Uganda’s entrepreneurship ecosystem faces persistent challenges, including high business mortality rates, limited mentorship, and a lack of practical, experience-driven guidance.
Many start-ups fail to celebrate even their first anniversary, often hampered by inadequate business knowledge, weak digital visibility, and the absence of seasoned entrepreneurs to provide direction.
Into this gap steps Beyond the BluePrint Uganda, a newly launched initiative designed to amplify authentic entrepreneurial stories, share real challenges, and provide lessons from successful business leaders to inspire and equip the next generation.
Launched in Kampala, the initiative seeks to become a transformative platform where emerging entrepreneurs can learn directly from those who have navigated the difficult early stages of business.
Through mentorship, digital content, and storytelling, Beyond the BluePrint Uganda aims to reshape Uganda’s entrepreneurial culture, grounding it in honesty, resilience, and practical know-how.
The vision bearer and founder of Sash Events, Santina Anshmeza, said the initiative comes at a critical time when many young founders struggle to sustain their ventures.
“Beyond the blueprint is an entrepreneurial platform with actual entrepreneurs and not motivational speakers. We are offering support, guidance, and mentorship to upcoming inexperienced entrepreneurs with skills that can enable them succeed in their ventures, something that some of us never got but needed,” she said.
Chief guest Dr Ian Clarke, CEO of the Clarke Group, delivered a keynote emphasizing that successful entrepreneurship is built on vision, purpose, and integrity.
He encouraged young entrepreneurs to build businesses that not only seek profit but also positively impact communities.
“Discipline is very key for entrepreneurs. They should also enterprise around societal problems and tackle them, not only enriching themselves,” he said.
Digital entrepreneurs attending the launch shared candid journeys marked by limited capital, societal doubt, fear of failure, and inadequate knowledge.
They applauded the initiative as a long-overdue intervention and pledged to mentor upcoming entrepreneurs through Beyond the BluePrint Uganda, offering the support they wished they had when starting out.
The initiative will roll out digital mentorship content, interviews, and entrepreneurial conversations on Next Media’s AfroMobile, ensuring guidance, inspiration, and practical learning reach young entrepreneurs across the country.
With a focus on digital presence, niche creation, and authentic storytelling, Beyond the BluePrint Uganda aims to cultivate a new generation of confident, innovative, and well-equipped Ugandan entrepreneurs.