PSFU offers support to Uganda’s creative industry 

The creatives industry and fashion sector in particular can catapult Uganda’s economy to higher heights by easing the country’s unemployment burden and addressing both the balance of payments and trade deficits, Damali Ssali has said.

Speaking at a Kreative Clinic held in Jinja recently, Ssali, a trade development expert who also doubles as the chief programs and projects officer at Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), noted that Uganda’s fashion sector and the broader creative industry are underperforming due to several challenges, which if decisively addressed, would change the fortunes of not only this industry but the country at large.

“On the African continent, the size of the creative industry is $158 billion. In comparison, the UK creative industry alone is worth $130 billion. Nigeria’s creative industry is worth $4.5 billion. Uganda’s creative industry based on that data available is worth $1.6 billion,” Ssali noted, adding;

“In fully developed economies, the creative industry contributes at least 7 per cent of their GDP, which is not yet the case with Uganda. This industry also has several other intangible benefits such as social inclusion, cultural preservation, innovation development and creating and catalyzing a sense of worthiness which would greatly benefit us. So, the creative industry if well-developed can catalyze job creation and transform millions of lives.”

She highlighted that the fashion sector alone is contributing about 8 per cent of the country’s employed population, which is way below the global trend where the fashion sector contributes at least 13 per cent of the employed population.

“This sector employs about 2.5 million Ugandans, mainly women and youth, thus leaving a shortfall of about 1.5 million jobs, way below the global potential of this sector. The main challenges undermining the fashion sector and the broader creative industry include access to capital, access to markets, capacity enhancement, and bad intellectual property environment among others.”   

The Kreative Clinic was part of the 2024 PSFU Women’s Day Katale held in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The Katale had over 200 exhibitors, including over 50 from the creative industry. Other speakers at the Kreative Clinic included Abbas Kaijuka, an award-winning fashion designer, Anita Beryl (known for her great wedding gowns and dresses) Brenda Maraka (one of the godmothers of fashion in Uganda), Joshua Kiyimba of Jonjo Fashion Designers and Cissy Kyeyune (style show producer at NTV).

Beryl challenged players in the creative industry to strive to be original, and unique; noting that there is evident laziness, preference for shortcuts and lack of skills among the new crop of designers.

“It is okay to get inspiration from others, but don’t just copy and paste. Designers mainly the new ones need to be original, hardworking and teachable. You can’t be green and not willing to learn at the same time,” Beryl said.

On her part, Maraka highlighted the need to inculcate fashion and creatives in school curriculums so that those interested are introduced to both the theory and practicals of the industry early enough.

“Young designers need access to both training and funds. We need to involve schools and other higher institutions of learning to close the training and professional skills gaps. The government and other stakeholders such as development partners should chip in on the side of providing funds in the form of patient capital to help the industry grow,” she said.

Calls for public-private solutions

To mitigate some of these challenges, Ssali noted that PSFU is supporting business development services purely targeted at market access and also improving the business environment, especially around policy and advocacy to improve the regulations around intellectual property and taxes that impede the industry.

“Collectively, all stakeholders in the creative industry need to come together to narrow that gap between our potential and what we are currently working with. As PSFU, we are happy to partner with any stakeholders that wish to work with us to ensure that we hold this together, and bridge the existing gap so that we can create more jobs, and increase the earnings from this industry,” she noted.

Some of the PSFU projects through which players in the creative industry can be supported include GROW implemented with World Bank and ministry of Gender, Young Africa Works supported by Mastercard Foundation, and INVITE – Investment for Industrial Transformation and Employment among others.