Living in Uganda

Sunday, 8 July 2012

Affiliate Marketing growing

The current generation of Ugandans is growing at par with current trends in the global business environment. Affiliate marketing is currently one of the fastest employment opportunities taking root in the country. This is mainly being done on a part-time basis and some have taken it on on a full-time basis.One can easily continue with his regular job while carrying on his affiliate marketing on the side and earn some extra cash.

Affiliate marketing is being appreciated in Uganda because it presents many benefits which traditional employment opportunities do not. These may include being one's own boss,flexibility, cheap start-up and the ability to take on more than one affiliate marketing program at the same time. Some of the most common affiliate programs operating in Uganda include.GNLD, Forever Living, Q-Net, SFI, Triple Clicks and many others. Also some pyramid schemes had started operating but were banned by the government after reports that they were schemes which were dwindling money from unsuspecting people.

The growth in affiliate marketing in Uganda can be linked to factors like easy start-up, since capital is the biggest hindrance to entrepreneurship in the country. This is because some affiliate marketing programs require no capital like SFI. One's participation and commitment are the only requirements to succeed in affiliate marketing. One has to create a big network of friends from whom he can get potential prospects to join his team.

On the other hand, this type of business is not for those who want to realise quick returns on their investment. One's commitment and participation in the program determines how returns are realised. It is only after one has mastered the art that he rests and beginning earning from his team's participation in the program. One of the major hindrance which deter many Ugandans from joining affiliate marketing programs is that they can never be sure of how much returns they will realise from their investment.

Affiliate marketing can easily be done by word of mouth among friends, peers and family. Other programs are carried out on the internet especially with the growth in social media usage.

Sunday, 10 June 2012

Uganda makes leap in BPO

Uganda has has started making steps to become a major Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub in Africa. The government has shown strong commitment to promote this new form of employment creation. It is trying to follow other countries like China, India and South Africa which have reaped many benefits from the service. The government has shown strong commitment to support investors in the BPO sector.

It has teamed up with investors like Dhanush; an Indian BPO firm, Raps-Spanco; a joint venture between Raps an IT firm in East Africa and Spanco an international BPO firm and TechnoBrain. Many youths are going to get jobs when these firms start operation this month. About 500 youths were trained in skills like call center operations and data entry by Makerere University, the ICT Ministry and firms like the African BPO Academy.

The government is to provide incentives like subsidized power, internet bandwidth and free office space on the third and fourth floors on Statistics House in Kampala. This is a positive gesture by the Ugandan government towards promoting job creation. With this, Uganda joins South Africa to become the next best thing in BPO in Africa. South Africa provides investment grants to investors in the BPO sector. For example the South African Government launched a Government Assistance and Support programme in March 2007 to promote investment in the BPO sector.

Further, even education institutions have followed suit in a bid to promote BPO in the country. Management Training and Advisory Centre (MTAC) at Nakawa has started offering certificate courses in BPO related fields. For example starting July courses like Call Center Manager Certification and Certificate in Customer Service will be offered to interested applicants. This will enhance professionalism in the BPO sector.

The BPO sector is not new in the Uganda. A team of private individuals already have an established BPO firm in the country. Zundati International has been in operation for more than five years. It is run by a team of professionals who have done work for reputable firms like Ancestry,com. It is an international firm with a subsidiary in the US. A lot of youths have been able to earn income through doing offshore work at Zundat International at their local office at Kansanga.

Profile of Zundat International.

With the joint effort of both the Ugandan government and private investors there is great hope that Uganda will be a force to reckon with in the BPO sector. This is because the country is blessed with a good customer service culture, improved internet coverage, improved power generation and an indegenious English speaking population, all these which are vital in the success of the BPO sector.

Sunday, 29 April 2012

Pioneer Easy Bus adventure

The newly introduced transport mode in Kampala is bound to give you some adventurous experiences.

Reduced transport costs
Ever since Pioneer Easy Buses started operation , i have managed to cut on my transport costs. Taxis used to charge according to the amount of traffic on my Kampala-Bweyogere route. Can you imagine that one could pay 700 SHS in the morning from Kampala to Bweyogere and pay 2000 SHS for the same route in the evening. The taxi operators would easily adjust the fare whenever they could detect increased traffic flow. However that has now come to pass with the coming of Pioneer Easy bus. Now sure of paying just 800 SHS and easily save 700 SHS for other costs.

Queuing culture.
Taking the Pioneer Easy bus means one has to adopt the queuing culture into their normal routine. The buses usually attract a huge number of people in that there has to be some order in order to access them. People who normally take the bus have to line up since access is on first come first serve basis. It is normal to see the Pioneer Easy bus queue making a bend since every one has to respect the one before him when accessing the bus. I personally hate lining up but if it means saving an extra buck i have no problem with it other than shoving myself up with others trying to enter a taxi as before.

Hustle free travel

Traveling by taxi was never short of drama; from arguing over transport fare to cases of theft of passengers' property by unscrupulous taxi operators. Inside the bus, you can never hear arguments over one's balance or fare, there are limited chances of getting ones property stolen by operators and most of all no interruptions from people communicating unsolicited information inside like gospel preachers. I was even amazed one day when a salesman was prohibited from giving out his fliers to passengers inside the bus. That guarantees one hustle free travel to his destination. I wonder whether the buses have immunity from traffic police because i have never seen any one being stopped unlike taxis.

Formalised transport

I can now manage to budget for my travelling needs and easily find out how much i can spend on my travel. One does not have to worry that the fare may rise after a heavy downpour or when there is a Chamilion Album Launch at Kyadondo Rugby Club. There is the joy of getting a receipt for your payments and this has proved that now you are a genuine customer the service provider. One has to be issued with a ticket on paying to the bus clerk indicating the amount paid suitable for his destination before entering a Pioneer Easy bus.

Enough room for everyone
No one is left behind by a Pioneer Easy bus. With its capacity to carry 61 passengers is better off than taxis which are licenced to carry 14 passengers though they overload. If you are not early enough to grab a seat, then you are destined to reach your destination standing up or wait for one to disembark early so that you take over his seat. I had never experienced travelling while standing until i took the Pioneer Easy bus. This has exposed the goodness in some people for example when a gentleman offered his seat to an elderly lady.

Monday, 23 April 2012

Social media revolution

The social media revolution has taken on Ugandans by storm. Almost all aspects of life has been taken over by social media. Be it politics, business, interaction, health and traditional aspects like Ssengas. All this can be accessed through social media in the country.

Rise of free Facebook

Mobile phone operators have given many Ugandans a chance to experience social networks by providing them with free Facebook access. Orange Uganda offers m.facebook.com and MTN moble network offers Facebook0 to their subscribers. That has greatly contributed to the Facebook craze in the country.

Increase in smart phones

Many middle class Ugandan are proud owners of the latest tech gadgets and smart phones. These enable them to be always on the go with their social networks everywhere. These smart phones can easily be bought in any mobile phone shop like those at Mutasa Kafeero plaza and some are introduced by mobile phone services operators.

Facebook market place

Innovative youths came with ideas of forming Facebook pages where anyone can go and buy or sell any item.This has provided a cheap marketing platform for people looking for marketing opportunities and enables buyers to interact with providers of goods and services cheaply. Notably among these include Zillionsclub classifieds which has amassed more than 35,000 members and Tradelinks Africa.

Reduced costs of keeping in touch.
Communication has been made easy for Ugandans by the emergence of social media platforms. Now the cost of keeping in touch with long lost friends has been minimized with the emergence of Facebook and Twitter.One can easily search for a lost pal by just doing it through a friend search in Facebook. Now people from the same institution can form a facebook page in order to keep in touch with each other.

Popularity of fan pages
Businesses learnt to incorporate social media in their operations as a means of keeping up with the current trends. Now it is mandatory for a company to host a fan page where it can interact with its customers. It has become a norm for television broadcasters like NTV and NBS to air out views of their social media followers on different topics on air. Even government institutions like KCCA realized the potential of social media and embraced them.

Friday, 20 April 2012

Be street smart

You can keep your valuables safe while on the move with some precautions

At the mall

Do not forget to leave your valuables like laptops in your car at the parking lot of the mall. Many cases of theft have been reported of valuables stolen from people's cars under the watchful eye of security guards at many shopping malls. So its better you move with your valuables than leaving them inside your car however locked because it is not safe!

In a jam

One can not miss to notice the long queues in traffic jam in the morning, lunch hours and evening on many roads like Entebbe road. This has been taken advantage of by people seeking to reap where they did not sow. There fore it is wise to keep your car window up because you can never know what may attract some one to steal be it your bracelet, phone or any other thing. Many people's phones have been snatched while they are talking on them in traffic jam.

Avoid mobs.
Kampala streets are never void of drama which attract stares from people. To be on a safe side it is better never to join in on whatever people are starring at while on your way on the street because among those looking are people ready to disappear with your wallet or phone without your notice.

Keep away from dark paths

Try as much as possible to avoid short-cuts passing through dark paths however short it may be to your final destination. Most times these are the havens of muggers who waylay unsuspecting people and rob them of their belongings at whatever cost. You can never under estimate the danger these muggers may pose.

Keep away from strangers

Every one of us has been taught since childhood to keep away from people we do not know however we can not avoid it especially in crowded places where one can never know who to expect. However people who come to you on the street asking for monetary help are in most cases fakes who use that as a hoax to earn from kind people. Though it may seem harmless, it gets irritating meeting that same person many other times using the same technic to try and get money from your pocket.

Hitchhiking

Picking a stranger on the road in your car might seem as being kindhearted but it very risky. Women take advantage of this and ask strangers for help only to blackmail them for money. More so it is not safe to let strangers give you a ride because you might never know their motives.

Downtown
When travelling to downtown parts of the city always take extra precaution. Never leave your house wearing that expensive bracelet or earrings if you are going to pass through the lower side of the city. They are most likely going to be snatched from you by people who think they have better uses of them than you.
Hold your handbag very tightly towards you if you are a lady and make sure that you put your valuables deeper in your backpack. And do not talk on the phone while walking on the street because it is definitely going to be snatched on streets like Luwum and William in Kampala

Saturday, 14 April 2012

Beat the blackout blues

You can stop cussing UMEME and make good use of electricity power blackouts, its possible. Here are a few suggestive ways on how you can make life go on without whining about the power outages synonymous with the power distribution company.

Visit a friend

You can catch up on lost friends when there is no power. There is always that special friend you have been neglecting of late because you have been busy watching Series and Soap operas. Now you have no excuse go and catch up on lost times.

Call friends

At least 6 out of 10 of Ugandans have more than one mobile line including you, take advantage of that. Telecom companies have promos where they offer reduced call rates on same network calls. Airtel has Kika where you can get 30 minutes of talk time for just 1000 shs and Warid has Pakalast. You can talk with your pals for all that long and might even forget you in a blackout, see who needs electricity except to charge!!!!!!!!

Do some exercises

All of us have cravings for those abs as seen in most music videos. You can work on that now since there is no movies, Don't mess with an angel, Agataliiko Nfufu, Video games or internet to distract you. Simple exercises like sit-ups, jump skipping, stretching and push-ups can do the trick. Just imagine looking in your mirror to see your much desired new shape when power comes back.

Meditate

Who does not desire peace of mind ?. Our minds need to be at peace in order to be in good shape. Meditation helps one to reflect on what has been happening during the course of the day. It can be a good stress removal from our minds. Just picture yourself having internal peace reflecting on your goals and aspiration for the future in a serene environment.

Tell tales

Our fore-fathers used to tell stories as a means of informal education to their children before invention of electricity. So why not go the traditional way, after all we were not born in electrified places most of us. For parents, power blackouts can be a moment to talk to your kids about life building ways. Now is the time to have parent -child talk which is usually rare to most parents.

Play games on your phone

For the teen in us, you can play games on your phone during power outages. Most phones come loaded with games of all sorts. Or you can download some from websites like waptrick.com. However your phone has to be with a lasting battery life.

Go to your local bar

In case of power blackouts, it is most likely that your local bar has a standby generator to mitigate that. There fore you can easily catch up on your favorite soap, news broadcast on soccer match from your local bar. Also you are protected from bore-doom at home in pitch blackness when you go to your local hangout and socialise.

Finally sleep
This is the most natural way to react when you are at home and power suddenly goes. You now have all the time to catch up on all the lost sleep if you are a workaholic. The brains desperately need to rest and you can just do that when power goes by taking a nap until power comes back.