Typical Kenyan street-cart margins
- Smokie: COGS KES 25-35, sells KES 60-100. ~60-70% gross margin per unit.
- Mahindi choma: COGS KES 5-15 (cob + charcoal), sells KES 30-100. ~75-90% gross margin.
- Boiled egg / smokie kachumbari: COGS KES 12-18, sells KES 35-60.
- Nyama choma per stick: COGS KES 80-120, sells KES 150-300.
What kills the business
Daily county license fees in Nairobi run KES 50-200. That's the silent margin-eater on a slow day. If you're selling fewer than the breakeven units shown by the calculator, you're better off skipping that day and saving the license cost.
Volume tricks
Cart vendors live on volume. The two highest-leverage moves: (1) prep ahead of the 5pm rush so you can serve in 30 seconds, not 3 minutes; (2) bundle (smokie + soda combo, mahindi + chai), increases average ticket size 30-40% with no extra effort.