Uganda’s rapid adoption of mobile phones, social media and digital payments is creating new pathways for young people to trade, market products and build businesses outside formal employment.
ICT Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba recently urged Ugandans to leverage mobile technology for enterprise and education rather than limiting it to entertainment.
“It is your connection to the rest of the world, information and education. You have a computer in your pocket. It is a goldmine waiting to be mined to improve livelihoods,” Lumumba told students at Makerere University.
Against this backdrop, global direct-selling company QNET is stepping up its focus on Uganda, emphasising consumer education, distributor training, transparency, and responsible entrepreneurship.
The company has appointed Jared Thwaits as Regional General Manager for East and Southern Africa, overseeing Uganda and other markets in the region. Thwaits will lead customer experience, distributor education, compliance, stakeholder engagement and modernisation of QNET’s operations.
His appointment comes at a time when smartphones, mobile money and social media have made it easier for entrepreneurs to reach customers without setting up conventional shops. An entrepreneur can market products on Facebook or Instagram, interact with customers on WhatsApp and complete payments via mobile money. The same technology, however, can accelerate the spread of misleading information.
“Uganda does not need more promises of quick wealth. It needs credible entrepreneurial opportunities built around real products, informed consumers and responsible business practices,” Thwaits said.
QNET operates a direct-selling and e-commerce model. Customers purchase its lifestyle and wellness products, while Independent Distributors can build businesses around selling those products.
The company says it wants consumers to fully understand what they are buying, and distributors to understand their responsibilities.
Thwaites warned distributors against exaggerating earnings, promising guaranteed income or presenting the opportunity as formal employment.
“Independent Distributors are often the first people introducing consumers to our products and our business. That comes with significant responsibility,” he said.
He added that distributors must also avoid making unsupported claims about products.
“Technology creates tremendous opportunities, particularly for young entrepreneurs, but it also increases the speed at which misinformation can spread,” Thwaits said.
QNET says it will strengthen responsible digital marketing, improve product information and ensure clearer communication about income opportunities. The company also plans to upgrade its digital tools for customers and distributors as part of its wider technology transformation.
In Uganda, direct selling sits between conventional retail and small-scale entrepreneurship. However, the model depends heavily on trust. Consumers need to know what they are buying, while prospective distributors need to understand the commercial risks, costs and responsibilities before joining.
QNET says its strategy will therefore focus on product knowledge, ethical business practices, compliance and continuous training.
The Uganda push is part of broader leadership changes within QNET and its parent company, QI Group. Mattias Mildenborn has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, Elena Khoo as Chief Marketing Officer, Peter Luk as Chief Financial Officer and Ben Bredenkamp as Group Chief Information Officer.
According to Kuna Senathirajah, Group Managing Director of QI Group, the changes are intended to respond to shifting consumer expectations through product innovation, digital services, stronger training and compliance.
For Uganda, the real test will be whether those ambitions translate into greater confidence among consumers and distributors.
“We want to build for the long term in Uganda, and that starts with trust,” Thwaits said.
As direct selling becomes increasingly digital, companies will be judged not only by the products they offer, but by how clearly they explain their business models, train their representatives and address consumer concerns.