Getting Started as an Investor
~3 min read
How Much Do You Need to Start?
Starting Small
One of the best things about the NSE is that you do not need a lot of money to start. You can begin investing with as little as KES 5,000.
Understanding the Costs
When you buy shares, you pay:
- Share price — The cost of the shares themselves
- Brokerage fee — Usually 1.5-2.1% of the trade value
- CMA levy — 0.14% of trade value
- CDSC fee — 0.04% of trade value
- NSE fee — 0.0024% of trade value
A Practical Example
If you buy KES 10,000 worth of Safaricom shares:
- Shares: KES 10,000
- Broker fee (2.1%): KES 210
- Other fees: ~KES 18
- Total cost: ~KES 10,228
Start with what you can afford to invest regularly. Even KES 2,000 per month adds up over time.