Call me a businessman - Herbert Shonga

Who is Shonga, is it even a Ugandan name?
I’m a 36-year-old businessman born to Mr Griffin Shonga, a retired guitarist and Mrs Mary Nakalema. My father lives in Uganda but he is Malawian, which is where the name Shonga comes from.
You suddenly appeared on the social scene last year. Where were you before?
I left Uganda in 2004 after University, hoping to fulfill my dream to work in USA but couldn’t secure a VISA. A Malawian VISA was easier to get so I opted for Malawi. While there, I did everything I could to earn a living with only my aunts to help. I started performing to make a living, borrowing from my skills as one of the founders of Obsessions dance group.
I danced and mimed to Micheal Ross’ song How do you like somebody. The crowd went wild and started talking about a new Ugandan artiste in Malawi. Soon, I was being hosted on radio and TV interviews. It was during that performance that I met my wife, Dorothy.
So it was entertaining Malawians that made the ‘rich’ man you are today?
Dancing was actually my side job although I didn’t do it for a long time. I was into printing calendars and posters on a small scale, selling them in Malawi and Zambia. My wife then joined me after school and we started working together, slowly growing our printing business.
What was the big break?
In 2014, the President of Zambia by then contracted us to print for him capes, T-shirts, Bandanas, Key holders, cups and all other things for his political campaign. The deal was $310,000 (about Shs1bn). It was the money that changed our lives and we started up a big printing company. We have never looked back.
Is it after hitting the Jackpot that you ran back to Uganda?
I didn’t run back to Uganda. I only came to spread wings of The Shongas Empire, the Printing Company. We operate in Malawi and Zambia. Two months ago, we spread to Uganda with Shonga’s Media and Advertising Company, located on Nkrumah Road.
Are you back to stay?
I am not planning on staying in neither Uganda nor Malawi. I want to stay in United States of America because I don’t want my family to hustle in Uganda like I did. I am planning on mortgaging a house in the US very soon and we shall move there with my wife and our three children.
How much did the wedding cost you?
The wedding cost me about Shs900m. The highest expenditure was spent on flying relatives in from Zambia and Malawi. It being December, flights were expensive but I had to fly in all of them to be part of the event.
Why the extravagance?
I wasn’t extravagant; it was just within the budget. To me extravagance is when you use more than a half of what you have. I didn’t even use 15 per cent of what I have.
Many only refer to you as a Socialite and Tycoon, which are you?
Calling me a Socialite is cheap because they are just posers on social media and show-offs at events. Tycoon is too expensive for me because I am not one. I therefore prefer to be called a businessman who is struggling to make ends meet.
You and your wife are always all over each other in public, always together. Apparently that is a sign of insecurity in one of the partners.
My wife has very few friends so I have to be there for her. She takes me as her best friend and whenever she is bored, I do anything to make her happy and entertained. When I kiss her in public, it is okay with me because she is not someone else’s woman.
Tell me something you hate about Ugandan women?
Ugandan women are materialistic, they don’t love, and they actually sell love. I have never bought love but my friends have told me about their experiences.
There must be something you would like to change about your wife.
Dorothy likes working hard and I don’t want to see her working too much.

RIGHTING MY MESS
I’m a loving, caring and romantic husband although I don’t think the question should be directed to me. I might sound like I am blowing my own trumpet. I wouldn’t say I am a cheat and she trusts me although I messed up once in 2015. I don’t think I would ever be fooled again. I abandoned her and the family and came back to Uganda and got another woman but after seven months, reality hit me and the tears of my wife haunted me. That was when I went back kneeling and she forgave me so we started all over.