A Uganda on the horizon

As a country, we have made clear our intention to become a technology powerhouse. The commissioning of a computer & phone manufacturing plant by ENGO Holdings (a Chinese company) in Namanve is the latest demonstration of our intent to be meaningful contributors to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Uganda needs to have a few things in place before we can start to see sustained and significant growth in technology and its adoption; these include affordable devices and internet, skilled software engineers who can build great products, and users who are aware of technology’s power and are eager to harness it.
Uganda’s crop of skilled engineers has grown exponentially in the recent past. The establishment of technology hubs such as Innovation Village, Outbox and Hive Colab was the first step. The hubs give budding engineers a safe space within which to learn and explore ideas collaboratively.

Start-ups
In 2017, Andela, a multi-national company set up shop in Kampala. It offers software engineers a platform to grow professionally; a goal it achieves by placing them with global tech companies. Similarly, other companies [with ties abroad] like Tunga and Laboremus, are giving Ugandan engineers access to the global stage.
Homegrown endeavours such as Refactory (which operates out of Clarke International University) and Outbox Edu are focused on getting aspiring software engineers started on their professional journey. Today, Uganda has [exponentially] more people meaningfully engaged as software engineers than at any point in its history.

Adoption
The adoption of technology by users has been a tumultuous journey. Several software products (read Apps) were unsuccessful because they were “too early”. The would-be users were not ready. They had almost no appreciation for the advertised value of the Apps.
In 2014, Jumia launched in Uganda and short term, success seemed impossible. Fortunately for the Ugandan populace, Jumia has deep pockets that allowed for extended marketing and user-acquisition campaigns. Fast-forward to five years later and the Jumia online marketplace has become semi-ubiquitous amongst Kampalans.
SafeBoda, a transport solutions provider, launched in 2014 as well. It has pulled off the biggest mindset shift I’ve seen in Uganda in the recent past. As a company operating a two-sided marketplace, SafeBoda had the daunting task of changing both the boda boda riders and passengers’ behaviour. Fast-forward to present day, and there have been over 10,000 riders joining SafeBoda. Similarly, more passengers use SafeBoda’s mobility solutions daily, with a positive bias towards cashless transactions.

Technology firms
The success of technology products and/or companies like SafeBoda, Jumia, Uber, and Taxify (Bolt) has allowed users to see the smartphone as more than just a communication device. Urban dwellers are [finally] starting to embrace technology, and believe in its ability to improve the quality of life.
At this point, we have comparatively more skilled engineers building great products for users who are open and eager to use said products. The next step is to replicate this pattern across the country. A big part of that is having the hardware (computers and smartphones) become accessible to more Ugandans. The imminent construction of a computer and smartphone factory means that more affordable devices are on the horizon. This should translate into a lower barrier to entry and higher technology utilisation rates. ENGO holdings say that their goal is to eventually train Ugandans in the art of computer and smartphone manufacturing. This guarantees decreased costs of production down the line as more Ugandans acquire skills and an abundance of affordable work tools (computers) for software engineers.

Affordable Internet
That leaves one pre-requisite; affordable and widespread internet. We are moving in the right direction with affordability despite the instatement of the regressive Over-The-Top (OTT) service tax.
According to the 2018 EcoBank Research report, 1GB in Uganda costs $7 (Shs25,790) on average. For context, neighbouring Kenya comes in at ~$3.3 (Shs12,158), and South Africa at $10 (Shs36,843).

Increase Internet access
Our priority should be to increase internet reach. If we’re to learn anything from South Africa, it’s that reach is more important than affordability in the quest for technological advancement. In time, the increasing number of users might even drive the cost down organically.
With all this in place, the convergence of factors that will yield a Uganda in which technology is ubiquitous would be nearly complete.

The writer is a senior software engineer, Andela Obama Foundation Scholar, Columbia University.
TECH NEEDS
Uganda needs to have a few things in place before we can start to see sustained and significant growth in technology and its adoption; these include affordable devices and internet, skilled software engineers who can build great products, and users who are aware of technology’s power and are eager to harness it.