How selling dogs changed Nkwanga’s life

The English Mastiff is the kind of dog that does not take pleasantries from strangers. It is rough, territorial and mean, not to mention its size; almost as huge as a calf.
This is one of the dogs I get to cross paths with in the maternity section of the Savannah dog kennel in Kyaliwajala, Namugongo. It is an expectant mother, moody and evidently in no mood of receiving any visitor.
As I get closer, it charges out and only stops when it hits the fence. It stands closer to the fence, restlessly barking and daring.
This dog is part of Alex Nkwanga’s Savannah Giant Dog Breeders company, which offers a wide range of services including dog breeding, training, boarding and dog grooming.

Tracing the start
After completing his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Makerere University, Nkwanga moved to UK to study Marketing but also studied dog breeding and training in Israel and South Africa.
From there Nkwanga established Savannah Giant Dog Breeders, which presently he has more than 44 dogs with breeding kennels in Kyaliwaja, Namugongo and another in Seeta, Mukono. The kennels have 13 different dog breeds, all of which are trained in the various roles.

Starting out
As a young man, the idea of keeping dogs on a large scale sat close in Nkanga’s mind.
In 2001, he bought a German Shepherd from a friend at Shs600,000 in an effort to experiment with it.
“When I bought my German Shepherd from this friend of mine, his children were crying because the dog was leaving. That is when I realised that actually there were people out there passionate about dogs as I am. At that point I started doing some research through the internet and friends, trying to know if there were any people doing this kind of thing in Uganda. Surprisingly I found no one! The market was there but not explored in any way. It is then that I made up my mind to take on the business on a serious note.” Nkwanga narrates.
His starting capital was the Shs600,000 but slowly started incorporating in new breeds, most of which he bought here (Uganda) and Kenya.
As business started to excite he bought an acre of land in Kyaliwajala, Namugongo where he set up his first kennel.

The kennel structure
When you get to Nkwanga’s dog kennel in Kyaliwajala, the first thing that hits you is the cleanliness. Even with over 200 dogs on the structure, the place is extremely tidy.
The kennel structure is also professionally laid out with a puppy run, a maternity section and a large structure used as a sleeping house.
The kennel also has a training area where dogs are taken through various drills and trainings. The whole area is isolated and quiet, save for the sound of barking dogs.
“It is advisable you set up the kennel in a quiet environment. Dogs feel at peace in such places. In fact, when it comes to dog training, dogs cannot learn from a loud environment,” Nkwanga explains.
Nkwanga invested Shs56m in the construction of the kennel.

Feeding
The puppies are fed thrice a day mainly on milk, eggs, baby porridge and minced meat. Adult dogs are fed once a day on rice, meat and pedigree, a ready to eat food mixtures for dogs, which is imported from South Africa and Kenya.
Nkwanga has a monthly budget of Shs18m dedicated to looking after dogs with the bulk Shs1om going to feeding, Shs7m paid in wages to 36 permanent staff and Shs1m allocated to medication.

Challenges
The biggest challenge, Nkwanga says is the business is filled with unskilled dog breeds, which kills the market for those trying to do it professionally.
Worse still, he adds the dog culture in Uganda is still in the growing stages where people do not appreciate the idea of investing as much as Shs1.5m to purchase a puppy.

Advice to other entrepreneurs
According to Nkwanga staying committed in whichever venture they put thier minds on because, “There is market in every business if you are ready to offer a quality product or service.”

Taking advantage of Wide market

According to Nkwanga, the market for dogs has for long remained open. “There are always people looking to buy a dogs. They come looking for specific breeds of dogs and fortunately we have always been in position to provide them with pure breeds of the dog they are in search of.”
The cheapest puppy at Savannah goes for Shs500,000 (German Shepherd) with the English Mastiff and the Caucasian Mountain going for Shs1.5m.
Nkwanga also hires out adult dogs for between Shs50,000 and Shs100,000 each dog per day.
He also trains other people’s dogs with a two-month training package going Shs500,000.

Nkwanga’s Future plans

Nkwanga plans to expand his security company, which was established in 2012 as an extension to his dog business. “Presently we employ 2,000 people as security guards. These were trained by us in accordance with the Uganda Police standards. They guard different installations.” he says.
Since the dog business has grown, Nkwanga thinks it is time to grow Savannah Security Services Limited into one of the leading security services not only in Uganda but in the region, with a target of expanding it to a holding capacity of more than 10,000 guards.

Numbers

Shs10m
The amount of money that Nkwanga spends on feeding dogs per month.

Shs7m
The amount of money that Nkwanga pays on monthly wages for his 36 staff.

Shs1m
The amount of money that Nkwanga spends on a monthly basis on medication.