Inside Uganda’s emerging fintech ecosystem
It’s been almost two decades since the Ugandan Internet Society launched a virtual community that became one of the strongest in Africa. Today, the society is taking what was once a virtual community and turning it into a physical one that reaches more than 14 million Ugandans.
So what is it that sets the Ugandan Internet Society apart? And what does this ecosystem look like?
The first thing many people notice is that it’s not just the content on the network, but rather the way the network itself works.
“The Internet Society itself has evolved from a small group into a network. It has grown by adding new subnetworks, by offering services, by opening new lines or by bringing in new technology,” said Joseph Okah-Agogu, CEO of the Internet Society Uganda.
He says the Internet Society is now the biggest network in Africa, second only to NACCO in Nigeria.
With the help of the Internet Society, people in Uganda can get online and connect with people from all over the world, including those in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.
But even though the Internet Society has become one of the largest in Africa, it still has more to offer. Okah-Agogu says the organization is working on launching new services and new products to make life easier for people like you and me.
In Uganda, the Internet Society is offering Wi-Fi that is faster and more reliable than most of the networks in the country.
“We have introduced a new Wi-Fi network and this is the first network we have launched in Uganda, and we have launched it because we know that the Wi-Fi network can help us with our operations,” Okah-Agogu said.
The Internet Society is also working on creating a virtual community in Uganda, providing free Wi-Fi to businesses and the community.
“We have made it a free service for businesses and they know if they come on our Wi-Fi network, they will be connected to the Internet in terms of accessing information. They will be able to go to websites in the community and access content,” Okah-Agogu said in an interview at the Internet Society offices in Kiremba.