We can all agree that chapati is widely eaten in Uganda. From a fresh graduate working in a shopping mall in Bugembe, Jinja, who relies on chapati as his only affordable meal of the day, to a public servant driving from Kingdom Kampala to his home, making a stopover at Wandegeya to buy some chapati for himself, Ugandans love chapati.
Not forgetting the Muzungus who fly in Uganda with a to-do list that includes eating a Nyanya mbisi Ugandan Rolex (Chapati & Egg Roll, not that thing served at restaurant hotels in Kololo). Chapatis are everywhere in Uganda, from Old Taxi Park in Kampala’s CBD to the farthest trading centre in Moroto district.
This is why our site, Nymy Net, took the task of writing a thorough account of this profitable venture, detailing how to start a chapati business in Uganda with UGX 500,000.
What You Need to Start a Chapati Business In Uganda
Table & Display Box
You’ll need a wooden table for kneading dough and placing the wooden display box with a clear glass. Approaching carpenters at their workshops will give you a financial advantage. A wooden table will cost around UGX 100,000 to UGX 120,000, and the chapati display box will range from UGX 50,000 to UGX 60,000, depending on your region and bargaining skills.
The same carpenter can make a kneading stick for around UGX 10,000. However, “buying an already-made kneading stick at a lower price from the market is a better option,” says Derrick, a chapati vendor in Kireka, Uganda.
Cookware
What’s a chapati business without a cooking stove, Sigiri? An affordable stove made from strong metal will cost between UGX 50,000 and UGX 65,000, plus an additional UGX 20,000 for a customised height stand with legs welded from strong metallic bars. At the Sigiri shop, ask for a good frying pan, which typically costs UGX 35,000 to UGX 40,000.
Buying a used but sturdy Sigiri is a better option, as in-business Chapati vendors claim it’s hard to find a strong frying pan on the market. Additional cookware for a chapati business in Uganda includes a strong spoon, a durable or custom-made-handle knife, and two NICE plastic cups, all costing around UGX 12,000.
Rent and a Stall
What’s your budget? Do you want to start a chapati business under the shade of an umbrella that costs UGX 50,000, or do you plan to build a semi-permanent stall?
A fair-sized chapati stall made with two iron sheets (scrap or used), 6–8 rustic poles for the frame, and crossbeams for adjoining the structure frame will suffice. Depending on your location and plans, such as an enclosed stall with a bench and a table for Kikomando customers (chapati and beans), you could cover the stall with papyrus mats, iron sheets, or wood slabs. Constructing the structure, including labour, is likely to cost UGX 180,000–250,000 or more, depending on your location.
Both options—an umbrella or a semi-permanent stall—will require you to rent space in a busy trading centre. A chapati business owner in Bulindo trading centre, Kira division, Wakiso, reports paying UGX 100,000 per month in rent and suggests that a spot near shops, even with stiff competition, yields better returns.
Water and Electricity
Starting a chapati business in Uganda can be profitable if your chapatis are ready by 6:30 AM, implying you begin preparations by 5:40 AM. This timing attracts early customers, students, workers, and overnight Boda Boda riders. The peak hours for chapati sales are 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Patience is required during the slower hours, especially in places where customers trickle in between midday and 4:00 PM.
A monthly bill of UGX 15,000 for both water and electricity (lighting the stall) from nearby sources is usually sufficient.
Consumables for a Chapati Business in Uganda
Consumables such as baking flour (Reliable brands, like Azam or Pembe), cooking oil (Fortune Butto is popular due to affordability), and charcoal are essential. Prices for a carton of baking flour and a 5-litre jerrycan of cooking oil vary, but Kikuubo in Kampala offers the best prices.
Chapati vendors from border towns like Malaba and Busia often source these supplies from Kenya at favourable prices. A half sack of charcoal costing UGX 35,000 can last a week under normal usage. Preferably, you could buy these consumables in small quantities, but have it that any miscalculation in usage or stock management can quickly eat into your profits.
Adding extras like a 1 kg saucepan of beans for Kikomando may increase your customer base, especially in high-traffic areas. However, the profit margin is minimal unless you’re moving high volumes of chapati.
A tray at UGX 10,000 to UGX 12,000, eggs also need to be factored in carefully, especially when balancing with cooking oil usage. This part of the business needs basic calculations and close tracking.
There you have it—a running chapati business in Uganda. And now, you must be asking…
Is a Chapati Business in Uganda Profitable
Yes, even in Kenya, where there are strict laws on street vending, the chapati business is profitable and brings in cash. Depending on the number of baking flour packets you’re kneading (number of chapatis made and sold), the chapati business can make you a profit ranging from UGX 25,000 to UGX 180,000 per day, depending on the location.
During the fact-checking in the field, one of the busiest chapati stalls we visited, a few blocks from Lwasa Boda Boda along Salaama–Munyonyo Road in Makindye Division, in a not-so-busy spot, had huge numbers of customers flocking to the stall, with four people on the stove, three kneading, plus one preparing eggs for Rolex, two packing customer orders, two collecting money, and one serving kikomando from two huge saucepans (probably 10 kg of beans each). Take? When starting a chapati business in Uganda, the location is k1ng.
Common Reasons Chapati Businesses in Uganda Fail
Alongside location challenges, entrusting your chapati business to the wrong person is one of the main reasons many chapati businesses in Uganda fail, despite their potential profitability.
The best of Luck starting a Chapati business in Uganda, …hygiene and sanitation… there’s a licensing and permitting part.
