The copy and paste culture of business in Kenya

You know that moment when you discover a new business and think, “Eh, this is actually a good idea,” only to walk a few meters down the road and find another one doing almost the same thing? 

Welcome to Kenya, where a good business idea rarely remains a novelty for long. Give it a few months, and you’ll find three or four more similar businesses, with some even using names that sound suspiciously familiar, cropping up around you. 

One online shop owner finds a winning product, and social media fills with sellers offering identical products. One creator discovers a viral content format, and within weeks, everyone points their camera in the same direction. The real question is, what drives this copy-and-paste culture? 

Risk Aversion  

One major driver of this culture is risk aversion. Starting something new brings many doubts. You may invest your money, time, and energy in an idea only to discover that customers aren’t interested. This makes copying a business model that has already proven successful seem much safer. If someone else is already making money from an idea, the market exists. Instead of asking, “Will this work?”, they focus on: “How can I do this too?” 

Fear of Failure 

Most people fear starting something new or even trying new ideas because failure can bring financial loss, embarrassment, or criticism in a highly competitive, high-stakes environment. As a result, they often choose to copy an idea that has already been tested and proven successful. 

This makes copying feel safer than experimenting with something uncertain. Instead of asking, “What new idea can I create?”, people tend to ask, “What is already working that I can also do?” 

This doesn’t mean Kenyans lack creativity. Rather, it shows how the fear of failure can discourage people from taking risks and turning original ideas into businesses. 

Social Proof  

When a content creator goes viral for using a particular style, trend, or format, dozens of other creators suddenly start doing something similar. Social media makes this even more pronounced because success is highly visible. People can see trending products, businesses attracting customers, and content receiving thousands of views. The thinking becomes simple: “If it is working for them, why wouldn’t it work for me?” By the time everyone follows the same trend, the market can become crowded, and the original opportunity may no longer be as attractive.  

Resource Limitations 

Building something from scratch requires money, time, skills, technology and research. These resources are among the few that prevent people from experimenting. People may choose to copy an existing business model because it has worked in the market. They can learn from what others have done, avoid some costly mistakes, and start with a clearer idea of what customers want. So, when resources are limited, copying can seem more practical and less expensive than creating something entirely new. 

Conclusion  

Copying isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it’s simply a smart way to learn, reduce risk, and enter a market. But if we keep copying without adding our own twist, we may end up with 100 businesses selling the same thing and only one original idea. 

So, the next time you see a successful business and think, “I can do that too,” go ahead, but be different. The goal shouldn’t be to be the second person with the same idea. It should be to be the person everyone else wants to copy.