internet cafe business plan pdf south africa

• Business Plans
• Business Ideas
• Business News
• Business Tips
• Testimonials
• Terms And Conditions
• REFUND POLICY
• DELIVERY POLICY
• PRIVACY POLICY
• WHATSAPP SUBSCRIPTION

Select Page

Starting an Internet Cafe Business in South Africa – Business Plan (PDF, Word & Excel)

Posted by BizBolts | All Articles , Business Ideas , Business Plans

An internet café is a profitable business to start in South Africa. With the increasing number of internet users in the country, there is still a significant number of people with no internet access especially in rural areas -only 2% of rural homesteads have access to the internet. An internet café especially one that offers other services such as gaming, printing and utility payments is a lucrative business that can provide you with good profits. This article will outline how to start an internet café business in South Africa the internet cafe business plan – PDF, Word and Excel.

There are some essential things you need to consider before you venture into such a business venture. You have to decide on the size of your internet cafe; the location of your shop, the kinds of products and services you will sell, and your target market. These choices will be affected by the amount of capital you have, and the market you are targeting. You should carry out a feasibility study, market research and have a good internet café business plan before you venture into this type of business.

MARKET RESEARCH

Market research is a critical part of every business. The more you know about your market and its needs, the easier it will be for you to develop your business strategy and find the right customers. When conducting market research for an Internet cafe business, check out your competition: You need to know who else is in your market so that you can decide what makes your business different from theirs. Consider visiting your local internet cafes and seeing what their offerings are, as well as how they differ from yours. Find out whether or not they offer something that you don’t already have in place, and take note of their weaknesses. You must check out the size of your market in order to understand just how large your industry is before launching your internet cafe business. After conducting a market assessment, you will be in a much better position to segment your ideal market. You can segment your customers based on age, hobbies, and buying habits. This way, you can find out if your services are suitable for them.

INTERNET CAFE BUSINESS MODEL

An Internet café, also known as a “cybercafé,” provides the use of computers with high bandwidth Internet access for a set price. The use of these computers is generally charged by the minute or part of an hour. The internet cafe business model is a simple one that you can implement. You must have a physical location in order to run your internet café business. You will also need some equipment and software, as well as staff to run the business and serve customers. A typical day at an internet cafe involves opening up for business during the morning or afternoon hours, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but that will depend on your target market and location. You can hire staff to greet customers and take their orders for the duration of their online stay (usually 30 minutes). These staff members can also monitor the computer use of minors under 18 years old. Since internet services have become readily available in most parts of South Africa, you can supplement your services by offering gaming services, printing, and utility payments too. You can also offer coffee, tea, and some snacks to attract clients to your shop.

LOCATION & PREMISES

The location of your business is an important decision to make before you start an internet cafe. It’s important that you locate your internet cafe close to your target market. Consider the amount of road traffic, find an easily accessible location where people can stop and quickly get service. There are several possible locations, including shopping centres, malls and the city centres. The location you plan for your internet café has an effect on your marketing strategy. Opening an internet café close to places that typically have potential for traffic such as near schools could be ideal depending on your target market. It is also important to be strategic about your neighbouring businesses because you are more than likely to feed into each other instead of competing. Your internet cafe should be large enough to accomodate the number of computers you intend to have, and space for other services you intend to offer. Customers should be able to freely move within the internet cafe. Your internet cafe business plan should cater for the costs of purchasing or leasing the premises.

EQUIPMENT FOR INTERNET CAFE BUSINESS

You need various equipment for your internet cafe business. The equipment you need will depend on the size of your internet café and the kinds of products and services you will offer. The basic equipment required for an internet café are computers and Wi-Fi routers which provide high-speed internet connection. The other equipment will be determined by the extra products and services you will offer at your internet café. For example you may need printers, laminating machines, binding machines if you intend on offering those services. You will also need a refrigerator if you plan on selling refreshments. Your internet cafe business plan should cater for the costs of purchasing the relevant equipment.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

The products and services you will offer will depend on your target niche. Most internet café offer internet surfing, gaming, printing & related services, computer accessories, refreshments, and you can also purchase or pay your utility bills in other internet cafés. It is best to offer differentiated services to your customers in order to attract more customers and to increase cashflow. It may be a good idea to sell beverages and snacks to complement your internet products and services. Another essential factor in running an internet café is is selecting the right Internet service provider (ISP). Your internet service provider should offer you reliable and high speed connection that will allow you to offer quality internet services that way you can attract and retain customers. The are many internet service providers you can use for an internet cafe like Vodacom Business Internet,  Telkom Business Internet and many other fibre companies. Your internet cafe business plan should clearly outline the different products and services you will offer.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

It is critical to compare your internet cafe business to other similar businesses when setting one up and running one. In this way, you can determine what the strengths and weaknesses of your competition are and how they compare to yours. As part of this process, you should consider the following questions. What makes your internet cafe better? Why would people come to your shop instead of going somewhere else? How does your internet cafe differ from the other competitors’ offerings? Look out for any opportunities for you to improve upon the services you offer your customers? With a competitive analysis, you can discover where your internet cafe business can do well, where you need to improve, and which trends you need to get ahead of. You should conduct a competitive analysis on a regular basis, not just when you first open your internet cafe business. Your competitive analysis should include your competitors’ features, market share, pricing, marketing, differentiators, strengths, weaknesses, geography, culture, and customer reviews. Your cybercafé chases similar  customers as its competitors. Since you offer comparable products or services to each other, you need to understand why you win some clients but lose others, and a competitive analysis helps you do that.

STAFF & MANAGEMENT

As a customer-centric business, its important that you hire employees that are friendly and efficient. Your employees should be passionate about serving and assisting clients. If you want to hit the ground running it is better to hire a team of people who have experience in running an internet café. Your staff members should be computer literate and able to teach and assist your customers. Inexperienced staff members need to get extensive training before they can be given intricate tasks. There are risks associated with running an internet café. It is important that your staff are always on the lookout for scammers and cybercriminals who prey on unsuspecting customers and your business. Thus, the issue of security cannot be underestimated when it comes to running an internet café.  Some of the required staff for an internet café include, the café assistant, security and administration to name a few.  Your internet cafe business plan should cater for the salaries of your staff.

Some of the day-to-day operation of this business involves:

• Help customers with the use of computers and applications.
• Respond to customers who encounter error messages from accessing sites, emailing, or downloading content.
• Monitor use of computers to ensure compliance with café policies and applicable laws and regulations.
• Time customers of the number of minutes or hours they will use the computer, internet and playing online games.
• Serving refreshments

MARKETING AND SALES PLAN

A marketing and sales plan is a document that contains all the information you will need to set up and run your internet cafe business. Your plan should contain research on how well your target market will respond to your internet cafe products and services, plus it should outline the steps you must take in order to reach your customers. Your marketing plan will also include a detailed sales strategy that describes how you will make money from the sale of your cybercafé services. You should clearly outline how you will set up your internet café and the kind of complimentary services you will offer. Some of the strategies you can include in your sales and marketing plan include, offering discounts for selling more login tickets and buzz marketing, where you can focus on creating excitement among consumers about a particular game or service at your cafe. Consider event marketing, which can be both online and offline, in order to promote your internet cafe. This can be a gaming night where regulars and new clients can be invited to play games for a price. That can be a great way to promote your business. You must not neglect word-of-mouth marketing when creating your sales and marketing strategy. Word of mouth marketing is still a great way to raise awareness about your internet business.

Although there is a huge gap between internet access in urban and rural areas, South Africa has one of the fastest growing internet penetration in Africa. The demand for internet services has been growing at a fast rate, with a lot of business being conducted online. Even though some people in urban areas have access to internet connection at home, they still make use of internet café for other services such as printing and laminating. Even in the urban areas a lot of people access internet from internet cafes as not everyone has internet at home. Business peoples, students, freelancers are big users of internet in internet cafes. Another market that has been growing all over the world including in South Africa is online gaming.  However, not everyone in urban areas has the proper equipment for gaming. In rural areas few people have access to the internet so there is a ready market for the traditional services of browsing and emailing. Thus, each market, has unique needs that can be met by an internet café. Ensure that you conduct a feasibility study for your business before you set it up in your chosen location. A proper marketing strategy should be included in your internet cafe business plan.

KEYS TO PROFITABILITY

To start a successful internet business, consider opening one in a neighborhood with a middle- to low-income population. Opening up an internet café in a high-income neighborhood is not ideal. A lot of people from high-income neighborhoods already have WI-FI and computers, and the majority of them also have multipurpose printers and gaming devices. The only time you’ll get business is when the ink on their printers runs out. Many new entrepreneurs appear to make this error. Also, leasing a space in a high-income neighborhood can be very costly. Your business will run at a loss and ultimately fail. Consider locating your cafe in townships or middle- to low-income neighborhoods to ensure a steady flow of customers. You should take your internet café to people who actually need it. The city center of any town is not a bad place to have your shop, especially in small towns that are surrounded by rural areas where you will likely get a lot of clients, especially if you don’t have a lot of competition.

Whether you are a young entrepreneur, a professional seeking to start your own business or someone who needs a retirement plan, investing in an internet café is something worth considering. One thing that can set you apart before investing in any venture is developing a business plan. A well thought out internet cafe business plan will help you in both the short term and long term for your investment. There are various risks associated with running an internet café, like any other venture, your internet business plan should clearly outline these risks involved and ways to minimise them.

PRE-WRITTEN INTERNET CAFE BUSINESS PLAN (PDF, WORD AND EXCEL): COMPREHENSIVE VERSION, SHORT FUNDING/BANK LOAN VERSION AND AUTOMATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For an in-depth analysis of the internet cafe business in South Africa, purchase our internet cafe business plan. We decided to introduce the business plans after noting that many South Africans were venturing into the internet cafe business without a full understanding of the industry, market, how to run the business, the risks involved, profitability of the business and the costs involved, leading to a high failure rate of their businesses.

Our business plan will make it easier for you to launch and run an internet cafe business successfully, fully knowing what you are going into, and what’s needed to succeed in the business. It will be easier to plan and budget as the internet cafe business plan will lay out all the costs involved in setting up and running the business. The business plan is designed specifically for the South African market.

USES OF THE INTERNET CAFE BUSINESS PLAN (PDF, WORD AND EXCEL)

The internet cafe business plan can be used for many purposes including:

• Raising capital from investors/friends/relatives
• Applying for a bank loan
• Start-up guide to launch your internet cafe business
• As an internet cafe project proposal
• Assessing profitability of the internet cafe business
• Finding a business partner
• Assessing the initial start-up costs so that you know how much to save
• Manual for current business owners to help in business and strategy formulation

CONTENTS OF THE INTERNET CAFE BUSINESS PLAN (PDF, WORD AND EXCEL)

The business plan includes, but not limited to:

• Market Analysis
• Industry Analysis
• 5 Year Automated Financial Statements [ Income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, monthly cash flow projections (3 years monthly cash flow projections, the remaining two years annually),break even analysis, payback period analysis, start-up costs, financial graphs, revenue and expenses, Bank Loan Amortisation]
• Marketing Strategy
• Risk Analysis
• SWOT & PEST Analysis
• Operational Requirements
• Operational Strategy
• Why some South Africans in the internet cafe business fail, so that you can avoid their mistakes
• Ways to raise capital to start your internet cafe business in South Africa

The Internet Cafe Business Plan package consist of 4 files

• Internet Cafe Business Plan – PDF file (Comprehensive – 82 pages)
• Internet Cafe Business Plan – Editable Word File (Comprehensive – 82 pages)
• Internet Cafe Business Plan Funding Version – Editable Word File (Short version for applying for a loan – 43 pages)
• Internet Cafe Business Plan Automated Financial Statements – (Editable Excel file)

Testimonial 4

The business plan was very helpful, you did a great job of taking ideas and putting them into words as well as pointing out other aspects of the business plan I wouldn’t have thought of. I got funding using your business plan and it’s now 4 months since I started my poultry business, and everything is going well.

Testimonial 1

Many thanks to the BizBolts team for putting together a fantastic business plan, I could not have done this business plan on my own. I managed to get funding from investors to start my butchery business using your business plan.

Testimonial 2

I am extremely pleased with the business plan and financial statements. The business plan is very detailed & it meets my requirements. I feel better equipped with tools that can help me secure funding.  I would have no hesitation of recommending your business plans to other people.

Testimonial 5

The BizBolts poultry business plan led us down the path from start to finish. Contact details of suppliers of key requirements were included in the business plan. It helped us crystallize our strategy, and the business plan was well received by the bank.

Testimonial 6

It is with excitement and pleasure to inform you that I have been successful in securing a loan from my bank. This would not have been possible if not for the BizBolts Business Plan. Thank you for your help, my dreams are now coming true.

Testimonial 3

The business plan has a highly professional look and feel. The research really helps me look deep into the market that I am targeting, it’s well suited for the South African market. The business plan clearly outlined everything I need to start the business and the costs. It’s now easier to budget and plan. Thank you very much.

Testimonial 7

Thank you BizBolts for the business plan. I received the business plan immediately after payment, it was money well spent ! I was able to easily edit the business plan. After using the BizBolts business plan, I can wholeheartedly recommend their products and skills.

GET THE INTERNET CAFE BUSINESS PLAN (PDF, WORD AND EXCEL) - R500 Only.

We decided to make the business plan affordable to anyone who would want to start the business, and the price for the pre-written business plan is only 500 Rand.

We have several payment methods which you can use.

Payment Method 1 (Visa card, Mastercard, Credit card, Debit Card)

Click  Buy Now  below to purchase. After you have purchased, you will instantly see the download link for the business plan package on the screen. We will also email you the download link. Get instant access to the business plan now!

If you want to purchase multiple business plans at once using Visa Card/MasterCard then  click here: Business Plans Store

The business plan package is a zipped compressed file containing the PDF, Word and Excel documents. To open the package after downloading it, just right click, and select Extract All. If you have any problems in downloading and opening the files, email us on [email protected] and we will assist you.

Payment Method 2 (Instant EFT - FNB, Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank, CapitecBank, Investec, TymeBank and African Bank. )

If you want to purchase multiple business plans at once using Instant EFT then  click here: Business Plans Store

Other Payment Methods

• Cash deposit into our FNB Company Bank Account
• EFT Transfer to our FNB Company Bank Account

Call/Whatsapp us on +27606334830 for the other payment methods. (Whatsapp us by clicking the link https://wa.me/27606334830 ). Email: [email protected] .

About The Author

BizBolts (Pty) Ltd is a business research company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. We sell prewritten business plans for various industries including livestock production, crop farming and retail businesses. BizBolts also publishes articles on business ideas, business news, business tips, personal finance, and entrepreneur profiles.

Related Posts

How To Register A Small Business In South Africa

February 7, 2021

Starting A Dairy Farming Business in South Africa – Business Plan (PDF, Word & Excel)

January 13, 2024

Starting Free Range Chicken Farming Business in South Africa – Business Plan (PDF, Word & Excel)

December 21, 2022

Starting Minibus Taxi Business In South Africa – Business Plan (PDF, Word & Excel)

November 10, 2023

Follow Us On Facebook

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Starting an Internet Cafe Business Plan (PDF)

We are living in a digital age where access to the internet and social media are no longer a luxury. That is why the internet café business is a lucrative business to start today. An internet café is a shop designed to primarily provide fast, reliable, and safe internet access to customers and other related services like printing. Internet cafes can also be called cyber cafes. The importance of internet cafes is apparent. There are many people who do not have what it takes to set up internet connectivity at their homes. Such people get to participate in the digital economy via the use of internet café services.

Operating an internet cafe business is a lucrative and profitable venture. The internet cafe has become the go-to place for people who wish to do their surfing and administrative work without having to go home. For some corporate types, it is a lunchtime pastime where they can surf without facing the scrutiny of their employers. The internet cafe offers a very good gateway for people with limited capital and an ambition to do business in technology. All the positive things about an internet cafe business do not diminish its demands and specifications. You have to be on point in terms of your customer care. Good understanding of the business is a must, otherwise you will be swallowed up by the competition. This article will outline how to start the internet cafe business, and the internet cafe business plan – PDF, Word & Excel.

Market Research

Conducting a market research for your internet café business is imperative. You will get to study your intended target market to see if there is need for an internet café. You will have to check to see if there are any already existing internet cafes. If there are, these will be invaluable case studies from which to draw essential insights. Taking time to visit them and use their services will give you a feel of the market. Your market research can also involve looking through current statistics and trends regarding internet access. You have to take this market research seriously because if you do not, you might regret later.

Location And Premises

You should select locations that are well within the vicinity of your potential clients. For example, you may locate your internet cafe business in shopping centers & malls,  near offices, schools, universities and airports. This is where the clientele is likely to come from so you are in the best position to gain access to them. Test the internet quality because nobody is going to pay for anything less than full-time high speed services. Good internet is both fast and reliable. It is never a good idea to congregate with other internet cafes. That essentially means that you are inviting competitors to take away your potential customers. You need a good power source and a backup generator. In the age of green technology, try to make use of energy savings when operating your internet cafe business. For example, the use of solar power in hot climates is ideal.

The internet cafe space can be leased or bought. The advantage of leasing is that you are not saddled with a mortgage. If you want to move your internet cafe business for any reason, it is merely a case of giving notice at the end of the month. Moreover, not having a mortgage reduces your initial capital requirements. The money that would have been spent on purchasing an office space could be distributed between leasing and other essential business expenses. Meanwhile the companies that let out office space tend to provide a number of important peripheral services. These include a post office box, administrative support, toilets and a cafeteria. That means that you can give your customers a very rich experience and convenience without spending too much money on it. The costs of purchasing or leasing the premises should be included in the internet cafe business plan.

Permits/Licenses, Insurance & Business Bank Account

Company registration and relevant licenses.

To be a recognized internet café business you must register it first. This refers to your basic business or company registration. Then you are usually obligated to get an operating license for your internet café shop. Maybe you could be renting it, buying it, or building it; an operating license will be needed. Depending on the nature of your internet café services, there might software licenses you must get. It is common practice for people to use bootlegged software. However, it would be wise to use only properly licensed software in your internet café.

Insurance & Business Bank Account

The internet café business is usually characterized by costly infrastructure, furniture, and gadgets. The value of these items necessitates the importance of getting insurance cover. There are many possible incidents that can occur so getting insured is prudent. Your internet café operations must have their own business bank account. This makes financial management easier. Plus you protect yourself from being personally liable if things go south. That separation protects your personal finances and assets.

Equipment, Products & Services

You need computers and internet routers for your internet cafe business. An internet cafe can have anywhere between two and an large number of computers. The number of computers to buy depend on the size of the premises, your budget, and your target market. You might consider including some peripheral items such as a scanner, printer, photocopier, binder and facsimile. These are services that might be of benefit to the people that come to your internet cafe. In effect you are enriching their experiences at your establishment without requiring them to travel somewhere else. The primary service for an internet cafe is internet surfing & browsing. The other services that you can offer in your internet cafe include printing, photocopying, binding, typing, lamination, selling computer accessories, snacks and beverages. If you are selling drinks & refreshments that means you will require a refrigerator. It’s also wise to offer gaming in your internet cafe as that attracts a lot of young customers. Your internet should be fast and reliable – so take your time when selecting an internet service provider. This is key to the success of an internet cafe business.  The cyber cafe business plan should include the costs of purchasing the equipment that you require.

Depending on the level of activity, you may want to have an electronic ticketing and point of sale system. This ensures that there are no long queues for service with people complaining that they have been overlooked. Some cyber cafes even use a bar-code scanner. This way, they can audit every single product that is sold. The normal unit of measurement for internet services is the amount of time that the user spends. You can use other methods such as a token system. Do not forget to install some air-conditioning. The equipment is bound to heat up considerably in such a confined space, with such heavy-duty usage. Inevitably you may have to hire a technician to configure and maintain the different computers. It is likely that there will be issues from time to time which require professional attention.

Business Model

Charging customers for internet access.

The internet café business model is simple straightforward. Customers come to pay to access the internet. This is often based on charges per 30 minutes or an hour. There can be discounted rates when someone pays for a substantial number of hours. There is also an approach where a client opens up an account which they can load up with credit. That way they can come in several times to access the internet. Once the credit is used up they can load more and so forth. Another different approach is that a client pays for data instead of a time slot. This means they get to purchase a certain amount of data e.g. 15 gigabytes. The data can have an expiration time or date or it can be carried over to the next time they log in. This shows you that there are many ways to use in revenue generation pertaining to internet access.

Adding On Monetizable Related Products Or Services

When running an internet café you can also make lots more money from other products or services. For instance, you can include computer repairs and sale of parts or accessories. You can also venture into mobile device and accessory sales and repairs. You can include a gaming arcade for all sorts of games. You can include vending machines or general sales of refreshments. You could provide on-demand services such as typing, printing, and photocopying, amongst others. Another revenue generator can be providing a co-working space. Depending on the size of your location you can rent work space, work desks, or rooms. These are just some of the many ways to make money running an internet café. It is unwise to solely just focus on providing internet access services.

Rules and Regulations For Internet Cafe Business

You will need to set out the terms of service which are publicly available. For example, some internet cafes do not allow the consumption of food and drinks. Others place restrictions on the content that can be searched, processed and downloaded. The state will also take an interest in internet activity and you may therefore be asked to maintain records. These rules may temporarily inconvenience some of your customers. However, they are essential in order to ensure that the entire process runs smoothly and that you do not get into trouble with the regulators.

Some cyber cafe business owners take preventative measures by warning their prospective clients about the rules. They also install a monitoring system that will tell them when things are going wrong. Beware that there are some clients that will want to take advantage of a weak system. For example, they may do all their office downloads in the cafe whilst restricting the payments that they make. This means that your bandwidth is facing pressure and yet you are not getting paid for it.

Staff and Management

The number of employees required depends on the size of your internet cafe. This is not a labour intensive business. At the minimum you need  internet cafe assistants. Their job include:

• Welcoming customers, serving them and collecting payments
• Help customers with the use of computer software or any challenges they might face
• Maintaining cleanliness in the internet cafe
• Provide services such as printing, photocopying, scanning etc.
• Monitor use of computers to ensure compliance with internet café policies and applicable laws and regulation

Other staff positions include manager, IT Technician, finance & accounting staff, sales & marketing staff, though most of those can be done by one person for a small internet cafe business. The cyber cafe business plan should cater for the salaries of all your employees.

Marketing Plan

An internet café business has two broad set of potential customers. There are people who are unfamiliar with using the internet. Then there are people who are substantially familiar with the internet. Your marketing efforts seek to lure both sets of prospects. Breaking it down further you will be targeting students, business people, entrepreneurs, and random people. Create and spread out your digital footprint by putting up a website and social media accounts. Propagate promotional material in print and other electronic media. Good examples of these are radio, television, podcasts, skits, and newspapers. You can also participate in or contribute to strategic events where your target pools will be there. Put up posters and banners inside and outside the internet café.

The market for internet services is huge world-wide. More and more people are using the internet daily. Potential customers for an internet cafe include students, gamers, job seekers, business people, freelancers and professionals from various fields. It’s essential that you offer fast internet so as to attract more customers. Your employees should be knowledgeable and friendly. A proper marketing strategy should be included in your internet cafe business plan. This is one of the least capital intensive businesses. The internet cafe business is a huge income earner for individual entrepreneurs. It also employs countless numbers of people in the developing world. The internet cafe business is particularly lucrative in the developing world. This is because many people have some knowledge of the internet but are not rich enough to purchase their own personal computer for home use.

Keys To Profitability

Offer discounts for heavy internet users. Provide an account-based internet access for repeat customers. These two elements put together build customer loyalty. This is the kind of loyalty that promotes word of mouth and results in referrals. Ensure your computers or gadgets in general, are up to standard all the time. Ensuring the internet speed is fast and reliable is pertinent. Couple that with fast processing and reliable gadgets as well. That will keep customers coming back to your internet café. Diversify your revenue by offering as many services as you can. This is the most important key in increasing your profits. You internet café must go beyond by offering additional products and services. That is how you get to start a profitable internet café business. It is worth reiterating that market research must be thorough here. This also implies that your choice of location will be paramount. The internet café business can be quite lucrative. You just have to ensure you have a sustainable market for it.

Pre-Written Internet Cafe Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel): Comprehensive Version, Short Funding/Bank Loan Version and Automated Financial Statements

For an in-depth analysis of the internet cafe business, we encourage you to purchase our well-researched and comprehensive internet cafe business plan. We introduced the business plans after discovering that many were venturing into the internet cafe business without enough knowledge and understanding of how to run the business, lack of understanding of the financial side of the business, lack of understanding of : the industry, the risks involved , costs and profitability of the business; which often leads to disastrous losses.

The StartupBiz Global internet cafe business plan will make it easier for you to launch and run your internet cafe business successfully, fully knowing what you are going into, and what’s needed to succeed in the business. This is a complete business plan for an internet cafe business. It will be easier to plan and budget as you will be aware of all the costs involved in setting up and running the internet cafe business.

Uses of the Internet Cafe Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

The cyber cafe business plan can be used for many purposes including:

• Raising capital from investors/friends/relatives
• Applying for a bank loan
• Start-up guide to launch your internet cafe business
• As an internet cafe business proposal
• Assessing profitability of the internet cafe business
• Finding a business partner
• Assessing the initial start-up costs so that you know how much to save
• Manual for current business owners to help in business and strategy formulation

Contents of the Internet Cafe Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

The business plan for an internet cafe includes, but not limited to:

• Marketing Strategy
• Financial Statements (monthly cash flow projections, income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, break even analysis, payback period analysis, start-up costs, financial graphs, revenue and expenses, Bank Loan Amortization)
• Industry Analysis
• Market Analysis
• Risk Analysis
• SWOT & PEST Analysis
• Operational Requirements
• Operational Strategy
• Why some people in the internet cafe business fail, so that you can avoid their mistakes
• Ways to raise capital to start your internet cafe business

The internet cafe business plan package consists of 4 files

• Internet Cafe Business Plan – PDF file (Comprehensive Version – 74 Pages)
• Internet Cafe Business Plan – Editable Word File (Comprehensive Version – 74 Pages)
• Internet Cafe Business Plan Funding/Bank Loan Version- Editable Word File (Short version for applying for a loan/funding – 41 pages)
• Internet Cafe Business Plan Automated Financial Statements – (Editable Excel File)

The business plan can be used in any country and can be easily edited. The financial statements are automated. This implies that you can change eg the costs, salaries etc, and all the other financial statements will automatically adjust to reflect the change. 

Click below to download the Contents Page of the Internet Cafe Business Plan (PDF)

Testimonial 6

I purchased a business plan from you, and I’m glad to inform you that I was able to get my loan, and I’m starting my poultry farming business on the 1 st of July. This was made possible because of your business plan. Thank you very much, you made my dream come true.

Testimonial 4

The business plan which I purchased from your website saved me TIME and MONEY! The layout of the business plan was excellent. The financial statements were detailed and easy for me to edit. I will come back to purchase another business plan soon.

Testimonial 1

StartupBiz Global provided a very professional and comprehensive business plan which I used for my business. The business plan was easy to edit, and I was able to get the funding which I wanted. I highly recommend their business plans.

Testimonial 8

Just wanted to say I am very happy with the business plan and I will gladly recommend your products, thank you very much and have a great day.

Testimonial 5

I was able to understand the business side of farming because of your business plan. You did extensive research; the business plan was well prepared and fully detailed.  It made everything clear, and I have somewhere to start now. I am confident that I am going to succeed in my business because of the guidance from your business plan.

Testimonial 3

I was extremely lucky to come across StartupBiz Global. Their business plan exceeded my expectations, and most importantly I was able to secure a loan from my bank. Thank you guys, now my dreams are coming true!

Testimonial 7

I found Startupbiz Global online when I was in desperate need of a business plan. I was overwhelmed by the quality of the business plan, it’s comprehensive and well researched! I did not have to wait to get the business plan, I got it instantly after payment. I highly recommend Startupbiz Global, and would happily use them again in the future.

Testimonial 2

Many thanks for your incredibly efficient service and thorough business plan. I am very impressed with the business plan. Before I bought the business plan, I tried to do my own business plan – it was such a nightmare and it turned out badly, also not to mention the stress it caused me. I wish I knew about your website earlier!

Get the Internet Cafe Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

Click Buy Now  below to purchase using Paypal, Credit Card, or Debit Card. After you have purchased, you will immediately see the download link for the business plan package on the screen. You will also immediately get an email with the business plan download link. The Pre-written business plan package (PDF, Word, and Excel) costs $30 only!

If you want to purchase multiple business plans at once then click here: Business Plans Store.

The business plan package is a zipped compressed file containing the PDF, Word and Excel documents. To open the package after downloading it, just right click, and select Extract All. If you have any problems in downloading and opening the files, email us on [email protected] and we will assist you.

We wish you the best in your internet cafe business! Check out our collection of business plans  , and more business ideas .

Related Posts

Starting Hardware Store Business Plan (PDF)

Starting Taxi Business Plan (PDF)

Starting Auto Spare Parts Store Business Plan (PDF)

How To Start A Tobacco Farming Business

Join our mailing list to receive the latest posts and updates from our website.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

• Entrepreneur
• Entertainment
• International

• Sponsorship
• Submit an Article
• Pricing Plans

Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.

To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.

• 15 Steps How to Start an Internet Café Business in South Africa

Every business starts with research and strategy. The primary objective for developing a business plan is to become aware of subjects you may not have previously acknowledged or explored.

Table of Contents

You may wish to develop a gaming lounge business plan or an eCommerce arena business plan, depending on your scenario. Because they are quite similar to the concept of an Internet café, we advise adopting this as a template and expanding it as needed. Furthermore, this page has a plethora of useful information to assist you along the way.

Starting an internet café business can be a difficult endeavor, especially if you have no prior entrepreneurial expertise. Creating a company strategy, on the other hand, will considerably assist you along the path.

To begin with, it will assist you in gathering a range of crucial information and statistics, coming up with a variety of internet cafe business ideas, deciding on the structure, considering the advantages and drawbacks of this business, and even considering its future development.

When you first start working, you may wonder if it is a viable company, how much it costs to operate an Internet cafe, or what equipment is required to start an Internet cafe. This article is unlikely to provide you with a complete solution; rather, it will provide you with a general summary of the Internet café business while posing additional questions for you to ponder.

Almost everyone nowadays needs computer access, yet not everyone can afford a personal computer. Phones are great for texting and browsing, but what about when you need to submit a CV to apply for a job, print important papers to be signed, or do long research?

To meet these demands, internet cafés have cropped up all throughout South Africa since the advent of broadband. Many of these are fax-call-copy shops, which are as widespread on African city streets as hair salons and fast-food stands.

In addition to providing a valuable service to ordinary South Africans, internet cafés provide chances for aspiring company entrepreneurs. The story of Sbusiso Zuma, who founded the Clermont Cyber Café in Clermont with his brother in 2007, is only one example of a successful start-up in this field. The award-winning company now has multiple outlets in KwaZulu-Natal and wants to expand even further.

Starting an internet café is not as difficult as it may appear. The key things you’ll need are a location, computers, and internet access. Here are some more things to think about.

• Internet cafe setup requirements

Step-by-step plan or proprietary system. List a complex of providers, suppliers, processes, tools, or systems that you own, granting your internet cafe a benefit or competitive advantage. As a basic think of the following:

• Location (rent or buy or build)
• Design and renovation of the premises
• Supply of furniture (tables, chairs, sofas, bean bag chairs) and equipment (coffee machine, vending machines, etc.)
• Provider of the Internet
• Supplier of computers, and other devices
• Software Licenses
• Supply of additional services (drinks, catering)
• Team – number of employees, their roles, responsibilities, shifts
• Internet cafe management software

• Some crucial first steps
• First, investigate the potential of your business idea and create a business plan. Several local organizations can assist you with this. Try SEDA or DTI , or obtain the free Business Plan .
• Determine how you will position yourself in the market by researching what a typical internet café offers. Will you try something different to distinguish yourself from the competition?
• Hone your business acumen. Do you understand accounting, budgeting, and financial planning well enough to run a business? Finding a mentor may be beneficial. The National Youth Development Agency operates a volunteer mentorship program for young entrepreneurs, but there are numerous more options if you are no longer considered a youth.
• Determine if you will operate as a sole proprietorship, corporation, or partnership. Then, register your company to ensure that you meet all legal criteria and stay on good terms with the IRS. You will immediately be registered with SARS if you register as a corporation with the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPC). If you choose the sole proprietorship or partnership approach, you must register with SARS directly.
• Consider where you will locate your internet café. Do you want to help a certain community? Will you require any storage space? Are you able to purchase space, or will you have to rent? If so, can you include the rental cost in your overhead? Don’t forget to examine the municipal by-laws in the area where you wish to open your café to ensure that you follow local restrictions.
• Consider alternatives to fixed “brick and mortar” if buying or creating trading space is likely to be out of your price range. Converted cargo containers, for example, are becoming increasingly popular as office and retail spaces.
• Each container can be fully modified to meet your requirements, such as with appropriate work tables, connecting points, lighting, and security features.
• Shipping containers have the added benefit of being totally movable, as well as weather and intruder resistant. If your internet café business grows and you need to scale up to meet demand, you can simply “add on” another container to extend your operations.
• Make critical selections regarding your gear, software, internet service provider (ISP), and network alternatives. Computer equipment can be leased, so you don’t have to commit a huge chunk of money upfront. Ideally, you want an ISP that is dependable and provides hosting as well as technical assistance.
• If you lack all of the necessary technical knowledge, consult with IT professionals. Those in the know will also be able to advise you on selecting the best ISP. There are other organizations that teach aspiring internet café operators the ins and outs of the business.
• Determine your price points. Investigate the rates charged by competing for internet cafés, keep your business plan and bottom line in mind, and think about what clients in your area might be ready to pay. You want to break even as soon as possible, but you also want to keep people coming in.
• You are now ready to market your company to your target demographic. Create a website (or blog-as-website ) and a Facebook page, and think about placing an ad in the local newspaper. Hopefully, you’ve chosen a location with adequate foot traffic to view your signage and encourage walk-ins. Encourage customers to subscribe to your website so that you may send them newsletters about upcoming campaigns or promotions.
• Also, strive to give something unique. Adding gaming to your service is something that every wise internet café owner should think about. Online gaming is a developing industry, and gamers are known to play for extended periods of time. Good news for your company!

• Internet cafe marketing plan and strategy

Every marketing action – be it a message, flyer , social post , or event – is aimed at people. Thus, when devising an internet cafe marketing plan it is crucial to gather as much information about your audience as possible.

Psychographics and demographics. Define your target audience’s demographics, such as age, gender, income, and location. Then, record their psychographic features, such as interests, desires, fears, and so on. You may discover that there are various groups/clusters of your TA when gathering these data.

To differentiate them, use the Personas technique. This will assist you in meeting the objectives of your marketing efforts, improving your lead generation and conversion strategy, and providing more appropriate products/services to your clientele.

Remember that even the smallest detail can make a big difference. What if a major portion of your clients are vegans, environmental activists, or people who live a sustainable lifestyle? How can you make their visit to your café more comfortable – vegan snacks, sustainable energy sources, eco-friendly furniture, etc? The possibilities are unlimited here. Your objective is to determine the characteristics that will indicate consumer interest and loyalty to your Internet cafe.

Where can you discover your customers? Where can you locate them – online or in person? Consider the online services and social media platforms they utilize. Do they actively participate in social media groups, read specialist journals, or attend festivals? The clearer your picture is at this level, the easier it will be for you.

• When drawing a marketing strategy (visibility, lead generation, and conversion).

Strategy for visibility (awareness). How will consumers find out about your Internet cafe – through Google or social media ads, paid commercials on TV or YouTube , influencers, leaflets, or word-of-mouth? There are several options and combinations available. Budget and efficacy are the most important considerations here. You can spend thousands of dollars and receive no results, or you can spend almost nothing and achieve your goal.

Examine the previous step’s responses first, then determine the channels through which you can reach your audience and compare their rates. Then develop your approach. Remember that one of the advantages (benefits) of digital marketing is that you can try several techniques with a minimal budget, discover what works best, and then increase the costs. Consider hiring a digital marketing agency if that fits your needs.

Table of contents

Strategic location selection for business triumph: beating the competition, chicken licken fly-thru: a lucrative franchise opportunity, why immigrants run spaza shops, 9 keys considerations before purchasing your ideal bar, the ultimate guide to virtual event planning and hosting, from fabric to fortune: start a sewing business success in south africa, how was teeglory discovered (biography, music), building a profitable online grocery delivery service in south africa, get your brand noticed with new advertising opportunities in space.

Mzansi Magazine is your premier online source for the latest news, features, and insights from South Africa. With a commitment to showcasing our nation's vibrant culture, diverse communities, and dynamic landscapes, we strive to provide engaging content that resonates with our readers.

10 Steps: How To Start a Security Business in South Africa

The benefits of investing in professional online marketing and branding services, how to start a footwear business in south africa.

• Business 61
• Lifestyle 32
• Entrepreneur 22
• Entertainment 13
• International 9
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy

© Mzansi Magazine ❤ Proudly South African

Internet Cafe Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Internet Cafe Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their internet cafe companies.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating an internet cafe business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write an internet cafe business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is an Internet Cafe Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your internet cafe business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for an Internet Cafe

If you’re looking to start an internet cafe business or grow your existing internet cafe company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your internet cafe business to improve your chances of success. Your internet cafe business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Internet Cafe Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for an internet cafe business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for internet cafe companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for an internet cafe business.

If you want to start an internet cafe business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your internet cafe business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of internet cafe business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have an internet cafe business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of internet cafe businesses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the internet cafe industry.
• Discuss the type of internet cafe business you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of internet cafe business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of internet cafe businesses:

• Internet kiosks : In this type of internet cafe business, small kiosks are built and positioned to be temporary internet cafes, as customers who visit the kiosks search the internet for directions, locations and other information.
• Cyber cafe: A cyber cafe is similar to an internet cafe, although the usage of the internet may be mixed with gaming and internet searches.
• Gaming cafe: Popular with teens, a gaming cafe offers computers and gaming accessories connected to very high bandwidth, which allows for specialized gaming.
• Commercial cafe: These internet cafes exist to serve commercial establishments with a need for high bandwidth and dedicated spaces.

In addition to explaining the type of internet cafe business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of customers served, the number of commercial contracts on file, or reaching X number of return gamers served, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the internet cafe industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the internet cafe industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your internet cafe business plan:

• How big is the internet cafe industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your internet cafe business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your internet cafe business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, gamer groups, and corporations.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of internet cafe business you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

Finish Your Internet Cafe Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other internet cafe businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes private homes with high bandwidth internet services, video game lounges, and gaming casinos. You need to mention direct competition, as well.

For each direct competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What type of internet cafe business are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide options for multiple rounds of gaming play?
• Will you offer internet services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide snacks and other amenities?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a internet cafe business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of internet cafe company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide an internet cafe that serves light snacks and meals, along with a gaming lounge area?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your internet cafe company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your internet cafe business located in a busy retail district, a neighborhood strip mall, or a standalone building near a college? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your internet cafe marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise on radio stations and/or gaming magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers to card collector and game stores
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your internet cafe business, including setting up game play for groups, planning and providing internet sessions, billing customers, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to book your Xth gaming session, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your internet cafe business to a new city.

Management Team

To demonstrate your internet cafe business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing internet cafe businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing an internet cafe business or successfully running a card and game store.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you see 30 internet customers per day, and/or offer group gaming sessions? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your internet cafe business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a internet cafe business:

• Cost of equipment and accessories
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, internet bandwidth, office supplies

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your multi-year contract for internet services or your location lease.

Writing a business plan for your internet cafe business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the internet cafe industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful internet cafe business.

Internet Cafe Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my internet cafe business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your internet cafe business plan.

How Do You Start an Internet Cafe Business?

Starting an Internet Cafe business is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your Internet Cafe Business
• Create Your Internet Cafe Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Internet Cafe Business
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Internet Cafe Business (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Internet Cafe Business with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Internet Cafe Business
• Buy or Lease the Right Internet Cafe Business Equipment
• Develop Your Internet Cafe Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Internet Cafe Business
• Open for Business

Where Can I Download a Free Business Plan Template PDF?

Click here to download the pdf version of our basic business plan template.

Our free business plan template pdf allows you to see the key sections to complete in your plan and the key questions that each must answer. The business plan pdf will definitely get you started in the right direction.

We do offer a premium version of our business plan template. Click here to learn more about it. The premium version includes numerous features allowing you to quickly and easily create a professional business plan. Its most touted feature is its financial projections template which allows you to simply enter your estimated sales and growth rates, and it automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Here’s the link to our Ultimate Business Plan Template.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Internet Cafe business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how Growthink’s business plan services can give you a winning business plan.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

How To Start An Internet Cafe Business In South Africa

How To Start An Internet Cafe Business In South Africa 

Almost everyone needs access to computers these days, but not everyone has the means to buy one at home. What happens when you need to send a CV to apply for a job, print out crucial documents to be signed, or conduct extensive research? Phones are great for texting and surfing, but what about when you need to send a CV to apply for a job?

To fill these needs, internet cafés have sprung up all over South Africa since broadband became accessible there. Numerous these are extensions of the fax-call-copy shops that are as common on African city streets as hair salons and fast-food stands.

Internet cafés provide opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs in addition to providing a valuable service to South Africans in general. One successful startup in this sector is just one example:is the tale of Luvuyo Rani, who with his brother opened the Silulo Ulutho Internet Café in Khayelitsha in 2004. The honor-winning company currently has a number of branches in the Western and Eastern Cape, and it has aspirations to go even further.

It’s not as difficult as it may seem to open an internet café. The primary requirements are a location, computers, and internet access. Here are some other things to think about:

A few crucial starting points for a internet cafe

• 1Create a business plan and then research the viability of your business idea. Several local organizations can assist you in doing this. Try the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), or download the free Business Plan Book.via way of smetoolkit.org.
•  Find out what services an average internet café offers and choose how you will compete. Will you take a novel approach to differentiate yourself from rivals?
• Refresh your business acumen. Do you have the accounting, budgeting, and financial planning skills necessary to manage a business? Finding a mentor could be helpful. If you are no longer considered to be a young person, there are many other options you can explore. The National Youth Development Agency runs a volunteer mentorship program for young entrepreneurs. begin here.
•  Choose your business structure: sole proprietorship, corporation, or partnership. Then register your company to comply with legal requirements and maintain good relations with the tax office. If you register
• You will immediately be registered with SARS if you register a company with the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPC). You must register with SARS directly if you choose to operate as a sole proprietor or partnership.
•  Take into account the location of your internet café. Do you wish to assist a certain neighborhood? Will you require a storefront? Do you have the funds to purchase property, or will you have to rent? If so, are you able to include the rental in your budget for overhead? To ensure you adhere to local legislation, don’t forget to verify the municipality by-laws in the region where you wish to open your café. Decide on your price ranges. Keep your business plan and bottom line in mind while you research the charges rival Internet cafés charge.
• Keeping this in mind, think about the potential spending power of your local market. It’s true that you want to reach break-even point as quickly as possible, but you also want to keep customers coming through the door.
•  At this point, you’re prepared to market to your target market. Make a website (or blog that functions as a website), a Facebook page, and think about running an advertisement in your neighborhood paper. Your signage should be visible and draw walk-ins if you’ve selected a location with a sufficient amount of foot traffic. Attempt to encourage visitors to sign up for your website so you can send them emails about promotions or discounts.

• Which Isp Is Best in South Africa
• Milpark Business School Student Portal : www.milpark.ac.za
• Regenesys Business School Student Portal : www.regenesys.net
• King Sabata Dalindyebo TVET College Student Portal
• Vaal University of Technology VUT Student Portal : ienablerprod.vut.ac.za
• Sekhukhune TVET College Student Portal : http://www.sekhukhunetvet.edu.za/
• CTI Education Group Student Portal : www.cti.ac.za
• University of South Africa UNISA MyUNISA Login Portal : www.unisa.ac.za
• Nelson Mandela University NMU Student Portal : https://students.mandela.ac.za
• St Augustine College of South Africa Student Portal : www.staugustine.ac.za

Free Download

Internet Cafe Business Plan Template

Download this free internet cafe business plan template, with pre-filled examples, to create your own plan..

Or plan with professional support in LivePlan. Save 50% today

Available formats:

What you get with this template

A complete business plan.

Text and financials are already filled out and ready for you to update.

• SBA-lender approved format

Your plan is formatted the way lenders and investors expect.

Edit to your needs

Download as a Word document and edit your business plan right away.

• Detailed instructions

Features clear and simple instructions from expert business plan writers.

All 100% free. We're here to help you succeed in business, no strings attached.

Get the most out of your business plan example

Follow these tips to quickly develop a working business plan from this sample.

1. Don't worry about finding an exact match

We have over 550 sample business plan templates . So, make sure the plan is a close match, but don't get hung up on the details.

Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

2. Remember it's just an example

Our sample business plans are examples of what one business owner did. That doesn't make them perfect or require you to cram your business idea to fit the plan structure.

Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

3. Know why you're writing a business plan

To create a plan that fits your needs , you need to know what you intend to do with it.

Are you planning to use your plan to apply for a loan or pitch to investors? Then it's worth following the format from your chosen sample plan to ensure you cover all necessary information.

But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

More business planning resources

How to Write a Business Plan for Investors

Business Plan Template

10 Qualities of a Good Business Plan

How to Start a Business With No Money

How to Write a Business Plan

Simple Business Plan Outline

How to Create a Business Plan Presentation

Industry Business Planning Guides

Download your template now

Need to validate your idea, secure funding, or grow your business this template is for you..

• Fill-in-the-blank simplicity
• Expert tips & tricks

We care about your privacy. See our privacy policy .

Not ready to download right now? We'll email you the link so you can download it whenever you're ready.

Download as Docx

Download as PDF

Finish your business plan with confidence

Step-by-step guidance and world-class support from the #1 business planning software

From template to plan in 30 minutes

• Step-by-step guidance
• Crystal clear financials
• Expert advice at your fingertips
• Funding & lender ready formats
• PLUS all the tools to manage & grow

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

How to start an Internet café in South Africa

The proliferation of technology and the internet has made connectivity a necessity in today’s fast-paced world. South Africa, with its growing population and increasing internet penetration, presents a promising market for internet café businesses. Whether you aim to provide a space for students, remote workers, or the general public, starting an internet café can be a rewarding venture. This article will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to start an internet café in South Africa.

• Market Research: Conduct thorough market research to understand the demand and potential profitability of an internet café in your desired location. Consider factors such as population density, target audience, competitors, and local regulations. Identify the specific needs and preferences of your target customers to tailor your services accordingly.
• Business Plan: Create a detailed business plan outlining your vision, target market, pricing strategy, operational costs, marketing strategy, and financial projections. This plan will serve as a roadmap for your business and a crucial document when seeking funding from investors or financial institutions.
• Legal Requirements: Familiarize yourself with the legal requirements for establishing an internet café in South Africa. Register your business with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and obtain all necessary licenses and permits. Consult with local authorities to ensure compliance with zoning regulations, health and safety standards, and data protection laws.
• Location and Infrastructure: Choose a strategic location with high foot traffic, preferably in close proximity to educational institutions, business districts, or residential areas. Ensure the availability of reliable and high-speed internet connectivity to provide an optimal browsing experience for your customers. Invest in quality computers, peripherals, comfortable seating, and a welcoming ambiance to create a pleasant environment for your patrons.
• Services and Amenities: Apart from internet access, consider offering additional services to attract a wider customer base. This may include printing, scanning, photocopying, faxing, and document binding facilities. Provide a range of software applications, such as office productivity suites, graphic design tools, and gaming software, catering to the diverse needs of your customers.
• Pricing Strategy: Develop a competitive pricing strategy that reflects the local market conditions. Consider offering various pricing options, such as hourly rates, day passes, or monthly subscriptions, to accommodate different customer preferences. Additionally, consider loyalty programs or discounts for frequent customers to encourage repeat business.
• Marketing and Promotion: Implement a comprehensive marketing plan to create awareness and attract customers to your internet café. Utilize both online and offline channels, including social media, local advertising, partnerships with nearby businesses, and community engagement. Offer introductory promotions or special discounts to entice new customers and encourage word-of-mouth referrals.
• Customer Service and Support: Train your staff to deliver exceptional customer service and technical support. Ensure that they are knowledgeable about the services and equipment provided, capable of resolving common technical issues, and approachable to address any customer concerns. Create a welcoming and friendly atmosphere that encourages customers to return and recommend your café to others.
• Security and Privacy: Implement robust security measures to protect your customers’ personal information and ensure a safe browsing experience. Install reliable antivirus software, firewalls, and content filtering systems to prevent cyber threats. Educate your customers about safe internet practices and establish clear guidelines regarding acceptable usage of your facilities.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess customer feedback, track business performance, and adapt your services to evolving market trends and customer preferences. Stay updated with the latest technological advancements to remain competitive in the industry. Maintain a proactive approach to constantly enhance your offerings and exceed customer expectations.

Starting an internet café in South Africa can be a lucrative business venture, given the increasing demand for internet access and related services. By conducting thorough market research, complying with legal requirements, providing excellent customer service, and staying adaptable to changing trends, you can establish a successful and profitable internet café. Remember, creating a welcoming environment and delivering a reliable and secure browsing experience will be key to attracting and retaining a loyal customer base.

Startup Mag

Related articles.

E Squared Investments Supports Setana Capital’s Mission To Transform The Township Economy

Benefits Of Having A Mentor As An Entrepreneur

Sappi Signs Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement With Enpower Trading

The Essentials of Customer Service for South African Startups

Every business starts with research and planning. The main purpose for writing a business plan is to get aware of those things that you might not have known or thought of yet. Depending on your case, you might be interested in devising a gaming lounge business plan or an esports arena business plan. As these are very close to the concept of Internet cafe we offer to use this as a template, expanding it with additional points where necessary. Besides, in this article you will find many useful information to assist you on the way.

Executive summary

Starting an internet cafe business can be a challenging task, especially if you lack entrepreneuring experience. However, devising a business plan will greatly facilitate you along the way. First of all, it will help you to gather many important information and facts, come up with a variety of internet cafe business ideas, decide on the format, consider pros and cons of this business, and even think about its future development. When getting down to work, the first questions coming to your mind might be whether it is a profitable business, how much does it cost to open an Internet cafe or what equipment do you need to start an internet cafe? This article probably won’t furnish you with a full answer, rather it will give you a general description of internet cafe business, while adding more questions for you to consider.

Internet cafe business overview

An Internet cafe (also cybercafe) is by no means new, yet a still relevant idea. The service of providing the public with a PC along with access to the Internet for a charge has been in expanding request since a long time ago. The first online cafe was launched in 1988 in Seoul and had only two 16-bit-computers connected to the online system of networks. Today internet cafes can be found all around the globe, while their purpose has evolved from basic webmail and instant messaging to multiplayer gaming. Since modern games often require modern computers and expensive gadgets more and more gamers prefer shared-access models over personal ownership.

Depending on location, target audience, and social agenda of the proprietors, cybercafés come in a wide range of formats and can be quite a profitable business. Internet cafes also appear as gaming lounges, cybersports arenas, or PC bangs – equipped with VR headsets, gaming consoles like Xbox and Playstation, and broadcasting esports tournaments on a big screen.

The majority of the entrepreneurs, engaged in this field are men of 22 – 50 years old, who understand computers at the level between the advanced user and system admin. Most of them also enjoy playing online games, keep abreast of new developments in the realm of computers and gaming equipment, be up to date with the latest developments in the cyber industry, follow the news about gaming teams and tournaments. As a rule, these people don’t have a wage job. Their work is focused on Internet cafes, gaming lounge business, bets, and sometimes other related businesses. Usually, these people start with a small budget and gradually increase their income.Those who managed to properly organize their business and make a profit, begin to open a chain of Internet cafes, some sell franchises.

On rare occasions, there are businessmen, possessing entrepreneurial experience from other projects, with a million-turnover, who open Internet cafe out of curiosity and desire to try something new. In this case, they invest a lot of money at once. Often, these business owners are interested in holding tournaments in specially equipped cyber arenas.

There are also those who don’t know anything about this kind of business, rather they’ve been told that opening an Internet cafe business is a way to make money easily and fast.

No matter which group you belong to if you are considering launching an Internet (cyber) cafe you will need to devise a business plan. Hereby we introduce an example of an internet cafe business plan, which can be modified according to your geographies and goals.

Pros & Cons of starting an Internet Cafe

Before establishing a business it is always useful to make up a list of advantages and disadvantages. We have gathered some of them, which are relevant for an Internet cafe business, yet keep in mind, that it might look different in each case, depending on the particular market and the entrepreneurial experience of yours.

• Business works 24/7. In practice this means that as an entrepreneur you have to be constantly in touch to solve problems that may arise (e.g., violation of the rules by clients, various unforeseeable situations etc.) At least in the beginning you need to be fully involved in order to understand the specifics of the business, the target audience, identify weak spots etc. It is also necessary to be aware of the latest innovations in the field of gaming and esports.
• It is difficult to scale the business.  Internet cafe business has its limits. Once a company is launched, pays back and starts to bring net profit, there are just a couple of options to scale: either to sell franchises or open a network of Internet cafes. You can establish a business and get a stable income, yet it will always remain at the same level.
• Regular update/replacement of equipment.  Each product has its life cycle. Since computers in Internet cafes are used constantly, their wear and tear happens way faster. Besides regular maintenance, cleaning, and minor repairs of the computers, it is necessary to completely replace the equipment every 2-4 years. First of all, because of its wear and secondly, due to outdated parameters. Every year new games are released, increasing the requirements to the computer components – processor, video card, memory etc. Fast and powerful computers are one of the reasons why gamers visit cyber cafes. Thus, if you do not update the equipment, you risk to lose part of the target audience.
• Low budget needed for start.  Compared to other businesses, cyber cafes are generally simple to set up. Main costs for launching an Internet cafe comprise computers, monitors and consoles. An average business with 15-20 computers, will require between $30,000 and $50,000. This is a rather small budget for business, which in time will bring you regular income.
• Payback after 12 months (average).  Cyber cafe business, you can quickly setup and configure all the processes, provided you thought everything through and made preliminary calculations. The payback of such a business can take from 9 to 14 months. Then you get a net income and can plan to expand. Of course, everything depends on your particular case, and if you add a bar and kitchen in parallel, then it may take more time.
• Little competition.  15 years ago, when Internet cafes were very popular, there was a big competition. There were many cybercafes where one could go, and there were a few or no empty seats. Today, the focus has shifted, as everyone has a computer at home. Cyber cafes are made for the atmosphere, community, and a possibility to play on professional PCs. The second wave of popularity of cybercafes has just begun, yet still few competitors, which makes it possible to quickly attract the target audience to your place. At the same time, more tournaments are being held every year.
• Combination with other types of business.  As a rule, the main service of your business will be providing access to the Internet, and/or new games on PCs and consoles. In addition, you can expand your business with related services. If you decided to start a cybercafe business you might face the situations when some of your clients ask for photocopies, printing documents, photos, etc. By simply buying a printer-scanner you can get additional income, while it will also be useful in the daily work of the cybercafe. Also, when players spend more than 3-4 hours in the Internet cafe, they need at least one break to eat and drink. Thus, building a coffee area will bring extra income and allow your clients to spend more time in your cybercafe.

What products and services cybercafe business provides?

When devising a business plan for your Internet cafe it is helpful to distinguish between the primary and additional services.

Primary service  – within this section think of the core service that your cyber cafe company provides. Is it good connection to the Internet, gaming facilities, possibility to use expensive software for a small price, or an equipped coworking space? Pick out one thing that will serve as a pillar for your business, think of it as your unique selling proposition (USP).

While choosing a core service mention in your business plan the impact that it will cause. Speculate on how your customers’ life will be affected by the service(s) that you provide? Maybe you make people happy, satisfied, productive, entertained. You help the local community to stay connected with the rest of the world and fulfil their goals by the help of Internet connection / modern computers / gaming facilities etc.

It might be that your core service will be focused on esports. This field is getting more and more popularity, encouraging e-Sports schools being opened around the world. With this regard, many cybercafes nowadays also provide separate rooms for training esports teams.

Additional products/services.  Now time to brainstorm further. Make up a list of accompanying services that will be offered in your Internet (cyber) cafe and one-by-one write about the impact they are supposed to make for your customers. You can also use the items that were mentioned above, yet were not defined as a primary service. Additionally, you can include the following options to your service list:

• Cafe serving beverages / snacks / healthy meals
• Copy center services
• Private working space (rooms)
• Kicker, darts, etc.

Once your list of primary and additional services is ready keep it at hand. The next step would be to define their prices. Easily said, but this task will require thoughtful consideration. Besides checking the prices of your competitors and willingness of customers to pay, you will also need to count your expenses and comply with financial goals you set. You should also observe the habits of your customers, and possibly introduce a dynamic pricing scheme (when prices are flexible and depend on the day time and demand). You should also consider introducing system of discounts, special offers for loyal customers etc.

Comparison to competitors

Check your competitors, define their market share, strong and weak spots. This will then help you to find your position or niche on the market, as well as set more realistic goals on sales and profit.

Why should customers choose you over your competitor? This question is very important for defining your unique selling proposition (USP), discovering the pillars of your internet cafe. Check the list below, pick the points that are relevant for your case and expand if necessary.

• Upscale equipment (laptops, computers, printers, scanners, headsets, consoles (Xbox, Playstation), gaming mice, professional keyboards, additional gadgets- VR glasses, Gaming wheels, controllers etc.)
• Comfortable gaming chairs
• Fast and reliable Internet & Wi-Fi hotspots
• Besides state-of-the-art hardware the computers will also come with professional software (e.g., Adobe Cloud Programs) and gaming platforms (e.g., Steam). Upon customer request, the Internet cafe business can also acquire a license for a particular software.
• Possibility for open space and private working rooms/cabins
• Convenient (central, unique, extraordinary) location
• Fair prices, convenient booking system and payment options, bonuses, client discounts etc.

Internet cafe business plan introduction

Business name.  Give your internet cafe a name. Be creative, make sure it fits into the whole picture of your business concept. Double-check that it’s different from those of your competitors and easy to remember for your customers. Here you can also consider buying a franchise. In this case, you will build your institution based on the existing internet cafe business model which proved its success. Basically, you will get a ready-to-use guide on how to open an Internet cafe, which will save you time, resources and efforts. However, keep in mind that along with convenience and support that you get as franchisee, you are limited to a certain level in strategic and managerial decisions. Thus, for experienced and ambitious entrepreneurs, nurturing novel and fresh business ideas in mind, franchising won’t be a suitable option.

Legal business structure.  Every business is a legal unit with a specific structure. Think of yours. Will it be a sole proprietorship or a partnership, Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a corporation? Are there any investors involved? While choosing a structure for your business consider such impacting factors as flexibility, complexity, control, permits, licenses, taxes and other regulations.

Brief description of what your business does.  Here you should be able to explain in a nutshell your business concept.

Mission.  Besides making profit your internet cafe first of all should serve a public good. Think of those social solutions that you bring. Your cybercafé can, for example, fulfill the following missions:

• It provides an easy, reliable, safe and affordable access to the Internet.
• It serves a meeting place for sharing online experiences.
• It accommodates a creative and comfortable environment for people to learn, work, play and relax.

What problem does your Internet cafe solve for your customers?  Possible answers here might be the following:

• bad PCs at home that do not allow people to play at maximum settings or in the latest games;
• no privacy at home (parents/ partner or children interfere, etc.)

Think of any other relevant points, depending on your case. Maybe it is also useful to conduct a focus group to identify other customer needs.

What results does your internet café create?

• Customers get things done by means of having a quick, reliable safe and affordable access to the Internet
• Customers enjoy being in a creative environment, using affordable upscale equipment for their studies, work, gaming or entertainment
• Customers are happy to have another place for making friends and connections, while sharing their online experiences.

Think of any other relevant points, depending on your case.

How does your internet cafe create those results?  By means of providing necessary equipment (computers, software and access to the Internet) in comfortable premises at a convenient location, offering other services (e.g., food & drinks, open-space and private rooms) to meet customer needs and ensure best-in-class user experience.

Who does your company serve?  Again, think of your Personas. Which customer cluster reflects the main target audience? Are these travelers, students, professionals, gamers etc.? What is their average age? What are their core needs? It is important to remember that the choice of business model and related services will change the target audience, and vice versa. As a rule, the majority of players in cyber cafes are pupils and students. At the same time the related services a cybercafe provides will directly influence the target audience. In case the cyber cafe also sells alcohol, hookahs, etc., the clients will then be different. You can also expand the target audience by means of equipping your Internet cafe with gaming consoles, e.g. Xbox or Playstation.

Why do you do what you do?  Reasons for you to run an internet cafe might be numerous and diverse. Yet try to figure out what it means to you. Maybe you’re an exper t in the field of cybercafes or you possess suitable resources for this business. Maybe there is a sharp demand for such a place, but none or little supply. Maybe you yourself belong to the target audience and know the needs of the customers as no one else. Or it has always been your dream to own an internet café. Sincere answer to this question will help you to understand your motives and plan more realistically not just in a short term, but in a long-term perspective.

Thousands of businesses rely upon SENET

Internet cafe setup requirements

Think here on your step-by-step plan or proprietary system. List a complex of providers, suppliers, processes, tools, or systems that you own, granting your internet cafe a benefit or competitive advantage. As a basic think of the following:

• Location (rent or buy or build)
• Design and renovation of the premises
• Supply of furniture (tables, chairs, sofas, bean bag chairs) and equipment (coffee machine, vending machines, etc.)
• Provider of the Internet
• Supplier of computers, and other devices
• Software Licenses
• Supply of additional services (drinks, catering)
• Team – number of employees, their roles, responsibilities, shifts
• Internet cafe management software

Here it is relevant to remind that provided you go with the franchise option, the proprietary system as well as the main cyber cafe requirements will be provided by franchisor for you to use. Of course, the terms and conditions might be different depending on the agreement, but the fundamental restrictive unit for the beginning you will get in most of cases.

What are your objectives? (define your goals)  Last but not least – schedule your goals. Elaborate some plans regarding sales, revenue and profit you intend to make. Devise a roadmap of future development of your business. Think of your goals in terms of short-and long-time perspectives. Draft them for 1-year, 2-years, 5-years time span or longer. While setting your goals on the paper use the rule of S.M.A.R.T. In other words, keep your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

Market analysis

At this stage, make sure to gather as much information about the market, as possible. Invest enough time to research the general state of matters and trends. A useful technique to apply at this stage would be PESTLE analysis. The name stands for the abbreviation of the components of the analysis and is used to scan the following macro-environmental factors – political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental. When analysing the above mentioned factors, try to identify the elements within each of them, as well as seek to understand what is their business impact. For example, does the current political situation create a solid basis for you to start the internet cafe business? Is the economic condition favourable for introducing your service to the market? Is the society open/ willing to pay for your service etc.? The following table provides the respective questions to assist you in conducting PESTLE analysis.

Additionally, you can make a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for your business.

Market trends & needs

To gather information about your target market turn to statistical data, relevant market reports, professional periodicals, marketing research agencies. While doing your research check the related industries and fields – Online Gaming, Video Streaming, Cyber Security, esports etc. Also look at associated issues in the respective fields: Internet penetration, number of available commercial wi-fi locations and hotspots, number of Internet users, reasons for using Internet etc.

Some introductory data and insights can be found at statista.com. For example, the esports market has been consistently developing in recent years. It is expected to grow further in the next 3-5 years. More and more people nowadays come to watch how their favourite games are being played by world recognized gamers. As indicated by the Newzoo there are determined to be 646 million viewers of esports worldwide by 2023, which is over 30% expansion from the 395 million in 2018.

The fans are spread over the world, yet the Asia Pacific area is by all accounts a specific hotspot for esports. In the USA, meanwhile, some 9.2 % of web users in 2019 viewed esports, with the figure expected to rise to 15.5 % by 2023.

As the statistics show every year more and more tournaments are held, bigger audience is attracted. Thus, while planning a cybercafe business one should keep in mind that the majority of gamers also make bets in the field of gaming and esports.

Internet cafe marketing plan and strategy

Every marketing action – be it a message, flyer, social post or event – is aimed at people. Thus, when devising an internet cafe marketing plan it is crucial to gather as much information about your audience as possible.

Demographics & Psychographics.  Define the demographics of your target audience – what is their age, gender, income, place of living etc. Then collect their psychographic characteristics – such as interests, desires, fears etc. In the process of collecting these data you might come up to the fact that there are several groups / clusters of you TA. Use Personas method to differentiate them. This will help you achieve the goal of your marketing campaigns, improve your lead generation and conversion strategy, as well as offer more suitable products/ services to your clients.

Remember, that a slight detail can make a huge difference. What if a significant part of your customers are vegans, environmental activists living a sustainable life? How can you make their experience in your cafe more comfortable – provide vegan snacks, supplying the place with renewable energy sources, equipping it with eco-friendly furniture etc. The variations are endless here. Your task is to identify the factors that will signify the interest and bonds of the customers to your Internet cafe.

Where can you find your clients?  Where can you find each of them – online or off-line? Think on which online services and social media they use. Do they actively participate in social media groups, do they read expert magazines or do they attend festivals? The clearer picture you will get on this stage the easier it will be for you on the next steps – when drawing marketing strategy (visibility, lead generation and conversion).

Visibility (awareness) strategy.  How people will learn about your Internet cafe – via ads in Google or social media, through paid commercials on TV or in YouTube, by means of influencers, flyers or word-of-mouth? Options and combinations can be numerous. The key factors here are budget and efficacy. You can spend thousands and get zero results, or you can spend almost nothing but hit the target. Look first at the answers from the previous step, identify the channels through which you can reach your audience, compare the prices of the channels. And then build your strategy. Remember, that the advantage(benefit) of digital marketing is that you can test different strategies with relatively low budget, see what works best and then rise the costs. Consider turning to a digital marketing agency if that corresponds to your needs.

Additionally, brainstorm for info drivers and events that can be part of your cybercafe marketing strategy. One of the possible promotion steps for your business can be hosting esports tournaments.

This step requires much thought and effort. The core question here is “How will you establish contact with potential customers?” It is most likely that you will apply digital tools and online marketing. In this case your lead generation will comprise the following elements: content, SEO, promotion, conversion and analytics. Let’s briefly look into each of these.

Content strategy comes first.  This will characterize the story behind your services, the key messages you send to your target audience and, also, the tone of voice in which they will be articulated. The content will be sent through all possible channels you decide for: website, landing pages, emails, social media, blog post as well as Call to Action.

Website strategy.  If your internet cafe can’t be discovered on the web, then it doesn’t exist. In other words to make your cybercafe visible you need to have a website. Besides raising the rating of your Internet cafe, a website is also an excellent informative tool, that helps to attract more clients from organic search. Generally, a website will build trust to your institution from clients and partners. Thus, if one day you decide to grow by selling cyber cafe franchises, a website will be a big plus.

Promotion strategy  as a rule starts nowadays with Social Networks – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat. Check the most relevant for your type of business. For example, TikTok and Snapchat are the main channels for attracting teenagers, while adults are bound to be found elsewhere. Some question here to help you with the decision are the following:

• Where can you gather most of your TA (target audience)?
• Which of those are most efficient with regard to available budget?
• Which Social Media fits the best to your content strategy and chosen tone of voice?

In case you identify several platforms which are relevant for your internet cafe business it’s then worth trying to try all of them and see which ones work best in your field, region, market. Within your promotion activity you also manage social posts and email communication.

Conversion strategy.  Once you’ve got your leads it’s time to convert them into prospects or customers. The method of communication you decide – be it a phone call, email or personal message in social media. Within this stage you should look at the lead nurturing lifecycle and devise a complex of measures to acquire, keep and grow your customers – e.g. outreach programs, loyalty programs, organisation of events, system of upselling, cross-selling etc.

Analytics strategy.  The essential part of every strategy are the metrics and indicators that help to measure and analyse the results of the steps having been taken. Principal performance indicators are CTR, CPL, (Website) Rate of Conversion, Leads to qualified leads, Leads per channel etc. All the necessary info regarding these and other indicators can be found in the Internet, thus we shall not focus on them within this article.

What you need to keep in mind however, that analytics is an important task, which you better not skip. Once you identify the cost of a lead from each channel, try to reduce it to a minimum without loss in quality. Check the reports and regularly manage your advertising budget. After six months, compare the figures, analyse the amount of money spent on acquired leads to the quality of these leads.

internet cafe business plan

A cyber café is a business that provides computer access, internet connectivity and other digital services to customers. The business can be started as a small enterprise with just a few computers, or it can be expanded to a large facility with multiple computer terminals, printing and scanning facilities, video conferencing and other multimedia services.

Starting a cyber café business requires careful planning and consideration of various factors such as location, competition, equipment and services offered, pricing, marketing and advertising strategies, and the target market.

Location is a crucial factor for a cyber café business. The café should be located in a convenient, accessible and highly visible area, near residential or commercial areas, with high foot traffic. The location should also have adequate parking space and a safe and secure environment for customers.

Competition should also be considered when starting a cyber café business. Researching the local market, identifying competitors and their strengths and weaknesses can help you determine how to position your business and what services and features to offer to stand out.

The equipment and services offered by the cyber café should be state-of-the-art and updated regularly to meet the changing demands of customers. The café should offer high-speed internet connectivity, modern computer terminals, printing and scanning facilities, and other digital services such as video conferencing, multimedia services and software applications. The cyber café should also provide a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for customers, with adequate seating, lighting and air conditioning.

Pricing should be competitive, taking into account the services offered, the target market and the competition. Offering packages and discounts can be an effective way to attract and retain customers.

Marketing and advertising strategies should be tailored to the target market and should focus on the unique features and benefits offered by the cyber café. Utilizing social media, local advertising, promotions and events can be effective in attracting and retaining customers.

The target market for a cyber café business can range from students, professionals, and tourists, to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Understanding the needs and preferences of your target market can help you design and customize your services and marketing strategies accordingly.

In conclusion, a cyber café business can be a profitable and rewarding venture for entrepreneurs who are passionate about technology and have a desire to provide high-quality digital services to customers. With careful planning, consideration of the factors mentioned above and a commitment to excellence, a cyber café business can become a thriving and successful enterprise.

How To Start Internet Café Company In South Africa

What is an Internet Café?

An Internet café, also known as a cybercafé, is a café that provides Internet access to the public. The fee for using a computer is generally charged as a time-based rate.

1. Find the right location.

You know the popular real estate saying: location, location, location. That certainly applies when considering where to open your internet café.

2. Develop a business plan.

Your internet café business plan should have your complete go-to-market strategy—main goals, the market research you’ve done, details about your internet café’s products and services, how you will market your services, and financial projections. It’s important you record all these aspects to know your next steps once you get started.

3. Obtain relevant business licenses and permits.

Given that a cyber café is a brick-and-mortar business, you’ll need to check with your city to see what permits are needed to operate, especially if you plan on offering food and drink. There are licenses specific to this type of business that will be required. In addition, software licenses will be needed for programs you install on computers.

4. Acquire comfortable furniture.

It’s common for internet café patrons to congregate for hours at a time—some may even spend the entire day there. That’s why you must provide comfortable furniture such as gaming chairs and bean bag chairs so customers can lounge for as long as they like. Length of visit is an important aspect given the typical business model of this type of business.

5. Set up computers and other equipment.

Internet café equipment is a defining aspect of the business, so it’s important to choose the right kind. For example, will you only provide computers, or will you also set up printers and other peripherals?

When deciding on computers, you may need to take the middle road between cost and quality, especially if you have a tight budget. Given how frequently they will be used and the number of monthly users the computers will experience a lot of wear and tear.  So, you’ll likely be replacing them every few years.

6. Find a reliable internet service provider (ISP).

Now, this is one area you shouldn’t let price play a major factor. Providing internet services is the primary purpose of a cyber café, so it’s critical that you find an ISP with market-leading speeds and is incredibly reliable. The reliability aspect is especially important as patrons value consistent, uninterrupted access.

7. Determine how to price your services.

Most cyber cafés price internet services on a per-hour basis, so that’s what your patrons will expect. That doesn’t mean you have to stick to this typical model, but if you go a different direction, ensure it makes sense to your customers.

8. Build a business website.

As with any modern business, you’ll also need to develop a business website so people can find you online. Be sure to lay out your pricing, location, and a list of internet café services that you offer. Don’t forget to include a menu for your food and drink.

9. Market your internet café.

Even if you find the perfect location and your building is highly visible, foot traffic alone won’t be enough. You need to get the word out about your business using digital and offline methods.

For example, you can use geo-targeting for advertising on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram in your local area. Advertising on Google and other search engines is also a viable option. For offline marketing, you can try setting up a campus booth or event with local colleges, as well as encouraging word-of-mouth referrals from patrons. For instance, you may offer a free snack or coffee to customers that bring a friend.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Is internet café business profitable in South Africa?

An internet café is a profitable business to start in South Africa. With the increasing number of internet users in the country, there is still a significant number of people with no internet access especially in rural areas -only 2% of rural homesteads have access to the internet.

How much does it cost to open up an internet café in South Africa?

Main costs for launching an Internet café comprise computers, monitors and consoles. An average business with 15-20 computers, will require between R30,000 and R50,000. This is a rather small budget for business, which in time will bring you regular income. Payback after 12 months (average).

Is an internet café profitable in South Africa?

If briefly, – yes it is. In fact, besides being profitable, cyber cafes are also a fast-paying type of business. Depending on the region and other factors, the payback of a cyber café can take from 9 to 14 months.

What are equipment for internet café?

You need a software to run the internet user time limit, a number of PCs, a central internet server, a router, network cables, an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the chairs, workstation tables, a suitable place to do the business, legal licensing and of course labor.

Why internet café is a good business?

It deals with internet time that a customer buys and it can be sold per hour or minute and sometimes longer. Internet café is the most popular in the world of business people, travelers and tourists, but it also finds good and frequent customers in teenagers and adults who spend a lot of time playing computer games.

What is a internet café business?

Put simply, an internet café (the most common term used, but can also be referred to as a cyber café) is a place of business that provides internet access along with food and drink. It is not the same thing as a coffee shop with Wi-Fi as it provides computers and secure internet access.

What is the mission of internet café in South Africa?

To deliver excellent quality services, operate in a responsible manner being up-to-date with the upgrading Information Technology, and provide fast internet access in a homelike environment for a highly reliable and consistently satisfying customer experience.

What is gaming café?

gaming café. a small business resembling an Internet café but with an emphasis on computer games. Games are often networked and visitors can play against each other.

How do gaming cafes work?

With an internet café, the patrons are buying internet “time” instead. They use the time to redeem points and “cash out” at the end of their session. Visitors can come in, buy internet time and log into the sweepstakes games that are similar to video games.

How much do gaming cafes charge per hour in South Africa?

The Regular PC’s are R4.00/hour and the Premium are R5.00 an hour. The more time that is purchased makes the rate go down per every twenty dollars.

How to Start an Internet Cafe in South Africa

Starting an internet cafe business in South Africa is one of the most profitable ventures. The demand for Internet services has created an opportunity for people to start internet café businesses. Internet cafés charge clients based on the time they spend accessing the internet. It can be per minute or per hour. 

Research the Market

Before writing a business plan, it is always best that you research the market. By researching the market, you will get to know the services that are in demand, your target market, the challenges in the market, and how you can address them. Once you have researched the market, it becomes very easy to write a business plan.

Write an Internet Cafe Business Plan

To make it in the internet café business in South Africa, you need to plan your business well before getting started. With a good business plan , you get to prepare for the worst scenarios that may come up. Your cybercafe business plan should have the following:

• Startup costs
• Services you will be offering
• Target customers
• Equipment for starting an internet cafe
• Business location
• Internet service provider
• SWOT analysis
• Business risks

Identify a Suitable Business Location

You need to identify a good business location for your internet cafe business. An internet cafe business is best suited for areas with a high population and foot traffic. Locating your business near an institution like a college can also help you get more customers.

Set up your internet café in areas where people need internet services. Among such areas are high-income areas. You can also start a cybercafe in townships and near offices in towns. Make sure your target customers are people who need internet services, like students and people working in offices.

Internet Cafe Services List in South Africa

There are many cybercafé services you can offer in South Africa, depending on your target customers and the demand. Researching the market before starting an internet cafe will help you determine what services to offer in your internet cafe. Some of the services you can offer include:

• Accessing internet
• Printing and photocopying
• Typing and printing
• Gaming services
• Sell airtime
• Pay for online services like DSTV

Equipment Needed to Start an Internet Cafe in South Africa

Based on the services you will be offering in your internet cafe business, they will dictate what equipment you require. If you plan to offer internet services, scanning, printing, and photocopying services, you will need the following equipment:.

• 1 admin control computer
• At least four other computers
• Printer/photocopier
• Ethernet cable
• Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)
• Gigabit switch
• Internet cafe software

Internet Cafe Startup Costs in South Africa 

The cost of starting a cyber cafe business in South Africa depends on a number of factors, like location, number of computers, and services to offer. To start a small internet cafe business with around 5 computers, you will need between R50, 000 and R100, 000. Most of the startup costs will go into buying internet cafe equipment.

Tips to Start a Successful Internet Cafe Business in South Africa

• Look for reliable and cheap internet providers. Some of the best internet services providers in South Africa include Vox, MTN, and Cybersmart.
• Target the right market. Among the people that need internet services in South Africa are people working in offices and college students. Targeting such customers will make your business profitable.  
• Set fair prices. The next thing you need to do is to set fair prices for your internet café business. Ensure that the charges will help you make reasonable profits, and they shouldn't be higher than what your competitors charge. 

For business consultancy, strategic planning, organizational development, market research, financial management & accounting, risk management and business plan writing at an affordable fee, please reach out to us through a phone call +254728 621 138, or WhatsApp , or email: [email protected]

Are Internet Cafes Profitable in South Africa?

Starting an internet cafe business is a profitable venture in South Africa. With a good business location, proper marketing, and proper planning, you can make a lot of profits from the internet cafe business in South Africa.

Starting an internet cafe business requires good planning. Make sure to get a cheap and reliable internet service provider. Also, make sure to set up your internet café in a suitable business location and target the right market. With that, you can be sure of starting a profitable internet cafe business in South Africa. 

• How to make money online in South Africa
• How to start a car wash business in South Africa 
• How to start a butchery business in South Africa  
• How to start a photography business in South Africa

Get in touch

For business consultancy, business plan writing, market research, strategic planning, risk management, financial management & accounting at an affordable fee, please reach out to us through:

• [email protected]
• +254 728 621 138
• 1503 -01000, Thika KIBS Plaza, Thika

How to Start an Internet Café in South Africa

These days, pretty much everybody needs access to computer facilities, but not everyone can afford a home computer. Phones are great for texting and surfing, but what about when you need to send a CV to apply for a job, print out important documents to be signed or do some serious research?

Since broadband became available in South Africa, internet cafés have popped up all over the country to meet these needs. Many of these are add-ons to the fax-call-copy shops that are as familiar on African city streets as hair salons and fast-food kiosks.

In addition to offering a valued service to everyday South Africans, internet cafés offer opportunities for budding business owners. Just one example of a start-up success in this industry is the story of Luvuyo Rani, who started the Silulo Ulutho Internet Café in Khayelitsha with his brother back in 2004. Today the award-winning business boasts several branches in the Western and Eastern Cape – with plans to expand even more.

Starting an internet café is not as hard as it may sound. The main things you’ll need are a venue, computers and internet connectivity. Here are some other factors to consider…

Some important steps for starting out

1. First up, research the viability of your business idea and draw up a business plan. A number of local organisations can help you do this. Try the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) or the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), or download the free Business Plan Book from smetoolkit.org.

2. Research what a typical internet café offers, and decide how you will position yourself in the market. Will you do something unique to stand out from competitors?

3. Brush up on your business skills. Do you know enough about accounting, budgeting and financial planning to run a business? It may help to find a mentor. The National Youth Development Agency runs a volunteer mentorship programme for young entrepreneurs, but there are many other avenues you can try if you no longer qualify as youth. Start here .

4. Decide: Will you be a sole trader, company or partnership? Then register your business so that you follow the statutory requirements and keep on the good side of the tax office. If you register as a company with the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPC), you’ll automatically be registered with SARS. If you decide to go the sole proprietor or partnership route, you need to registers with SARS directly.

5. Consider where to set up your internet café. Do you want to serve a particular community? Will you need retail space? Are you in a position to buy space, or will you need to rent? If so, can you afford the rental as part of your overheads? Don’t forget to check the municipality by-laws in the area you want to start your café to make sure you abide by local regulations.

If buying or building trading space is likely to be too much for your budget, consider alternatives to fixed “brick and mortar”. For example, converted shipping containers are growing in popularity as both office and retail spaces.

At Big Box Containers, we specialise in converting high-quality shipping containers for a range of purposes, including computer centres and internet cafés .

Each container can be fully customised to suit your needs, for example with suitable work surfaces, connection points, lighting and security features.

Added advantages are that shipping containers are fully portable, as well as weather and intruder-resistant. And if your internet café business takes off and you want to scale up to meet demand, you can simply “add on” another container to expand your operations.

6. Make all-important decisions about the hardware, software, internet-service provider (ISP) and network options you’ll use. Computer equipment can be leased, so you don’t necessarily have to invest a large sum upfront. Ideally, you want an ISP that’s reliable and offers both hosting and technical support.

If you don’t have all the necessary technical know-how, speak to IT experts. Those in the know will also be able to offer you guidance on choosing the right ISP. There are also organisations that train aspiring internet café owners on all the ins and outs.

7. Set your price points. Research the rates other internet cafés charge, keep your business plan and bottom line in mind, and consider what customers in your area may be willing to pay. Sure, you want to break even as soon as possible – but you also want to keep customers coming through the door.

8. Now you’re ready to market your business to your target audience. Set up a website (or blog-as-website) and a Facebook page, and consider placing an ad in the local paper. Hopefully, you’ve chosen a location that gets enough foot traffic for your signage to be seen and to attract walk-ins. Try get customers to subscribe to your website so you can e-mail them newsletters of campaigns or specials.

Also try to offer something different. Something every smart internet café owners should consider is adding gaming to your offering. Online gaming is a growing industry, and gamers are known to play for hours. Good news for your business!

Click through to find out how we convert shipping containers to computer centres.

Contact BigBox today for a free quote!

Related articles.

From Spaza Shops to Shopping Malls

Reefers: Cold Storage Solutions for Florists

How Much a Used Shipping Container Costs: Online Container Prices from Big Box

internet cafe business plan in south africa

We have attached an example internet cafe business plan, that will help you not to overlook any important information when writing a business plan. While it’s not essential to have a business plan, it will make it easier to get funding. in general a business plan will help your Potential business partners to know how their investment will be used.

Good luck ! Please not this is just an example, to help you draft your own business plan.

Starting an Internet cafe business

Pricing for internet use in an internet cafe

cybercafé or gaming café : what you also need to know

Types of business insurance in south africa

From the day an entrepreneur starts a business, he exposes himself to certain risks. Even before the first employee is hired, a business is at risk, making it important to have the right insurance in place.

Internet Cafe Business Plan – Big Surf

• Find Business Ideas

Start a Business

• Find Business Plan Templates
• Start a Website
• Work from Home

Business Opps

• Businesses for Sale
• Direct Sales / MLM
• Wholesaler Directory
• Affiliate Program Directory

Business Articles

• Home Office Set-Up
• Tips & Advice
• Home-Based Business Ideas
• Business Plans
• Sourcing Suppliers
• Buying a Business
• Company Registration
• Copyrights & Trademarks
• Market Research
• Setting Up Office
• Import/Export
• Wholesaling
• Multi-Level-Marketing
• Freelancing
• Direct Sales
• Franchising

Online Business

• Social Networking
• 101 Ways to Make Money Online
• Website Basics
• Google Adsense
• Domain Registration & Hosting
• Copywriting
• Google Analytics
• Make Money Online

Entrepreneur Skills

• Pay & Leave
• Hiring & Firing
• Staff Benefits
• Business Software
• Phones, Cell Phones & VOIP
• Computer & Internet Security
• Internet & Email
• Graphic Design
• Direct Mail
• Public Relations
• Advertising
• Bookkeeping & Accounts
• Business Banking
• Leadership & Motivation
• Management & Strategy

Get Inspired

• Health & Wellbeing
• Homes & Housing
• Marketing & Media
• Non-profit, Social Cause
• Business Owl Ideas
• Eco & Sustainability
• Online Startups
• Fashion & Beauty
• Lifestyle & Leisure
• Food & Beverage
• Novel Niches
• Famous Entrepreneurs
• Business Trends Africa
• Global Business Trends
• Motivational
• Making Money
• Entrepreneurs
• Food & Restaurants
• General Finance/Investing Terms
• Statistics Terms
• Insurance Terms
• Banking Terms
• Brokers (Order Types/Accounts/etc) Terms
• Economics Terms
• Formulas Terms
• I.T. Technology Terms
• Laws & Regulations Terms
• Investment Terms
• General Business Terms
• Accounting Terms
• Sales & Marketing Terms
• Human Resources
• Bookkeeping
• Currency Converter
• Exchange Rate

Resources...

Business plan templates | services.

8.1 Mortgage/Rent Requirements

Premises in CBD leased at rental of R6 000 a month. Two year lease with an option to renew for a further one year. Escalation: none in year two; 7% in year three.

8.2 Regulations & Permits

The following are required:

• Registration as a business
• Business trading licence from Kouga Municipality
• Restaurant trading licence from Kouga Municipality
• Health inspection certificate from Kouga Municipality
• Fire safety certificate from Kouga Municipality

8.3 Agreements

Agreements are to be entered into with the following to ensure continuity of maintenance and support in the medium term:

• Internet Konnect, Port Elizabeth
• EC Computing, Port Elizabeth
• Go Rentals, Port Elizabeth

8.4 Trademarks & Copyrights

The Big Surf Internet & Lifestyle Café! name, logo and trademark will be registered in South Africa.

9. FINANCIAL PLAN

9.1 Start-up Capital

Analysis of Start-up Costs

9.2 Fixed business costs

Analysis of Monthly Expenses

 9.3 Break-even Analysis

In year one, a break-even scenario would be adequate. To break even, the business requires a turnover of approximately R60 000 per month, which equates to R2 400 per day (assuming a six-day week and 25 working days per month). This could comprise the following mix of average daily sales:

9.4 Important Assumptions

9.5 Projected Profit & Loss (first 12 months of operation)

9.6 Projected cash flow

* See Section 13 (Appendices) for full Projected Cash Flow statement

9.7 Projected balance sheet

* See Section 13 (Appendices) for full Projected Balance Sheet statement

9.8 Business Loan / Start-up Capital

No bank loan is being sought. The owner will fund this from his own savings and via private loans from family.

10.0 Personal financial statement of owner

* See Section 13 (Appendices) for full Personal Financial Statement of owner

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

More Must Reads:

Add a comment: cancel.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Updates Via

Join our newsletter.

Packed full of business ideas and info!

Business Books

The Tipping Point

Take our poll.

© 2011 Limelight Websites