20 Best Investment Opportunities in Kenya 2024!

According to the Global Economic Prospects Report, Kenya’s economy is projected to grow by at least 5.2% in 2024 and 5.7% in 2025. That shows there can’t be a better time to identify the best investment opportunities in Kenya than now.

Some of the best investment opportunities in the country include money market funds, REITs, forex trading, equity funds, balanced funds, YouTube, blogging, Safaricom shares, high-yield savings accounts, Certificate of Deposits, dividend-paying SACCOs, and agribusiness.

Additionally, you can consider investing in cryptocurrency trading, copy trading, government securities, index funds, Airbnb arbitrage, retirement funds, precious metals, or your own company.

So, ideally, you’ve at least 20 investment opportunities for consideration in Kenya, and I’ll walk you through them. But before we do, we should consider why you may want to invest in Kenya. So, let’s dive in!

In a hurry? Below is a quick guide to the best investments in Kenya:

A Quick Guide to the Best Investment Options in Kenya

–	Investment Opportunities	What to Do:
1.	Money Market Funds	Invest in the best-yielding money market funds.
2.	REITs	Buy stakes in local real estate investment trusts.
3.	Forex Trading	Buy, hold, and sell foreign currencies.
4.	Equity Funds	Invest in local Equity Funds
5.	Balanced Funds	Invest in local Balanced Funds
6.	YouTube Channel	Start your own YouTube channel.
7.	Blogging	Start your blog
8.	Safaricom Shares	Buy Safaricom shares through an NSE-certified broker.
9.	High-Yield Savings Account	Open a local high-interest savings account.
10.	Certificate of Deposits	Earn 6.5-10% from investing in Certificates of Deposits.
11.	Dividend-Paying SACCOs	Invest in the highest-paying dividend SACCOs
12.	Agribusiness	Invest in the best-performing agriculture business ideas.
13.	Cryptocurrency Trading	Buy and sell digital currencies at a profit.
14.	Copy Trading	Copy the ideas of successful investors.
15.	Government Securities	Buy government bonds or treasury bills.
16.	Index Funds	Earn high interest from index fund investments.
17.	Airbnb Arbitrage	Sub-lease rental units for the long-term and rent them out short-termly and on Airbnb
18.	Retirement Fund	Open an individual interest-yielding pension plan.
19.	Precious Metals	Invest in gold or silver.
20.	Own Company	Start your own company and grow it.

Why Invest in Kenya

Numerous factors make Kenya a fantastic destination for investors, both locals and foreigners. For starters, Kenya is strategically located geographically with access to the Indian Ocean. That enables the country to conveniently serve the rest of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe.

Kenya also relishes favorable trade and economic policies that attract investors. We also have to mention the preferential trade agreements that Kenya enjoys with COMESA, the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), and the Economic Partnership Act (EPA), to name a few.

The country’s physical infrastructure is another influential factor. The accessibility to international airports, modern roads and highways, and deep seaports make it easy for investors to transport their products domestically and across the border.   

Moreover, Kenya has a strong entrepreneurial tradition, an immense workforce, and a supportive legal infrastructure for entrepreneurs and investors to thrive. All those reasons make Kenya a fantastic stop for investors.

Where Should I Invest My Money to Get Good Returns in Kenya?

Consider these local sectors if you are looking for the best way to invest money in Kenya:

• Agriculture – especially horticulture, poultry farming, fisheries, agro-processing, livestock rearing, and leather
• Manufacturing – especially paper, metal, textile, apparel, electrical, plastic, and mineral manufacturing
• Energy
• Construction
• Forestry
• Banking and Finance
• Information and technology
• Education

What Are the Best Investment Opportunities in Kenya?

Discussed are 20 investment opportunities in Kenya:

How to Invest 1,000 In Kenya (Best Investment Opportunities)

Some of the best ways to invest Ksh 1000 or less in Kenya include the following:

1. Money Market Funds

Money market funds are unit trusts that pool money from members and use it to invest in low-risk, high-yielding securities like corporate bonds, treasury bills, call deposits, fixed deposits, and commercial papers.

Some of the highest-yielding money market funds in Kenya include Etica, Enwealth, Cytonn, Madison, Jubilee, and Kuza money market funds. The last time I checked (19^th March 2024), the Etica Money Market Fund was the best-performing fund, with an effective annual yield rate of 17.81%.

So, clearly, money market funds are high-yielding. What’s more, they have a lower minimum investment. Most require you to invest Ksh 1,000 or less and an equal top-up.

2. REITs (Best Real Estate Investment Opportunities in Kenya)

Frankly, it calls for a considerable outlay to own a property, making real estate investments expensive. However, did you know you don’t have to physically own a property to become a real estate investor? That’s possible with REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts).

REITs allow you to invest in a company that buys and manages real estate properties like shopping complexes, apartments, office buildings, and healthcare facilities. You become a shareholder when you do, entitling you to regular income.

A REIT like the Fahari REIT only requires a minimum of Ksh 700, and you can buy as many stakes as you want. Another consideration is VUKA REIT by Acorn Group.   

3. Forex Trading

Forex trading, otherwise known as currency trading, is buying and selling currencies at a profit. You don’t need to invest much in forex trading, as you can start with as little as Ksh 500.

The secret, however, is to find a CMA-regulated broker, such as FxPro, FxPesa, FxTM, Exness, Scope Markets, or HF Markets, with whom you can invest.

4. Equity Funds

An equity fund is a private investment mutual fund that acquires business ownership through public-traded common stocks. These investment funds are generally affordable and have an attractive yield rate.

The Cytonn Equity Fund, for example, requires a minimum investment of Ksh 1,000 and an equal top-up. When creating this review, its annual return rate was 14.1%, which is pretty impressive. 

5. Balanced Funds

Balanced funds are mutual funds with a bond, stock, or money market investment component. Like most mutual funds, they have an attractive yield rate and a lower investment limit.

The Cytonn Balanced Fund, for example, has a minimum investment requirement of Ksh 1,000 and an equal top-up. As of the time of writing this review, its annual yield rate was 13.1%.

6. YouTube Channel

YouTube is a fantastic investment platform for those seeking to put their money into an online business rather than a physical one. It doesn’t cost much as you only need a decent camera (which your smartphone can work on), good internet, and probably video editing software.

So, a Ksh 1k budget will work. Overall, you can create educational, entertaining, and informative video content. Once you contract 1000 subscribers and 4K watch hours, you can join the YouTube Partnership Program to earn decent monthly earnings.

How Can I Invest 10k in Kenya? (Best Investment Opportunities)

You can invest Ksh 10,000 in Kenya through any of these ideas:

7. Blogging

A blog is another way to invest in an online business. A blog can be about any niche, and examples include health, sports, housing, photography, celebrity news, parenting, politics, gaming, nutrition, to name a few.

You can make money on your blog by displaying ads and sponsored content, recommending affiliate products, or selling merchandise or digital products.

8. Safaricom Shares

Safaricom is undeniably the leading telecommunication company in Kenya, so their shares are worth considering. The minimum number of shares to buy is 500, and with a share averaging Ksh 20, a 10K budget is a good starting point.

You need a Central Depository and Settlement Account (CDSC) to buy Safaricom shares on the NSE (Nairobi Stock Exchange) platform.

9. High-Yield Savings Account

While regular savings accounts pay an interest of 4-7%, high-yield savings accounts pay 10-13%, twice as much. So, if you are looking for a savings account that can quickly grow your savings, it must be high-yielding. Worthy considerations are KCB Bank and Citibank.

10. Certificate of Deposits (CDs)

Certificates of Deposits are fixed-term investments with fixed interest rates. Thus, they are predictable, which means you know how much you’ll make upon the maturity of the CD’s ladder.

Overall, you can inquire about CDs from credit unions and local banks, and they usually yield about 6.5 – 10% upon maturity

Where Can I Invest 100k in Kenya? (Best Investment Opportunities)

Some of the best investment opportunities in Kenya for a 100K budget include:

11. Dividend-Paying SACCOs

Most SACCOs are doing well in Kenya, averaging 15-21% dividend on share capital. Such SACCOs include Nyati Sacco, Magadi Sacco, Mombasa Port Sacco, Yetu Sacco, Bandari Sacco, and Unison Sacco.

Interestingly, you don’t need to invest much in these SACCOs as you can do it with a minimum share capital of Ksh 10,000 – Ksh 40,000.

12. Agribusiness

Agriculture remains the country’s backbone, offering 75% of its population a livelihood. Overall, there are numerous opportunities to do agriculture for business, including poultry farming, animal feed production, greenhouse gardening, fish farming, livestock rearing, and avocado farming, to name a few.

With 100K, you have the proper budget to venture into agribusiness, make a livelihood, and contribute immensely to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

13. Cryptocurrency Trading

In cryptocurrency or ‘crypto’ trading, you buy and sell digital coins. It’s more like forex trading, only that you deal with digital currencies like Bitcoin instead of standard currencies. You can also stake up the digital coins to earn rewards, and some platforms to exchange them are Binance, Bitcoin, and BYBIT.

14. Copy Trading

Sometimes, you don’t have to do all the work to build a successful investment. All it takes is to find someone good at their job, pay them a small fee, and copy their investment idea. That’s what copy trading is all about, and it’s becoming popular in Kenya.

You can join the copy trading bandwagon on CopyFx and Exness to kick-start your investment journey.

15. Government Securities

How about you invest in the government? Treasury bonds and treasury bills allow you to lend to the government for its development projects. However, you earn a return on your investment over time.

On the one hand, treasury bonds allow you to invest at least Ksh 50K in securities with a maturity profile of 1-30 years and earn interest every six months until maturity. On the other hand, treasury bills allow you to invest at least Ksh 100,000 in securities with a maturity profile of 3-12 months by paying less the face value and earning the full face value upon maturity.

16. Index Funds

Index funds are exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that follow specific rules to track specific underlying instruments. These funds usually have high returns and are usually best for beginners. The best options include Nasdaq-100 and S&P Index Funds.

How to Invest 500,000 In Kenya (Best Investment Opportunities)

Consider these investment opportunities if you have a 500K budget:

17. Airbnb Arbitrage

The Airbnb space-sharing economy has been booming for a long time now. But honestly, it benefits people with rental units more. That, however, doesn’t mean you can’t dig into the Airbnb basket just because you don’t have a property of your own.

There’s a new idea in town known as Airbnb arbitrage, which involves sub-leasing properties for the long term, furnishing them to the guests’ liking, and then renting them out short-termly to guests on the Airbnb platform.

With a budget of Ksh 500,000, you can start Airbnb arbitrage and grow your business over time.

18. Retirement Fund

It’s no longer about saving for retirement but about investing in your retirement. If that’s one of your plans, which should be, how about you open an individual pension plan and start contributing today?

A retirement savings plan like the Britam Individual Pension Plan allows you to invest a minimum of Ksh 500 every month, and you can cash out after ten years of saving. Even better, your savings earn an interest of up to 5% annually.

Other pension plans are by Jubilee, ICEA Lion, Liberty, APA, and many other insurance companies in Kenya.

19. Precious Metals

Precious metals, specifically gold and silver, are a worthy investment if you hedge against inflation. They hold their value much longer and have an impressive return rate.

For example, gold’s value has increased by at least 15% since the start of the year, while silver’s value has risen by at least 10%. Investors interested in gold investments consider options like gold bars, jewelry, coins, and financial instruments (gold stocks).

20. Own Company

All successful big companies you see today started as an idea by one person. So, how about you start building your company today? With a 500k budget, you can register the business and set the groundwork. Over time, your business will grow and attract other investors.

Best Investment Opportunities for Low Income Earners in Kenya

Here’s how to invest in Kenya with little money:

• Invest in money market funds (from Ksh 100)
• Try forex trading (from Ksh 500)
• Buy government ‘M-Akiba’ bonds (from Ksh 3,000)
• Buy REITs (from Ksh 700)
• Start a YouTube channel (Just a video camera and internet)
• Start a blog (from Ksh 5,000)
• Invest in agribusiness (from Ksh 10,000)
• Stocks trading (from Ksh 10,000)

Investment Opportunities for Youth in Kenya

As a youth investor, you can leverage different investment opportunities in the country, which include money market funds, stock trading, REITs, government bonds (especially M-Akiba bonds), blogging, and YouTube. You can also try forex trading, an individual retirement plan, high-yield savings accounts, or Airbnb arbitrage.

Online Investment Opportunities in Kenya

Numerous investment opportunities exist online that you can leverage to create a livelihood. The best options include the following:

• YouTube channel
• Niche-website or blog
• Money market funds
• Stock-trading on NSE
• Forex trading
• Government securities (T-bonds and T-bills)
• REITs
• Index funds

Concluding Thoughts on the Best Investment Opportunities in Kenya:

Kenya is undeniably wealthy in investment opportunities for all –the young or the adult population. All it takes is to identify yourself with an investment idea you can passionately pursue and put your effort and money into it. And with the 20 options shared above, you won’t lack something to inspire you.

Visit our online shop for more ideas about investments and better financial management. You need that to become a successful investor in the country!