This paper is on the design for manufacture and assembly of a paper cup making machine for a developing economy which can be locally manufactured within an income and expenditure that suits most small to medium businesses (SMEs). The current problem is that current computer controlled paper cup making machines on the market are expensive and therefore not affordable for a developing economy. Through wide research of how current paper cup making machines work, it was possible to come up with a low cost effective solution. A deeper understanding of the paper cup making machine was conducted with the aid of the internet, scholarly journals and industrial visits to local companies. The manufacture of this paper cup making machine is advantageous to a developing nation by creating jobs and thus eliminating poverty.