Twelve Ugandan creative entrepreneurs have completed a year-long business incubation programme aimed at helping cultural and creative enterprises become commercially viable through business training, mentorship and seed funding.
The entrepreneurs graduated at the close of the Koola Kampala Business Incubation Programme, where they showcased businesses in fashion, product design, crafts, agriculture and cultural innovation.
The programme, implemented by Bold in Africa with support from Africalia and The Bold Woman Fund, sought to strengthen Uganda’s cultural and creative industries by equipping entrepreneurs with business development skills, market access and financial support.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Africalia Programme Manager Magalie Kisukurume said the initiative was designed to address the challenges that continue to limit the growth of creative enterprises.
“Culture is not a luxury or an afterthought. It is a driver of economic growth, social cohesion and identity,” Kisukurume said.
She said many entrepreneurs in Uganda’s creative sector struggle with limited access to finance, markets, business development services and professional networks, adding that the programme was intended to bridge those gaps.
“The world needs what you are creating. Uganda needs what you’re creating. This is not an ending. This is the beginning,” she said.
Among the graduates was Shalom, founder of Kanapata, a sericulture enterprise in Serere District, who said the programme enabled the business to develop a growth strategy and prepare for export markets.
“Before the incubator programme, I didn’t have a business plan. I didn’t have focus. Now I know that I want to be an international one-stop hub for everything sericultural,” Shalom said.
Another beneficiary, architect and designer Kenneth Kanabi, founder of Crema Design Studio, said the programme helped him strengthen his branding, pricing strategy and intellectual property management.
“For seven years I studied architecture, but nobody taught me business. Koola Kampala came at exactly the right time,” Kanabi said.
A representative of the Embassy of Belgium in Uganda said the creative sector has the potential to create jobs and contribute significantly to Uganda’s economy.
“It’s not only agriculture, it’s not only industries that create jobs. It’s also the cultural sector,” the representative said.
The representative urged the entrepreneurs to continue building businesses that promote the “Made in Uganda” brand in regional and international markets.
The programme concluded with participants receiving seed funding to support the expansion of their businesses as organisers called for continued investment in Uganda’s growing creative economy.
