President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged a Shs 5 billion capital boost to a Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) for content creators, formally recognising the sector as an emerging pillar in Uganda’s wealth creation ecosystem.
Speaking at the Jazz with Jajja ranch edition held at his Kisozi farm in Gomba District, Museveni described content creation as a modern extension of marketing and sales — a critical link between producers and consumers in today’s digital economy.
“What you are calling content is sales promotion for people to know about goods and people buy it,” he said.
The President observed that whereas businesses in the past depended largely on radio and television advertising, the rise of social media has created a new cadre of digital operators who package, brand and market products directly to consumers online.
“In the chain of wealth creators, a layer of operators has come up to use social media as an easy way of communication to package and present products to the consumers,” Museveni said.
He stressed that content creators who focus on promoting locally manufactured goods are not merely influencers but strategic partners in national development.
“That should be supported, especially if you are promoting local products. Then you become a useful partner,” he added.
Drawing a historical parallel, Museveni recalled how manufacturers in the 1960s invested heavily in advertising to build strong regional brands. He cited Nytil, a textile brand produced in Jinja, which was widely promoted across East Africa at the time.
The proposed Shs 5 billion injection into the SACCO, he explained, is aimed at strengthening organised groups within the sector, improving access to affordable financing and enabling content creators to professionalise and scale their operations.
“If you have got groups doing that, we shall support them,” Museveni said.
The pledge signals growing government recognition of the digital economy and the creative industry’s expanding role in stimulating consumption, supporting local enterprises and driving job creation particularly among Uganda’s youthful population.
