Covid-19 effects have been felt everywhere and by every person something that has led to the loss of many livelihoods by many Kenyans as a result of job and salary cuts.
To note is the disrupted supply chain of goods due to measures that were put in place by the government to curb the spread of the disease.
These measures have seen markets lack various essential products due to lack of production by local manufacturers who, however, have started increasing manufacturing of the goods whose supply were greatly affected as they depend on international trade.
Some of these vital products include personal protective equipment (PPEs), face masks and sanitisers which are still in high demand and which the country usually imports but are now produced locally.
This move which is the potential Kenya and Africa has, presents various opportunities that many supply businesses can develop.
One such business is wholesale buying and supplying of face masks to shop and individuals who sell them at markets, bus stages and busy pathways.
At the moment, according to the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and Enterprise Development, as of 29th June 2020, there are about 113 registered companies that are involved in the manufacturing of different face masks in the country.
This has resulted in the availability of a wide range of masks at competitive prices. However, one of the most common brands is a 3ply disposable face mask that goes at as low as Sh220 per box of 50 pieces by most online shops.
If sourced directly from manufacturers by bulk buyers, the box can cost much less.
Going with Sh220 a box, you can buy about 20 such boxes at Sh4,400 and sell at Sh250 a box getting Sh30 per box translating to Sh600 profit a day just for a start. With time as the business picks and as you acquire loyal customers, you can trade in other brands like KN95 masks, premium branded masks for kids and adults.
This is much more than a casual labourer at industrial areas or construction sites who, in the majority, earn between Sh300-500 a day.
Some Kenyans have also found business opportunities in homemade sanitisers which are then hawked at events, in matatus and other crowded places like markets.
Currently, these products are still central in the fight against Covid-19 disease as they are used when people cannot hand wash hence making it a moving commodity.
Glycerol is the main raw product used in making these types of sanitisers. A 100-ml bottle of homemade sanitiser go for 50 shillings and one can make as many as they can provide the raw material is available and then the products are supplied to hotels, matatus, churches and shops.
Alternatively, one can source the products from the many companies in the country that are now making them and supply them to the same places.
These are some of the businesses that one can never go wrong by investing in as they deal in products of the moment.
