Cape Town is the most popular tourist destination in the whole of Africa because of its good climatic condition and infrastructure. It is also the third main hub economic city in Africa. With a yearly GDP of over $22 billion dollars, Cape Town has all the resources needed to make a business grow. Seventy-five percent of the businesses in Cape Town belong to the small and medium scale business sector and the most popular industries are the:
- Real Estate
- Construction
- Tourism industry
So, if you are thinking of investing in Cape Town, then you should think in the line of these three industries first but if you do not have a passion for real estate or construction businesses, you could also start any of the businesses listed below-:
Top 20 Small Business Investment Opportunities in Cape Town
1. Personal Service Provider for Expatriates
There are lots of expatriates that come to work in Cape Town and there are new expatriates coming in every year. As visitors coming into a place for the first time, most of them need help with one or two things like accommodation, where to shop, car rentals or purchases, moving services and a host of other services. You can become a personal service provider to expatriates and assist them to settle in properly when they arrive in Cape Town.
2. Corporate Catering
Most workers need to have lunch during break but can barely spare the time. A good business idea is to provide lunch catering services to office workers. You can also add event catering services to the mix.
3. Herb Farming
There are many herbs that are native to South-Africa that are in hot demand in the American market. For instance, Hoodia Gordonii which is said to be the new miracle herb for weight loss is native to South-Africa. If you are someone who doesn’t mind getting dirty with farm work, you can start an herb farm for growing and exporting some of these herbs.
4. Relocation Consultant
You can also consider becoming a relocation consultant. There are many things that are tied to relocating; it goes beyond just getting your stuffs in the moving van and driving off. You have to think of buying or renting a home in the new place, the kid’s schools, new job and so many other factors. You can start a business that makes relocation easier for people.
5. Second-Hand Clothing Dealer
There are so many people whose incomes are below average in Cape Town. These people may not be able to live the fabulous kind of couture-wearing life. They have to look for cheaper ways to look beautiful which is why second-hand clothing always sell.
6. Calligraphy/ Invitation Card Design
You can sometimes get a feel of how a party is going to look like just by looking at the invitation card. You can start an invitation card designing business to make beautiful invitation cards for people planning a party. You can also make hand-made greeting cards for profit.
7. Solar Installation and Repair
Reduction of energy costs is paramount on the mind of residents of Cape Town. Many businesses have resorted to the use of solar energy for powering their equipment. Home owners too are not left out of the switch to solar energy. You can start a solar installation and repair business in South Africa.
8. Social Media Consultant
Social media has gone beyond being just a hub for social activities. Social media is now being used for business just as much as it is being used for social purposes. You can become a consultant to help business owners make affective use of social media for advertising and sales purpose.
9. Travel Consultant-: You can become a travel consultant and offer assistance to people traveling in and out of South Africa. This can be done from the comfort of your home with a travel website.
10. Tour Guide-: Cape Town is always a great destination for summer and holidays. You can become a tour guide and help tourists enhance their Cape Town holiday experience.
11. Hotel-: Another option is to start a hotel or a bed and breakfast accommodation service to visitors of Cape Town.
12. Freelance Writer
Freelance writers are earning thousands monthly just by writing for clients on the internet. If you possess some writing skills and you do not have capital to start a bigger business, you can become a freelance writer and register on websites like odesk, elance or freelancer.com to start earning money from writing.
13. Sewing-: You can also become a fashion designer in Cape Town. Get nice fabric and make good designs for sale to residents and tourists. You can also offer alteration services to people who need their clothes adjusted.
14. Food products manufacturer
Another idea is to start manufacturing food products like biscuits, cakes and confectioneries for sale. You don’t need to have millions to start such a business, you can start on a small scale and supply to supermarkets around you and then gradually grow business.
15. Courier Services
Courier services are now becoming even more important and relevant than ever before. This is because of the increasing popularity of online shopping. People who buy stuffs online need to have them delivered through courier services.
16. Photography-: You can also start a photography business for individuals and events.
17. Party Entertainment-: This involves entertaining children at parties through mascots, puppets, bouncing castles and other means.
18. Editorial Services-: This involves offering editing services to book writers, magazine publishers, and students writing their final year projects or carrying out a research.
19. Nursing-: You can also provide nursing services to sick people or elderly people at home.
20. Winery-: Lastly, you can start your own wine manufacturing business to serve tourists or Cape Town residents. You can even start exporting your wines to other parts of Africa and the rest of the world.