The unemployment menace.

At 40%, unemployment is the biggest nightmare to Kenyans youths today. It has left many devastated and hardly making full use of their education. In every problem however, there lies an opportunity and the same applies to our unemployment case. It is nothing but a heavenly opportunity.

Globally, everything is going digital. What a good time to be alive! With the will and zeal, every youth has a chance to tap into the numerous opportunities in the digital space.

“Kenya has a huge untapped potential for e-commerce’ as safaricom CFO, Sateesh Kamath notes before the mega launch of “masoko” Safaricoms new e-commerce platform, slated for launch come 16^th November. Online jobs and online entrepreneurship is no rocket science but, available statistics in Kenya today indicate that the rate of preference among the youths to engage in online occupations is disappointingly low. It is a shame that the internet provides the easiest route to employment yet the majority continue to ignore it. It is a mystery among researchers as to why the uptake of the available online opportunity is not alluring to Kenyan youths as it should be. Why?

Challenges to Online entrepreneurship in Kenya

1. TRUST! According to Jumia Kenya Managing Director, Sam Chappatte, despite the high internet penetration rate, majority of Kenyans have trust issues when it comes to shopping online. They find it very hard to bring themselves to the new culture.

2. General ignorance. It is funny enough that job seekers who should take time and understand what the internet has to offer often assume it. Many are very reluctant to sit down, listen, read, observe, or understand how the internet operates. Very few would provide a workable business proposal for 50k or even 100k yet this is as much what other youths across the world are investing in worthwhile online ventures.

3. Poor quality products. There is still a very big misconception among upcoming Kenyan traders that online is somewhere to sell the ‘thin air’ and poor quality stuff in order to maximize on the benefits. After all, you are dealing with a stranger. Very far from the truth. A good number of clients narrating their first online experience share a not so good to remember experience from what they received and exactly what they expected.

4. Tech Phobia. A common myth is that, for one to invest in an online venture, he or she must be tech savvy. A very big misconception. Apart from basic computer skills, 80% of all online businesses need no extra knowledge to get started and even in most cases just a smartphone is enough.

5. Delivery logistics. Our slow and near non-effective postal system is not even an option when it comes to products delivery to customers. Delivery of low cost products especially across different towns has proved to be a headache. Sometimes the costs surpass the profits expected from the sale.

6. Payment logistics. Although mobile money especially Mpesa comes in handy for making online payments more authentic with the likes of LIPA Na MPesa there is still a big space for other modes of payment like debit and credit cards to catch up as noted by Moses Kemibaro of Dotsavvy.

7. This year alone, Kenyans have fallen prey to online scams like D9, Public Likes, Simple Homes just to mention a few of the notorious entities that have run away with Kenyans billions. This usually happens to first timers who were looking forward to join online money making ventures and when things go south they develop cold feet to any online related business.

Are the above challenges unique in Kenya only? NO. Are they solvable? YES.

Some of the challenges highlighted have been experienced even in the developed world and only commitment to find long solutions have seen them through. Jack Ma in his recent visit to Kenya narrated of facing the same challenges while starting up Alibaba. At least for us we have tested, proven and replicable business models to borrow from.

Any entity engaging in any business committed to solving the above highlighted problems awaits a very bright future.

In 52 weeks savings challenge, a vibrant Kenyan Facebook group where members show real hunger for business ideas, regular debates relating to online jobs and businesses are always floated. Following on the comments closely, you realize that whereas many may be struggling due to lack of capital, an equally good number are struggling for lack of ideas. It is quite evident that many are still opting for traditional method of doing business clueless that the internet provides a bigger and better chance for their business with minimal capital input.

Employment through digital ventures with minimal or no capital.

1. First, it is crucial to note that, over 60,000 Kenyans work online and have made the country popular to global employers. On a closer evaluation however, their unmatched skills in web content creation (article writing), web design, e-commerce support, VA’s (virtual assistants), and affiliate marketing is hardly tapped to kick-start the sleeping digital giant locally. There are still thousands of opportunities for many others to be absorbed in these jobs and it is worth to anyone out there willing to join. It would be a completely different story if the existing online workers invested in online businesses locally. Kenya would go fully digital in less than 5years. They already have the technical knowhow and would sail easily to success.

2. Creation, production, promoting and selling of digital content. What exactly is that? Every day we visit Google to ask our unlimited questions, a times while searching for local information on google or even on you tube sometimes we do not get the desired results. This is the missing content that a million of our youths should be creating and promoting. The internet is always hungry for someone who can pull the much needed attention. Hit that blog, make those you tube videos and start worthwhile debates on social media. It pays.

3. The top 5 seller products in major e-commerce sites as well as on social media are cheap stuffs like clothing’s, kitchen wares, and cheap electronic gadgets. This is a good pointer that starting an online business requires minimal capital and only the right strategies to execute. In our case 50-100K is adequate to start a viable income generating business.

4. Any business stands to benefit from an online presence. During his visit Jack Ma insisted that in 10yrs to come 90% of business transactions will be online. So who will do it and who will benefit handling the transition?

5. Drop shipping and affiliate marketing business models that are gaining global popularity each passing day. Jumia has such a program but the day a thousand other local companies will embrace it employment crisis in Kenya will be long forgotten.

6. Up to this far reading this article, I know a good number are lost. Reason? It sounds like rocket science! As Kenyans we that quick cash making venture. Not online! You have to seat and learn. This bring me to the last point that training and mentoring on online ventures should be one of the hottest selling service in Kenya today. There are millions to be taught and guided into online ventures.

Digital Disruption: Ride Along or Be Swept Away

According to Bitange Ndemo, former PS, Ministry of Information and Communication, online innovations provides the best channel for mass entrepreneurship to our youths today. In one of his many tech savvy articles, Ndemo quips and I quote, “digital disruption is here to stay and those who resist will be swept away”

The Author, Sam Mugweru is an enthusiastic freelance writer enjoying his 9^th year working online. Today he is a top rated freelancer in one of the biggest global platform freelancer.com.