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For a long time, Kenya has been the center of attraction for investors, especially foreigners, who invest their money in mega projects. The dynamics are, however, shifting as more Kenyans invest locally. Even more impressive, many are looking for online investment opportunities in Kenya, which will be our focus.
Some of Kenya’s best online investment opportunities include money market funds, REITs, dividend stocks, dividend-paying SACCOS, government securities, forex trading, YouTube, blogging, cryptocurrency trading, and high-yield savings accounts.
So, there are essentially ten investment ideas for those who prefer to invest online, and they are all exciting challenges. Overall, online investments come with several advantages, which I’ll discuss to help you understand why you have to leverage the power of the internet as an investor.
Here’s what we shall talk about:
- Reasons to take up an online investment in Kenya
- Best online investment opportunities in Kenya
- Best investment opportunities for low-income earners in Kenya
- How to invest Ksh 1,000 in Kenya
- Best online jobs in Kenya without investment
Let’s dive in!
In a rush? Below is an overview of the 10 Kenya investment opportunities:
Best Investment Opportunities in Kenya 2024 – Quick Guide
| – | Investment Opportunities | What to Do: |
| 1 | Money Market Funds | Invest in high-yielding money market funds |
| 2 | REITs | Buy REITs in Kenya |
| 3 | Dividend Stocks | Buy high-paying dividend stocks through the NSE |
| 4 | Dividend-Paying SACCOs | Join the best dividend-paying SACCOs |
| 5 | Government Securities | Invest in treasury bills and bonds via the DhowCSD |
| 6 | Forex Trading | Buy and sell foreign currencies for profit |
| 7 | YouTube | Start a content-driven YouTube channel |
| 8 | Blogging | Start a content-driven blog |
| 9 | Cryptocurrency Trading | Buy and sell cryptocurrencies |
| 10 | High-Yield Savings Account | Open a high-yield savings account |
| 11 | Airbnb Hosting | List your rental property on Airbnb for renting |
Reasons to Take Up an Online Investment in Kenya
You may want to invest online in Kenya for different reasons, and here are the top ones:
- Investment opportunities accessibility – Thanks to the internet, it’s now possible to access various investment opportunities ranging from stocks and company shares to real estate investments and unit trusts.
- Lower outlay – Most online investments don’t require a lot of capital or inventory. Some don’t require any inventory but will require you to pay some initial fee, which may not be much. There’s also little to zero staffing, making it easy for anyone to invest.
- Broader investment portfolio – With the internet, you can take up more than one investment, reducing the risks while improving the prospects of getting a good return on investment.
- Wider reach – If you decide to invest in an online business such as blogging or YouTube channel, you are likely to reach a wider audience due to the power of the internet.
- Infinite opportunities – There are no limits to how much you can make as an online investor. It generally depends on your investment and how things turn out for you in the long run.
- Passive income – Online investments that allow holding shares enable you to earn income as a passive participant. Such income is what we call passive income.
A Guide to The Best Online Investment Opportunities in Kenya
After learning about why you should consider taking up an online investment opportunity in Kenya, below are ten ideas to consider:
1. Money Market Funds
Money market funds are unit trusts that pool money from investors and invest it in low-risk, high-yield financial instruments such as treasury bills, treasury bonds, call deposits, fixed deposits, commercial papers, and bank deposits.
One advantage of money market funds in Kenya is that they are low-capital investments. For example, options like the Zimele, Etica, and Safaricom Mali money market funds only require a minimum investment of Ksh 100, which is quite affordable.
In terms of yield, money market funds have a better yield rate than traditional savings accounts. For example, options like Enwealth, Etica, Cytonn, Madison, and GenAfrica money market funds have averaged over 12% in the past two or so years, which is pretty good.
Other advantages of money market funds are that they are highly liquid (1-3-day withdrawal period) and encourage saving. Regarding saving, you can use money market funds as an emergency fund and save for school fees, mortgage or car deposits, and staff or family welfare.
2. Real Estate Investment Trusts
Real estate investment trusts, otherwise known as REITs, pool money from investors and use it to start and manage a real estate portfolio. As an investor, you earn dividend-based income from your investment.
One REIT investment opportunity is QWETU, a type of development REIT (D-REIT). You can invest in QWETU hostels and start earning dividends. Another example is the Fahari I-REIT, a kind of Income-REIT (I-REIT) that requires a minimum investment of Ksh 700.
Overall, REITs allow you to invest in the Kenya real estate sector without physically owning property or having to run the business’s day-to-day operations.
3. Dividend Stocks
Dividend stocks are publicly traded company shares or stocks that allow you to earn dividends or shared profits as an investor. These stocks are usually traded at the NSE. Their advantage is that they pay out dividends when the company makes a profit and allow you to make money when you sell off your shares.
If you are interested in investing in dividend stocks in Kenya, talk to an NSE-certified stock broker about it and open a Central Depository System (CDS) account to start buying and selling shares.
4. Dividend-Paying SACCOs
Many SACCOs are now online. They allow you to join them and start earning dividends from your investment. Some of the best dividend-paying SACCOs in Kenya to consider are Nyati Sacco, Tower Sacco, Mombasa Port Sacco, Magadi Sacco, and Yetu Sacco.
All these SACCOs averaged an interest on members’ deposits of at least 13% and dividends on share capital of at least 18% over the past year, which shows they have a good return.
You can join a Sacco in Kenya with an investment of Ksh 1,000 – Ksh 30,000.
5. Government Securities
You can also invest in government securities online, especially treasury bills and bonds. Treasury bills (T-Bills) are short-term securities (with a maturity profile of 3-12 months) that you buy at discounted prices and earn the face value upon maturity.
On the other hand, treasury bonds (T-Bonds) are medium and long-term securities (1-30 years) that pay interest every six months until maturity. You require a minimum investment of Ksh 50,000 for T-Bonds and Ksh 100,000 for T-Bills.
Generally, government securities have the safety advantage as you invest in the Kenyan government, and you can do it through the CBK DhowCSD portal.
6. Forex Trading
Forex trading offers a platform to buy and sell currencies at a profit and the flexibility of trading local and international currencies. With just Ksh 500, you can get into forex trading to start trading currencies and making money. It’s, however, essential to find a reliable CMA-approved forex broker to trade with, such as FxPesa, FxPro, CHF Markets, or Exness.
7. YouTube Business
YouTube may be a platform for entertainment and learning for most people. However, it’s also a business for content creators, and you don’t need a lot to get started. As long as you are creative, you only need a good camera to shoot the videos, and your smartphone can work.
Once your YouTube channel is up, you can earn revenues from the views, direct merchandise sales, and affiliate marketing. Overall, you’ll be making passive income.
8. Blogging Business
You can also run a blog as a business. Like YouTube, blogging allows you to share content with a wider global audience and earn passive income. You can also earn from merchandise sales and affiliate marketing. However, you can also leverage the power of paid ads and digital goods like e-books and online courses.
Overall, carefully consider your niche, pick high-ranking and low-competition keywords and key phrases for your blog, and master the art of SEO. That’s how to beat the existing competition and succeed as a blogger in Kenya.
9. Cryptocurrency Trading
Cryptocurrency trading is about buying and selling digital currencies or cryptocurrencies at a profit. One popular cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. It’s essential, however, to first learn about trading before putting your money into it to avoid any financial surprises and unexpected risks.
10. High-Yield Savings Accounts
You can also invest online by saving on a high-yield savings account. These savings accounts pay higher interest than traditional savings accounts, some as high as 10-13%, while conventional savings accounts average 4-9% per annum. Some banks with high-yield savings account plans include Citi Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).
Best Investment Opportunities for Low Income Earners in Kenya
Not all investments require a considerable outlay. Some aren’t capital-intensive. Here are some of the best investment opportunities for low-income earners:
- Blogging
- Real estate investment trusts
- Agribusiness –especially poultry and vegetable farming
- YouTube – where you create a YouTube channel and monetize it
- Stocks trading at the Nairobi Securities Exchange
- Money market funds
- Government bonds – especially M-Akiba, where the minimum investment is only Ksh 300
How to Invest 1,000 In Kenya
You can invest Ksh 1,000 in Kenya and get a good return on investment in several ways. Ksh 1,000 is enough to open a money market fund account and start topping up whenever you get additional funds.
You can also use Ksh 1,000 to buy REITs such as the Fahari investment REITs or get into forex trading. Other investment ideas for your Ksh 1,000 include starting a YouTube channel or a small agribusiness.
Best Online Jobs in Kenya Without Investment
Most online jobs in Kenya don’t require a financial investment. Perhaps the only notable investment is an internet-powered computer. Once you have your PC or laptop and the internet, you can do any of these jobs online:
- Freelance writing
- Online proofreading
- Online tutoring
- Paid research and surveys
- Data entry
- Dropshipping business
- Online course creation
- YouTube content creation
- Blogging
- Online transcription (you’ll need noise-cancellation headphones in addition to the computer)
Concluding Thoughts:
Shared above are the best online investment opportunities in Kenya. You can try investing in money market funds, real estate investment trust funds, dividend stocks or SACCOs, or the government’s T-Bills and T-Bonds. If none of those ideas suit you, consider currency trading, YouTubing, blogging, crypto trading, and a high-yield savings account.
