West African streets are ever busy and crowded with millions of people going about their daily businesses. Business people which includes, traders, office workers and school children. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, we often dehydrate under the hot weather and will need a glass of something chilled to refresh ourselves (usually water, juices or soft drinks). At home, the electricity supply problem is forcing households to use ice blocks to preserve their food and drinks.
The high demand for ice blocks for cooling has created a booming business opportunity in cities, towns and villages across Africa. With iced block business people are sending their children to school, acquiring more properties for them selves and achieving other things that matters to life, this means it is a profitable venture. You can make up to N150,000 or more profit a month. This article introduces you to this small business idea and everything you need to know to succeed in it!
Reasons we have huge demand for ice block in Africa:
By understanding the factors responsible for the demand behind every business, entrepreneurs can become more creative with their products and adapt in time to changes in the market. Consumer demand is the basic reason for the booming ice block business. Other reasons for the huge demand for ice block in some of Africa’s cities, towns and villages are…
Weather
African continent enjoys more direct sunlight and heat compared to the temperate parts of the world (such as Europe and North America). It is estimated that many parts of Africa enjoy (or suffer) an average of 300 days of bright sunlight every year. In fact, temperatures during the day can rise up to 40°C especially in the northernmost parts of the continent which have a savanna or desert climate.
The hot and humid weather conditions in many parts of Africa, this leads many people to drink more water to refresh and rehydrates their bodies. In short many Africans consume more of chilled water (or soft drinks) compared to ordinary un chilled liquids.
Convenience
This is another huge reason why the ice block business is booming across Africa. Truly many people has refrigerators and can afford to cool their own drinks. But, it’s not convenient or possible to carry your own cooler everywhere you go. You will likely have to buy drinking water from a vendor who buys ice blocks to cool the drinks he or she sells to customers like you. Fact about ice block is that the more people like you buy chilled drinks when they are out of their homes, the more ice blocks that are sold.
Electricity Challenge
In the absence of electricity, although, buying ice blocks is not too cheap, efficient and flexible option for most people in Africa’s towns and cities. The terrible electricity situation remains one of the biggest reasons for the booming ice block business.
Relaxation and Societal Events
There is a rising trend of outdoor events like weddings, religious gathering, birthday parties, clubs, relaxation spots, beach party, and other social gatherings. Our point here is that people gather at social gathering and they are more likely to consumed to consume liquid i.e water, soft drinks and alcohol are best enjoyed when served chilled. This is the reason why these events and relaxation spots are huge source of demand for the ice block business, with the high population in Africa, demand for iced block will continue to rise.
The list of equipment needed to start a successful ice block business are
- Ice block is more convenient to produce from home, meaning that you need a location.
- Ice block making machine
- Deep freezers and ice block making machines.
- Generator that can conveniently power your machine or deep freezers.
- A good water source.
- Nylon for moulding ice block
- Aluminum made containers for moulding ice block.
There are different types of ice block machines, there are locally fabricated machines and imported machines of various capacities, they are differentiated by the number of moulds they can produce, it could be 40 moulds, 60, 100, 120, 200, and it could be as high as1000 moulds.
| Model | Capacity/24h | Compressor Power | Pump Power | Refrigerant |
| OTB10 | 1,000kg | 3.8kw | 0.55kw | R22/R404A |
| OTB20 | 2,000kg | 7.5kw | 1.5kw | R22/R404A |
| OTB30 | 3,000kg | 9kw | 1.5kw | R22/R404A |
| OTB40 | 4,000kg | 11.25kw | 3kw | R22/R404A |
| OTB50 | 5,000kg | 18.8kw | 3kw | R22/R404A |
| OTB80 | 8,000kg | 30kw | 4kw | R22/R404A |
| OTB100 | 10,000kg | 37.5kw | 4kw | R22/R404A |
| OTB150 | 15,000kg | 56.3kw | 6kw | R22/R404A |
| OTB200 | 20,000kg | 75kw | 11kw | R22/R404A |
Iced block are of two type, the Anti freeze and the dry ice.
Anti freeze: This ice block is moulded with the use of chemical like ethanol, and the iced block moulds faster than the normal hours required.
Dry ice: This ice block is formed in nylon without adding chemicals to it, it moulds naturally, this process takes a longer period to mould.
You can get full details of ice block machine from some web site which offer sales of iced block machine.
I have 35mould iceblock machine but I have a challenge in getting customers
Please can you give an insight into the start up capital for the business. If one is to operate at a small or medium scale, how much will it cost to start up.
go to an engineer that make the machine locally am not an engineer but i operate the machine its between 250000 to 350000 that locally made one imported also depends on quantity that the machine could produvce there are one of 600000 and there are some 1000000 and above
Good day,can you send me the contact office, and the estimated minimum amount for a start.
Pls can you give means ideal of how much 50 moulds of ice block machine will cost. Thanks
yinka thanks for the post. it would be helpful if you can provide contacts to a reliable engineer.
please i need the office address and the estimated amount for a start.
do you know any engineer that is making the local one in lagos around ijora, surulere somolu, mile 2 etc
Thank you for the post, however, it will help if you could expand the information to include every detail of the business. Do also give addresses where one can find engineers that is making the local one in Lagos, Abuja, imo, Kano, Ibadan etc.