If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me,
“Jerry, what business can I start with $10,000 that gives me quick returns in 30 days?”
…I’d be richer than the business they’re trying to start.
My inbox is a hospital of dreams in ICU, full of messages like:
- “I have $5k, what business gives quick cash?”
- “Can I raise 50 broilers and become a millionaire in 6 weeks?”
- “My cousin is bringing clothes from Tanzania, should I also go into that?”
- “Jerry, do you know that business where you plant potatoes in sacks? I heard it’s fire.”
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s sit down and talk like grown-ups.
The African dream right now is not to build a lasting business — it’s to “hit a lick.”
We want results now now, not in 10 years.
We want to invest like it’s betting — “small stake, big win.”
But guess what?
- Real wealth is not instant coffee.
- Real business is not ZESA prepaid.
- Real profit takes time, patience, and energy — not just screenshots and hype.
Let’s talk about the famous broiler hustle.
Someone wakes up one morning and says, “I’m tired of poverty!”
Next thing — they buy 50 chicks, build a tiny fowl run with half a roof, and post on WhatsApp:
“Taking orders. Organic chickens coming soon. Support Black business.”
Six weeks later:
- 3 chickens have died mysteriously.
- 10 are too small.
- The market is flooded.
- No one wants to pay $8 for your “organic” chicken.
- The only customer is your aunt who said “ndichakupa mari next week.”
Welcome to reality.
You’re not in business. You’re doing poultry charity.
The Runners, Potatoes & Zvihuta Olympics
Then there’s the clothing runners.
Every week someone’s crossing the Limpopo with hopes of bringing back “hot stock.”
Only to find the market is saturated, customs didn’t smile on them, and half the jeans are the wrong size.
Or the potatoes in sacks saga — the famous “my friend made $1000 in two days” trap.
Until you buy your own sacks, the market crashes, and your tubers start rotting like your hopes.
Let’s not forget zvihuta (quail birds).
Do you remember that wave?
People were whispering, “This is it. These birds are the future.”
Now, those same cages are being used to dry socks.
What About Businesses That Take Time?
Can we be honest?
Can we, just for a moment, think about the Gumtree model?
Imagine starting a business that won’t give you money for 10 years — like planting gum trees.
Would you do it?
Would you be like Strive Masiyiwa, who started Econet without a licence, got rejected again and again, went to court, suffered, and waited years before he made a single dollar?
Can you stomach that kind of patience?
Or are you just looking for a business that behaves like instant noodles — 3 minutes and done?
Real Business Requires Maturity
Real wealth is not built on trending ideas.
It’s built on discipline, systems, resilience, and a long-term view.
Yes, there are some businesses that bring quick cash — but most of those are unsustainable, stressful, and can’t grow past a point.
You’ll hustle hard, break your back, and still end up broke.
What you need is something that grows with you. A business that rewards your vision, not just your urgency.
So, What Should You Do?
- Stop asking for shortcuts.
Entrepreneurship is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a build-slow-get-rich-smart journey. - Pick a business that matches your strength.
If you love farming, go in — but with a real plan. Not with 50 chicks and vibes. - Study before you start.
Just because your neighbor made money doesn’t mean you will. Maybe they know something you don’t. Or maybe they’re lying. - Delay gratification.
If you plant mangoes today, you won’t eat them tomorrow. But in 3 years, you’ll be feeding a village. - Build a brand, not just a hustle.
Something that people can trust. Something that grows.
Don’t Be a One-Season Entrepreneur
Africa doesn’t need more side hustles.
Africa needs real businesses.
Businesses that last. Businesses that employ others. Businesses that can survive a storm.
Stop looking for quick money. Start building generational wealth.
And next time you get excited about potatoes in sacks or zvihuta, ask yourself:
“Is this a business… or just a temporary romantic fling?”
If it’s the latter, swipe left.
