Not every business idea starts with a business plan, a pitch deck, and a sensible head on the shoulders. Sometimes, the truly out-there ideas are the ones that hit the jackpot. Here are six that prove you don’t have to think inside the box—sometimes you don’t even need a box at all.
1. Ashley Madison – Dating for the Already Attached
A dating site that openly encouraged affairs. Tagline: “Life is short. Have an affair.” Scandalous? Absolutely. Profitable? Very—over 70 million users worldwide at its peak. Proof that even taboo markets can be lucrative.
2. Beanie Babies – The Plush Toy Gold Rush
Ty Warner’s pellet-stuffed toys were laughed at initially, but they triggered one of the biggest collectible crazes in history. For a while, these little critters traded like Bitcoin does today.
3. Pet Rock & Other Odd Collectibles
It’s literally a rock. In a box. Yet it sold in the millions. Today’s equivalents include “cursed dolls” and “mystery boxes” sold online—bizarre gift ideas people can’t seem to resist.
4. Virtual Girlfriends & Music for Pets
From AI-powered companions to calming playlists for cats and dogs, businesses are tapping into emotional niches—both human and animal. Quirky, yes, but also surprisingly sticky.
5. Worm Farming – Selling Poop for Profit
In South Africa, you’ll find plenty of micro-entrepreneurs quietly making money from worm castings—organic gold for gardeners. What looks like a box of wriggling worms is, in reality, a tidy little annuity business.
6. Recycling Arbitrage – The Waste Matchmaker
One clever operator realised a factory was paying to get rid of cardboard while another was paying to buy it. By connecting the two, they created a zero-cost product pipeline and got paid in the middle. Genius.
? South Africa has its own home-grown oddities: from biltong vending machines in office parks to township coffin manufacturers who custom-paint caskets like racing cars. They may sound eccentric, but they prove one thing—if there’s a market, there’s money to be made.
So, the lesson? The next time you think your idea is “too strange,” remember—someone once sold a rock as a pet and retired early.
