In the bustling Port Bell Market on the outskirts of Kampala, 57-year-old Jane Nakitto arranges colorful fabrics in her small stall. But unlike two months ago, she now pauses to check her phone, quickly recording the sale in a simple inventory app before accepting payment through mobile money.
“Before, I would lose track of what sold best. Now my phone tells me,” she says with a smile, holding up her smartphone. “My children were surprised when I showed them I could do this.”
Jane is one of 851 market vendors who has graduated this morning from a digital skills program that is quietly transforming Uganda’s traditional marketplaces into hubs of digital innovation. Of the 851 vendor, 493 (58%) are male and 358 (42%) are female. The trainings were conducted in the following areas: Kamwokya Community Centre, Kamwokya Market, Kamwokya Mosque, Kitintale market, Portbell market and Usafi market.
The Digital Skilling Program, a collaboration between Uganda’s Ministry of ICT & National Guidance, the National ICT Innovation Hub, and private sector partners including MTN Uganda Foundation and Huawei Uganda, has been delivering practical technology training directly to where vendors work.
Dr. Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, emphasizes how the program exemplifies Uganda’s digital vision: “This digital skilling initiative represents the practical implementation of our Digital Transformation Roadmap. When we see market vendors using digital tools to increase their incomes, we’re witnessing digital transformation that matters to ordinary Ugandans. This initiative aligns directly with the Government’s commitment to ICT as a driver of national development.”
Bryan Mbasa, Senior Manager of MTN Uganda Foundation, explains the human-centered philosophy driving their investment: “The MTN ACE program has always been about meeting people where they are in their digital journey. With these market vendors, we saw tremendous potential waiting to be unlocked. Our digital buses are bridges connecting traditional commerce to digital opportunity. A vendor learns digital financial in the morning and is using it with customers by afternoon. That immediate relevance is why we’re achieving such high adoption rates and why we’re committed to expanding this model across Uganda.”
At Kamwokya Market, 42-year-old Robert Okello, who has sold produce for over two decades, now manages his supplier relationships through WhatsApp and tracks his daily earnings using a simple spreadsheet.
“I was afraid of these things,” he admits, pointing to his phone. “In my age, you think technology is for the young. But now I send price requests to five suppliers at once instead of calling each one. I save time and find better prices.”
The program doesn’t just teach abstract concepts – it focuses on immediately applicable skills that translate to better livelihoods.
“We’re seeing incomes increase by an average of 15% within weeks of completing the training,” explains Sandra Abwin , one of the program’s trainers. “When vendors can track inventory, reduce waste, and connect directly with customers, the impact is immediate.”
What makes this program different is its approach to accessibility. Rather than expecting busy market vendors to travel to training centers, MTN and Huawei’s digital buses – modern classrooms on wheels equipped with computers, internet connectivity, and interactive screens – park directly at the markets.
“The first time the yellow bus arrived at Usafi Market, people were sceptical,” recalls Mable Kayima, a technical facilitator for the program. “By the second week, we had vendors lining up before we opened the doors.”
Inside these mobile digital hubs, vendors learn everything from basic smartphone functions to digital financial services and online marketing. Each skill is tailored to their specific business challenges.
For 26-year-old single mother Esther Namuganza, who sells handcrafted baskets, the training has transformed her business reach.
“Now I take photos of my best designs and share them in WhatsApp groups with tourists and expatriates,” she explains while displaying the digital catalog on her phone. “Last month I received an order from a customer who saw my products online. They ordered 50 baskets for a hotel in Entebbe.”
What’s particularly striking about the program is its success in bridging Uganda’s digital gender divide. With 42% female participation, the initiative is empowering women like Fatima Nakabuye, who previously relied on her teenage son for anything technology-related.
“Men always had more connections for business. Now my phone is my connection,” says Fatima, who runs a spice stall in Kitintale Market. “I joined a group of women vendors across different markets. We share supplier information and support each other.”
The program’s human-centered approach addresses the real barriers to digital adoption. Trainers speak local languages, use culturally relevant examples, and provide follow-up support sessions where graduates can troubleshoot problems they encounter.
Following the successful first phase in Kampala, the digital buses are now preparing to bring similar training to market vendors across greater Kampala, with plans to reach Eastern, Western, Northern, and Central Ugandan regions in the coming months.
The expansion comes as data shows remarkable adoption rates. Program organizers report that 78% of graduates implement at least one digital tool in their business within two weeks of training, and digital payment transactions have increased by 23% among participants.
“What we’re witnessing is technology democratization in its purest form,” says Steven Kirenga, General Manager Product Development at Centenary Technology Services, implementing partner of MTN Uganda Foundation’s MTN ACE Enterprise Program. “We designed this initiative not just to transfer skills but to transform mindsets. When a market vendor realizes they can use the same technology as a corporate executive to solve their specific business challenges, that’s when digital inclusion becomes meaningful. Our approach focuses on making complex technology accessible without simplifying its power.”
For policymakers, the program demonstrates a concrete implementation of Uganda’s Digital Transformation Roadmap and a step toward the Digital Uganda Vision 2040.
“This isn’t about abstract concepts of digital transformation,” says a Ministry of ICT & National Guidance representative. “It’s about making technology relevant and accessible to ordinary Ugandans in ways that improve their daily lives.”
Perhaps most significantly, the program is creating unexpected ripples throughout communities.
Graduate James Muwonge now helps fellow vendors with technical problems during market hours and has started weekend training sessions for interested community members.
“My neighbors see how I use my phone for business and want to learn,” he says. “Last Sunday I taught eight people, including a 52-year-old woman who wants to talk to her grandchildren overseas.”
As the MTN digital buses prepare to take this quiet revolution to new corners of Kmapala and Uganda, the program’s human impact continues to grow in markets across Kampala.
Back at her fabric stall, Jane Nakitto finishes serving a customer who found her through a digital market directory created by program graduates.
“Technology was always something that happened elsewhere, in big companies or with young people,” she reflects. “Now it happens here, among us, in the market. And we are the ones making it happen.”
