19 Small Business Ideas in Narok Town

Would you like to start a small business in Kenya but don’t know where to start?

Have you considered setting up your business in a fast-growing town like Narok?

Narok Town, also known as the hub of Masai and the district capital of Narok county in Kenya is the major center of commerce in the south rift.

It has a population of 40,000 people with a  flood of lucrative business ideas to try.

The town which suffice to say is always full of visitors, both local and international tourists is always a bevy of activities.

And tell you what, more people means more activities going on – which in turn leads to more opportunities hence a thousand plus business ideas to copy from.

Having taken my degree in this small suburban town, I can confidently affirm that these small business ideas are lucrative and worth any beginner’s time.

7 Small Business Ideas to Pursue in Narok Town.

1. Beads making.

It is extremely hard to walk a mile in Narok town without bumping into someone donning something beaded. 

Be it necklaces, bracelets, rings, anklets, headbands, and one that I found a little amusing belt.

Men, women, and children alike all adorn these beads that come in multiple colors and different designs.

It is also not hard to spot a woman carrying a beaded handbag in town.

These beaded artifacts are used across all generations — from the senior citizens to the youth making this a great business idea to pursue in Narok.

Since the beading work is done by hand, not much capital goes into starting the business.

If anything, you only need the capital to buy the beads.

2. Fast Foods.

Narok being a  transit town means a lot of travelers make their stopovers there.

Personally, roads give me serious motion sickness so whenever we get to stop in the town (from Nairobi heading upcountry), I have to eat.

Imagine how many other travelers go through Narok to buy food at the stop.

If you ask me, it is a lot of people — making this business idea one of the best to want to start in Narok.

Some of the fast-food businesses to benchmark in Narok before starting this business are MidRock Hotel and/or Mara Point Hotels.

They sell bhajia, fries, Kebab, Sausages, boiled eggs, hot dogs, and Burgers among other fast foods.

Business idea titbit – starting a fast food business is relatively cheap as you can sell under a makeshift tent or just by the roadside

3. Poultry business. 

Poultry businesses always thrive in highly populated areas.

A working nation is a hungry nation.

This means once the poultry business hits off you can sell the layers of produce to shops and even hotels to make your profits.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on starting your poultry business in Kenya today. 

4. Boda Boda and Taxi.

Being that Narok is a commercial town it means that there is a lot of going and coming.

And what better transport is there in Narok than  Boda Boda and taxis?

When I was on campus, Boda Boda businesses boomed since students used them to run errands in town and back.

Traders also use Narok taxis to transport their goods to town and back to their residential homes.

Interestingly, Kenyan banks have provided favorable policies for one to acquire Boda Boda across the country.

Sacco’s in Narok also gives out motorcycles on credit with favorable repayment schemes.

5. Cyber Cafe.

Given that Narok Town is home to several learning institutions and businesses a cyber cafe is a great business idea.

I remember how we used to throng cyber cafes in Narok to print papers or photocopy some work.

Except for restaurants and movie shops, this is the other isolated place you would never miss a student at a given time.

If you have a printing machine, a computer or two, and a photocopier you can successfully open a cybercafe in Narok.

6. Maasai Khanga. 

Nothing says Narok town more than a group of bare-chested men warmly wrapped in the colorful Maasai Lesos.

This is probably the most overlooked business idea in Narok since people assume everyone has a Maasai leso, but trust me, one is never enough for these old folks.

A Masai khanga sells even more in Narok than in any other place.

7. Cultural Artifacts. 

Narok is a multi-cultural town.

Just like Nairobi and Mombasa, you’d find people from different ethnic backgrounds, people with different academic qualifications, color, race, and other social status.

The presence of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve means it is one of the largest tourist attraction centers in Kenya.

And tell you what, nothing fascinates Westerners like our rich African Heritage.

You can sell beautiful ornamental paintings to tourists or different Maasai crafts.

8.  Opening a Boutique. 

In fast-moving towns, a boutique is one of the essentials for the residents within.

People have to dress up and keep up the image of what they purport to be.

Narok town is never short of internal or external tourists and with traveling comes the need to shop — making a boutique business a profitable business idea for Narok town.

9. Opening a Salon.

Braiding is one of those business ideas that never go out of style.

Women form the bigger part of the population in Narok Town and with that comes the need to look good.

On campus, I would change my hair every other three weeks. 

A girl had to look good and leave the boys staring.

The skillset is what is most important in the salon business.

You can braid people in their respective homes or they can come to yours if you are not established yet.

Once you are established, you can start by buying a blow drier for as little as 2,000 shillings.

10. Local Pubs and Joints.

Revelers from any town must have a place to unwind and relax after a long day.

Pubs and joints are one of those places that would never be short of customers, nothing can separate a man and his beer.

When I was on campus, we spent our Fridays through to the weekend in these entertainment joints.

With that statement in mind, you’d want to start your local pub where students would feel safe coming to and from at night.

You can also double in selling food alongside drinks.

A cold tusker and some medium-rare goat meat cures depression and empties the pockets faster.

11. Selling Mtumba clothes. 

Campus girls are synonymous with their mitumba clothes.

On a market day like Sunday in Narok God help you if you have some serious shopping to do because you will have to battle it out with the throng of people sorting through Mtumba clothes.

A bale of Mtumba clothes goes for roughly Ksh. 6,500  to Ksh. 15,000.

This brings the starting capital to as little as Ksh. 65 give or take. And you can sell each piece of cloth in your bale for as high as Ksh. 600 depending on the quality.

Also Read: – How to Start a Mitumba Retail Business in Kenya.

12. Photography and Studio.

If the nicely and beautifully edited pics across social media platforms are not proof enough of this booming business then I don’t know what is.

Millennials have become obsessed with looking a certain type of way hence the many photoshoots.

From maternity shoots, graduation shoots, wedding shoots, and even funeral shoots.

A quality digital camera can go for roughly Ksh. 6000. Opening a studio is even more profitable as you can double in printing portraits or even ID pictures.

13. Fruit Vending.

Good nutritious fruit on an otherwise hot and tiresome day goes a long way.

Fruit vendors on roadsides make some of the biggest profits.

I for one can never miss a chance to buy a slice of pineapple or watermelon in Narok Town. The vendors who are mostly littered across the streets even bring the fruits to your cars – on the jam.

Armed with those large umbrellas to preserve the fruits from sun rays or even rain, you can start your own little fruit vending business.

You can get different fruits at wholesale prices in Narok and sell them at retail.

Alternatively, plant fruits you are interested in selling and cash in on wholesale prices.

Interesting for you: – Juice Bar Startup in Kenya | Cost & Profits Review of 2024.

14. Opening a Retail Shop.

Retail shops may not rake in massive profits but what they do promise is a steady flow of profits to the business.

It is also a good form of investing your money.

Buying goods at wholesale or factory prices and then selling them at retail prices is a sure way of making profits.

15. Games Arcade.

I think it is fair to say that we have lost our young boys and men to the world of virtual games.

Gaming Arcades and playing station hubs have become a favorite place for the boys to visit. You can double into movie shops within the gaming shop.

16. Coffee Brewing.

Narok is known for its extreme temperatures.

Narok cold chills you to your bones, and when it is hot it’s like the sun dropped a few inches lower.

Needless to say, mornings and evenings are always chilly. And what better way is there to beat the cold morning and evening weather than a good cup of steaming coffee?

This sells even faster around bus stops and stations.

17. Hotels and Restaurants.

This business idea being down here does not do it justice.  A working nation is an eating nation, as a friend of mine Kenn loves to argue; we live to eat.

Get yourself a strategic area preferably around commercial areas. Get dedicated staff to work with because in this business employee ethics is everything.

Now you have to create lasting and productive connections with suppliers for various food items as suppliers also form a major part of the business.

18. Start selling  African Fabric.

Due to the various tourist attraction sites and events like the Wild Beast migration in Narok, local and international tourists are always in numbers in town.

This opportunity provides a major gateway to selling African fabric to tourists. You can sell them in a material form or better yet beautiful customized Kitenge dresses with different designs.

Pinterest makes it easier to get amazing designs for different African fabrics like Kente’s designs.

To get good margins with this business, import quality African fabric across the border from Uganda at a relatively cheap price, add value, and sell at high acceptable prices.

19. Opening a Nail parlor and Beauty Spa.

I don’t know about you but pretty nails give me a certain flair.

Ladies love to look pretty without going through the trouble of doing the work themselves, now that is where you come in.

Start a beauty salon that takes care of the ladies.

A nail parlor to clean, scrub, moisturize, and varnish the nails. Gel polish and even stickons go for about Ksh. 500 a service per hand and toes.

You can also double into a beauty spa for manicures, pedicures, and facials. If you can’t do everything alone, hire a masseuse and offer the executive experience at the executive price.

Interesting for you: – Start a Beauty Shop With Ksh. 2,000 to Make 5,000 Shillings Daily.

Conclusion. 

There are thousands of business ideas that you can start in the South Rift. Mentioning only 19 in this list does not mean that what’s not mentioned is less profitable, costly to start, or irrelevant.