The newly unveiled GSMA Digital Africa Summit Uganda report has revealed that with the right digital reforms, Uganda could connect 4 million more citizens to the internet, create 1.79 million new jobs, and generate Shs14.6 trillion in additional economic value by 2030.
Titled Driving Digital Transformation of the Economy in Uganda – Opportunities, Policy Reforms and the Role of Mobile, the report outlines how collaborative policy action can accelerate inclusive growth and ensure every Ugandan benefits from the digital economy envisioned in the National Development Plan IV (NDP IV) and the Digital Uganda Vision 2040 (DUV).
Advancing Uganda’s Prosperity Through Digital Inclusion
Uganda’s mobile sector is a cornerstone of the nation’s digital transformation – connecting people to education, healthcare, and financial services, and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs across both urban and rural communities. It also provides the digital backbone for growth in key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and services.
According to Uganda’s Digital Transformation Roadmap, the ICT industry contributes 9% to national GDP, employs over 2.3 million Ugandans, and continues to expand at an impressive annual rate of 14.8%.
GSMA analysis shows that Uganda now has 96% 4G population coverage and 11.46 million unique mobile internet users, equivalent to 22% of the total population and 48% of adults. This progress supports the country’s NDP IV 2030 goals of achieving 70% national broadband coverage and 45% internet usage.
However, three in four Ugandans who live within mobile broadband coverage still do not use it – a usage gap driven by barriers such as the high cost of entry-level smartphones, unreliable energy supply, sector taxes that impact affordability and limited digital skills. Overcoming these challenges is vital to ensuring that every Ugandan can connect, participate, and prosper in the country’s digital future.
Unlocking the Next Phase of Uganda’s Digital Transformation
Uganda has already established solid foundations for its digital economy, with clear strategies under the NDP IV, the DUV, and the roadmap. The GSMA notes that the country’s policy direction is well aligned with its ambitions, but reaching the next stage of digital adoption will require greater policy predictability, affordable access, and long-term investment in innovation and skills.
The report calls for a renewed partnership between government, industry and development partners to ensure that every Ugandan can benefit from digital progress. This collaboration is centred on five priority reforms designed to expand connectivity, enhance inclusion and strengthen Uganda’s long-term competitiveness in the digital age.
Five Priorities to Empower Citizens and Grow the Digital Economy
The GSMA calls for a people-centred policy framework that promotes affordability, innovation and digital skills. Five proposed key priorities would help Uganda achieve its NDP IV and DUV objectives:
- Create a stable investment environment: Amend the coverage obligation requirements in the National Telecom Operator license from 5-years to 20-years and a phased investment rollout programme agreed with the operators, review signal strength measures, and formally designate telecom infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure to address energy supply and infrastructure security.
- Accelerate the use of digital technology to increase domestic revenue mobilisation and optimise taxation to increase digital affordability and inclusion: Remove the 12% excise duty on data services, parity for mobile money with electronic transaction withdrawal levies (0.5%), and exempt advanced telecoms equipment and services (e.g. 4G and 5G) from 18% VAT on imported services.
- Implement measures on entry-level smartphone affordability and other demand-side reforms: Eliminate entry-level smartphone taxes, fast track the Digital Skills Framework, cybersecurity, and use embedded solutions and APIs to increase digital adoption.
- Strengthen energy and infrastructure coordination: Implement a joint ICT-Energy master plan to ensure reliable power supply and encourage renewable energy solutions.
- Modernise regulation for digital: Update regulatory framework, including National AI Strategy and digital policies such as cloud and data location and cross-border transfer.
Delivering Shared Prosperity
According to GSMA modelling, implementing these reforms by 2030 could:
- Expand coverage: Extend 4G population coverage from 96% to 99%, achievable with an investment of just USD 10 million, compared with the current USD 550 million required under existing policy conditions.
- Boost connectivity: Connect an additional 4 million Ugandans to the internet, reaching 19 million users in total (32% of the population and 61% of adults), and reduce the usage gap by 7%.
- Drive economic growth: Create 1.79 million new jobs, add UGX 14.6 trillion in economic value, and generate UGX 2.1 trillion in additional tax revenue through increased digitalisation across key sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, trade, transport, and public services.
- Enable sustainable fiscal gains: Increased mobile data usage across all sectors could deliver UGX 3.1 trillion in additional tax revenue – far outweighing the estimated UGX 370 billion loss from reducing mobile sector taxation, providing government with more resources to reinvest in national priorities.
Angela Wamola, Head of Africa at GSMA, said “Uganda’s digital transformation is about people – enabling every citizen, entrepreneur and community to thrive in a connected economy. By making access more affordable and policies more predictable, Uganda can ensure that digital progress delivers for everyone.”
