Guides · Updated 20 October 2026
How to start a WiFi hotspot business in Kenya: equipment, costs and pricing
Selling WiFi is one of the cheapest internet businesses to start. Estates, hostels, markets, matatu stages and shopping centres all have people who need data and would rather pay a few shillings for an hour than buy a bundle.
1. Pick the spot
Look for places where the same people come back every day: student hostels, apartment blocks, market stalls, salons and barber shops, bus stages. Repeat customers buy daily and weekly packages, which is where steady income comes from.
2. Get an internet line
A business fibre line is the safest choice because home plans often forbid reselling. In areas without fibre, 4G, 5G or Starlink work too. Start with a line you can upgrade as customers grow.
3. Get the equipment
- A MikroTik router to run the hotspot and payments. A hAP lite is enough for a small spot.
- Access points to spread the signal, in access-point mode.
- Outdoor cable, a PoE switch and a small UPS so power cuts do not drop everyone.
4. Set prices that sell
Most hotspots sell a few short packages and one or two longer ones, for example an hour, a day and a week. Price the hour so it is an easy impulse buy, and make the week clearly better value than seven days. Watch which packages sell in your first two weeks and adjust.
5. Take payment automatically
Customers should be able to pay by M-Pesa and get online without calling you. A billing system puts a payment page in front of the WiFi, sends the M-Pesa prompt, and switches the customer on when they pay. Printed vouchers cover customers who pay cash.
Monthly running costs
- Internet line: depends on speed and provider.
- Electricity for the router and access points.
- Billing system: VunaFlow is KSh 500 per router per month, with 0% of your sales.
Our cost page at vunaflow.co.ke/cost shows typical equipment and running costs for one, three and ten routers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a WiFi hotspot in Kenya?
The main costs are the router, access points, cabling and the first month of internet. Our cost page lists current prices for small, medium and larger setups.
Is it legal to resell internet in Kenya?
Reselling internet commercially needs the right licence from the Communications Authority of Kenya, and many home internet plans forbid reselling. Check both before you start.
Try VunaFlow free. Connect your router, set your packages and take your first payment today.