The figure, presented by the Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotion Authority (UFZEPA), represents just 2.03% of Uganda’s total services exports, despite the rapid expansion of demand for digital services globally.
Uganda’s ICT service exports peaked at $55.4m in 2023, before declining by about $6.9m to $48.5m in 2024.
The sector has nevertheless recorded growth over the longer term. Between 2019 and 2024, ICT service exports grew at an average annual rate of 11.8%, although performance has been uneven.
In 2023, ICT exports increased by 38%, significantly faster than total services exports, which grew by about 13%. However, the momentum was not sustained in 2024, when ICT exports declined even as Uganda’s overall services exports increased to $2.4b.
For Digi Vibers, the numbers tell an important story: Uganda is already earning foreign exchange from technology, but the sector remains small compared with its potential.
UFZEPA estimates the global IT services market at $1.57 trillion in 2026. Uganda’s $48.5 million in ICT exports therefore represents only a tiny share of the global opportunity.
At the African level, Uganda’s $55.4 million in ICT service exports in 2023 accounted for approximately 0.6% of Africa’s $9.2 billion ICT services exports.
Industry players believe Uganda can increase its earnings by targeting areas such as software development, customer support, finance and accounting, cybersecurity, fintech, data services and artificial intelligence.
Peter Muhumuza, CEO of Roke Telecom, said Uganda’s young workforce and widespread use of English give it an advantage in serving international clients.
“Ugandans use English, which is the language of operation in many countries. So it is a big advantage we have. We just need to give our people more skills to compete in the global market,” he said.
Uganda’s BPO industry currently has 44 registered operators and about 12,000 formal jobs, while the national strategy targets increasing the sector’s value to $1 billion by 2030.
The challenge is now to turn the existing $48.5 million into a much larger digital export stream through better skills, connectivity, infrastructure, investment and access to global customers.