TAKEAWAYS

• Douglas Lwanga says Uganda’s entertainment industry offers less value and is becoming harder to monetise.
• He questions the sustainability of small events and online concerts as reliable sources of income.
• He argues that Ugandans prefer indirect payments, creating challenges for subscription-based platforms.

Douglas Lwanga has expressed concern over the declining profitability of Uganda’s entertainment industry, arguing that there is little value in it compared to previous years.

According to the media personality, one of the ways people in the industry can currently make money is by organising smaller events at specific venues and hosting nights. However, he believes this approach is not sustainable in the long run.

“You could invite your rich friends to the night you’ve hosted, but you can’t really keep them in one bar all night,” he argued, noting that there are many entertainment spots competing for people’s attention, with revelers always ready to move on to the next place.

Lwanga also questioned whether online concerts could provide a reliable source of income, explaining that Uganda’s entertainment market does not sufficiently support the model.

He cited Netflix’s experience with Nigerian movies, noting that the streaming platform had shown interest in supporting the industry but later reduced its involvement. He attributed part of the challenge to people sharing subscriptions instead of paying for individual accounts.

“It is the same challenge that VJ Junior was having with Muno Watch,” he said, explaining that subscription sharing limits the revenue creators and platforms can generate compared to what they might expect.

He added that streaming platforms such as Netflix and Spotify face similar challenges in markets where consumers are reluctant to pay directly for digital services, making it difficult for online concerts to generate substantial returns.

“Ugandans prefer indirect payments,” Lwanga said, arguing that people are generally more comfortable with costs incorporated into everyday expenses such as fuel, rent and food than paying directly for certain services.