Doreen was among several small business owners showcasing their products at the Trade Afrika Marketplace, held at the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) in Nakawa. The exhibition on November 1, preceded the upcoming Digital Trade Workshop, themed “Empowering SMEs for Digital Trade through the AfCFTA”, set for mid-November.

Her story mirrors a broader trend accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. When lockdowns shuttered physical shops, digital platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp became lifelines for commerce. “Covid boosted digital because people were under lockdown,” Doreen explains. “But beyond that period, it has become the new normal. Your following speaks for you and helps more people discover your business.”

Brian, a jewelry vendor, shares a similar experience. He started selling from his hostel room while studying at Makerere University Business School. “Although I still maintain a small physical space, it’s mainly for storage and coordination,” he says. “Digital marketing has allowed my business to grow even as I balance it with a salaried job.”

According to Vivian Atugonza, Communications Lead at Trade Afrika, the upcoming workshop aims to empower African entrepreneurs to build borderless, competitive enterprises through digital trade. “The event will strengthen SME capacity for digital and cross-border commerce as Africa’s markets open up under the AfCFTA framework.”

As Uganda’s entrepreneurs continue to adapt, the country’s next growth frontier may not lie in physical marketplaces but in the expanding digital spaces where business, creativity, and technology meet.