet Printer Cartridges
Start Your Own Airbrush Tattoo Business
Sell stuff on bidorbuy
Start a Voice-over Agency
Start a Boat Cleaning Business
Make and Sell Memory Foam Pillows
Start a Packaging Supply Company
Make and Sell Magnetic Business Card DIY Kits
Make and Sell Magnetic Photo Frames
Make and Sell Blank Fridge Magnets

Start a Student Accommodation Business

A student accommodation business provides accommodation for students usually close to where they are studying. With a young population, it is currently one of the fastest growing real estate sectors in South Africa. It is also a valuable service to people who live far from tertiary or training institutions or who have too much distraction […]

Open a Tattoo & Piercing Studio

A tattoo studio (also called a tattoo parlour) is a place where tattoos as well as body piercings are done. I will look at the various business models in this industry. To open a tattoo studio you don’t have to be able to do tattoo’s personally, many people open one as a way to make […]

Start a Rubberising Business

A rubberising business offers the service of coating surfaces with polyurethane and similar chemicals in order to protect it. In South Africa rubberising is most popularly used for bakkie linings and on roofs. Getting Started This business requires the spray tool gun, usually connected to a compressor and the polyurethane rubber chemical.

Niche Business Ideas

Buy & Sell Vintage and Collectible Toys
Decant and Sell “Stencil Adhesive”
Make DVD Slideshows of Peoples Photos
Water Hyacinth Business Opportunities
Hire out Slot Car Racing Tracks

Start an Airbrush Tattoo Stencil Business

Airbrush tattoos are temporary tattoos that are sprayed on using a system very similar to the one used for doing airbrush art. Airbrush stencils are used to create airbrush tattoos. Start your own company making and selling stencils to be sold to people making airbrush tattoos.

Start a Neon Signage Company

The signage industry is massive in South Africa but it’s also very saturated, in situations like this when you know there is a large market you need to look for a niche that is both profitable and not too competitive. In the signage industry we know, 9 out of 10 businesses are a vinyl on […]

Photography & Video / Film

Take Aerial Videos at Events
Take Aerial Photos of Houses for Estate Agents
Take and Sell Photos of South African Landmarks
Take Instant Photos at Venues

Print

Design and Print Business Cards
Make and Sell Custom CD Clocks
Make and Sell Magnetic Business Cards
Start a Label Printing Company
Start a Screen Printing Company
Print and Sell Custom Edible Sheets for Cakes
Print and Sell Transparent, Translucent and Frosted Business Cards

Start a Ball Printing Business

Ball printing is a novelty printing business that allows you to print full colour images onto balls using the heat transfer method. It is more lucrative than other novelty printing businesses such as mug printing and has far less competition, but this comes at a price as you might have to import some of the […]

Start a Cap Printing Business

Cap printing is the process of printing images, logos etc. onto caps (peak / baseball caps, trucker hats and even beanies). Start your own business offering this service. Introduction It is often hard to enter the market as a small business with little capital, but focusing on a smaller subset of the larger market will […]

Business Cards

Start a Custom Name Badge Business
Start a Hot Foil Stamping Company
Print and Sell Custom-made Invoice Books

Start a Hydrographic Printing (Water Transfer) Business

Hydrographic printing (also known as Hydrographics, immersion printing, water transfer printing, water transfer imaging, hydro dipping or cubic printing) is a printing technique that allows you to apply printed designs to three dimensional surfaces. A video is probably a better illustration as it’s not a widely known technique: Water Transfer Printing Hydrographics Applying Printed Designs […]

Property Related

Track Down the Owners of Empty Plots for Interested Buyers

Recycling

Collect and Recycle Tins and Cans
Make and Sell Drinking Glasses Made From Bottles
Make and Sell Leather Cord / String / Rope
Recycle and Sell Laptop Batteries
Collect and Recycle Aluminum
Recycle Plastic Bottles Into Rope That Can Be Resold
Tyre Recycling
Start a Rubble Removal Service

Start a “Junk” Collection Service

A “junk” collection and removal business helps people clear out their homes, garages, offices, gardens and carts away the items the person wants to throw away. The business This is a entry level business that all you need is a car and a trailer, believe it or not a lot of people in this business […]

Start a Tyre to Oil Plant

I’ve looked at the various business opportunities in the tyre recycling industry before. Today I’ll cover something different – the waste tyre to fuel oil recycling plant. How tyre to oil plants work Tyre to oil uses a process called pyrolysis this can be done in large industrial machines but can also be done DIY […]

Renovating

Start a Business Refinishing / Resurfacing Baths

Start a Furniture Refinishing & Painting Business

Refinishing is the process of repairing or reapplying the wood finishing on an object. In practice, this may apply to the paint or wood finish top coat, lacquer or varnish. Refinishing is often undertaken to salvage an old piece of furniture. Start your own business refinishing furniture.

Retail

Build and Sell Point of Sale (POS) Systems

Open a Bed and Mattress Shop

Reading the title you must be rolling your eyes thinking there are already lots of bed shops around, but there is a reason there are so many beds shops and that the fact they have been around for many years. Here is why a bed shops is one of the safest bets if you decide […]