Please note that converted / fabricated containers are only available in East Africa and Middle East.

10 Creative Uses for Containers For Rent in South Africa This Festive Season

This article is about using containers that are readily available to rent in South Africa to capitalise on the year-end spend.

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur waiting to grasp the opportunity to make additional income over December and January, read the suggestions we have come up with which simply require you to rent an Almar container over the next two months. We have top insider suggestions, learnt from our customers, which could help you make money when foot traffic is high and people have disposal income available.

If you are already an entrepreneur, you might need a container to carry additional stock needed to capitalise on the demand over the holiday period. Containers are a great solution to ensure your business is year-end ready.



Ten Great Uses for Renting a Container this Christmas


1.

Sell beautifully handcrafted South African products from a used shipping container

Overseas visitors are fascinated by traditional African arts and crafts. Hand-woven baskets, wire art, colourful cotton prints, wood, clay and stone carvings are in high demand as gifts to take home, or reminders of fond memories made while visiting. Used containers for rent can showcase these exquisite mementos in a location which attracts tourists visiting our country.

Containers do not attract the same overheads and commitment as a retail outlet. Being portable and offering a monthly rental option is a huge benefit in choosing containers to rent in South Africa.



2.

A pop up café in a container near the action

A number of our shipping containers for rent in South Africa are making popular cafes. Besides being a fun and funky option, local entrepreneurs love them because they are cheaper than brick-and-mortar buildings and have a reduced environmental footprint.

Containers for rent provide a perfect lock-up and go and weatherproof solution. Shipping containers withstand the worst forces of nature out in the middle of the ocean so South Africa’s ‘bad weather’ can hardly compare with that.

A pop up café in an easily accessible spot may develop into a hotspot where locals gather, collaborate on ways to improve their communities and help them grow. This brings more business for the café owner while ideas to uplift the community are discussed and action plans put in place.


3.

Community Support during the Christmas holidays

Although the holiday period is a happy time for many, for a large portion of the population it is the most difficult time of the year. Those who don’t have families find it exceptionally lonely. Obtaining a container for rent and having a temporary outlet where the downtrodden and heartbroken can come and speak to a trained council or engage in a meaningful activity can be lifeline.

Alternatively the container for rent can be used to showcase features of the community which would be of interest to the holidaymakers – such as local foods, traditions, rituals, artefacts. It would be fascinating to an international visitor to see the day to day life of a South African living in a rural area. Adapting a container into an information centre staffed by local residents bridges a gap.

South African townships have done this and seen their economy grow. Call Almar Container Group in Durban on +27 31 561 6767 for more information and advice.



4.

Rent a refrigerated container and sell ice creams and ice-lollys

As we know, summer in South Africa is hot and what better way to cool down than with an ice cream or ice lolly, especially if it is conveniently positioned by a bus stop or taxi rank.

Rent a Almar refrigerated container, erect a sign and stock up to sell by bringing your product directly to your target market.

Background:

Refrigerated containers, often referred to as Reefers, traditionally transported South Africa’s fresh fruit to Europe on container ships. They keep product cool or frozen depending on requirements. Refrigerated containers are giant fridges / freezers and all they need is a transformed power source to work which could be a wall plug or a generator. It’s that straightforward.


5.

Trial holiday accommodation potential on your smallholding or farm

Backpacking is a growing business opportunity. Tourists want to experience the beauty of our country and being based on a small holding or farm is the best way to achieve this?

If you own a piece of land near a beach, dam or hiking trail you could be sitting on a gold mine, but where do you start? Building a permanent backpackers lodge is expensive without the cash readily available.

Why not rent a few containers to trial the idea?


6.

Adapt a storage container for both selling from and overnight lodging at a festival

Music and food and beverage festivals are a great drawcard for crowds over the festive season and having a stall is an excellent opportunity to make money. You don’t want to be far away from your money-generating opportunity and crowds want to celebrate until all hours of the morning. Being open for trade until the sun comes up is how to maximise this business prospect.

You can rent a container to trade from, to store your backup stock safely and to pack your exhibits or sitting area away at the end of the trading day. Then you can sleep peacefully in the container knowing everything is secure. You can then set up in the morning in a matter of minutes. Leaving you more time to engage with customers and sell.

A dry container for rent also provides a temporary home on a festival site. When you add up the cost of accommodating yourself and two casual staff, for example, in a bed and breakfast for the duration of the festival, you’ll find the container for rent works out cheaper.


7.

Open a beach umbrella and deck chair business where people gather for fun

If the weather is great and a fun activity is taking place, we often end up spending the whole day somewhere, when we only intended to pop in. This could be anything from a kite-flying competition in a park to a surf competition on a beach.

However, our legs start getting tired from standing around and sitting down and relaxing in the shade to enjoy a cold beverage or an impromptu braai sounds like the ideal plan. This is when hiring deck chairs and beach umbrellas from a rented container comes into demand.

Invest in renting a small container, umbrellas, chairs and maybe fold-up tables and then establish a presence in your area where people gather for fun.


8.

Use containers for rent for an one-on-one service business

Simple, one-on-one service businesses like barber shops, hair or nail salon, beauty or massage parlour can easily be provided to customers from a rented converted container. Renting a container means substantially less risk, less cost and the mobility to allow you to be where your customers want you to be.

Permanent tattoo parlours in shipping containers for sale is on the increase.


9.

Use a storage container for your perishable and non-perishable goods

Food and beverage is a ’just-in-time business’ because of its limited shelf life. But what do you do when you are busiest while your suppliers are away on their Christmas holidays?

Fortunately, Almar Container Group has a stock of dry storage containers, and fridge / freezer containers to rent in South Africa. They are your obvious solution for additional food and beverage storage. Give us a call on +27 31 561 6767 and we’ll explain how it works.



10.

Use tank containers (known as ISOtainers) for the storage of liquid waste

ISOtainers for rent are perfect for the temporary storage of liquid and semi-liquid waste. Just pump it in and when the tank is full organise a recycler to pump it out or a transporter to take it to a waste recycling company to be reprocessed.


You and An Almar Container Could Be in Business Soon.

We have a range of dry storage containers, insulated containers, liquid containers (ISOtainers) and fridge / freezer containers (Reefers) to rent in stock at our depots in Durban, Dar as Salaam, Mombasa, Nairobi, Namibia, Dubai, Khabar and Kampala.

We have assisted many small businesses to start up and grow using our containers for retail, accommodation and storage. Give us a call at +27 31 561 6767 or contact us via https://almarcontainergroup.com/contact-us/.

In summary, here are the 10 uses for containers to rent in South Africa which Almar suggests:

  1. Sell beautifully handcrafted South African products from a used shipping container
  2. Create a pop up café in a container near the action
  3. Start a community support centre during the Christmas holidays
  4. Rent a refrigerated container and sell ice creams and ice-lollys
  5. Trial holiday accommodation on your smallholding or farm
  6. Adapt a storage container for both selling from and overnight lodging at a festival
  7. Open a beach umbrella and deck chair business where people gather for fun
  8. Use containers for rent for an one-on-one service business
  9. Use a storage container for your perishable and non-perishable goods
  10. Use tank containers (known as ISOtainers) for the storage of liquid waste