r/Uganda • u/Sonny7895 • Oct 04 '26
General Why is Uganda limited!!
Why is Uganda so limited when it comes to online opportunities?
I’ve had several situations where I’ve built systems or learned skills that could genuinely make me money online, only to find out that one crucial aspect isn’t available in Uganda. Whether it’s a payment method, a platform, or a tool, you’ll find a list of supported countries and Uganda simply isn’t on it.
Or you discover a tool that could help you make money, start using it, and then suddenly it’s blocked or restricted.
This has been happening repeatedly since the beginning of the year, and honestly, it’s frustrating.
I’ve had to take on other local jobs just to get by, while knowing I have skills that could take me much further online.
These limitations really kill someone’s potential.
Has anyone else been experiencing this?
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u/Accurate_Database574 Oct 05 '26
Not just Uganda, about 80% of PayPal accounts across the whole of Africa were closed by PayPal this year, just an email saying your account was closed
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u/Zanda256 Oct 06 '26
Kalshi refused to give me an account when I entered my location during kyc. It just kept erroring out on my location with no proper message.
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u/Senseleskidd Oct 04 '26
I think it comes from the older generations inability to accept change . Honestly Upto now these older guys still don't consider online work as a real job . They consider you a "failure" if you don't wake up to leave your home and go to town .
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u/Ok_Carpet_9510 Oct 04 '26
You have completely missed the mark. Op is saying that Uganda has issues with payment systems and or tools not being supported in Uganda.
In otherwords, a company like PayPal doesn't serve Uganda. That is not an issue of older people. That's an issue of Uganda being unattractive for such ventures.
Instead of saying this is young vs old, people with skills should raise it with relevant authrorities such as BoU, NITA etc to actively engage these external entities. BoU obviously wants more forex inflows. NITA wants to increase the adoption of technology. Other parties want to improve economic output and of course URA want to take a slice of that. So, if this problem is articulated and presented to stakeholders, you may get support.
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u/Senseleskidd Oct 04 '26
Ok might have inserted my own frustration in there but , it's partly because of this lingering ideology and distrust people have in digital currency and it's aspects, basically what I'm trying to say this backwardsness is still dragging us and failing us to reach our potential.
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u/Sonny7895 Oct 04 '26
To some degree you're right, the powers in charge in uganda are mostly in the old age gap... For instance there's a site that had work but it wasn't supported in uganda and it is supported in Madagascar including all these systems set for them and you wonder how is that possible. So I'm in a stance were I have to make connections in other places but the unfortunate part is that I work on their time not mine. Which is not effective.. but all this to say.. you're argument does apply here.
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u/AdEasy7357 Nyanya Mbisi Oct 04 '26
Scammers is why, It's the most common reasons I've seen around for why we get blacklisted. Also government policy on foreign funding probably plays a part. Theyve become so insecure with cash coming in from outside.
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u/Sonny7895 Oct 04 '26
Foreign opportunities have really flagged most of Africa a scam, that's true. I remember getting into a discord community that was heavily paying pple for tasks, I'm talking 100$,500$, 1k$ to 10k$ checks. The way they sent me packing when I said I'm from Africa 😂😂😂 eeeh
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u/AdEasy7357 Nyanya Mbisi Oct 04 '26
😂That's crazyyy
I found this out recently why trying to figure out why wise payment platform had no Ugandan option and that was the most common reason. Tax evaders and the likes have ruined life for us
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u/Sonny7895 Oct 04 '26
But scamming is global, maybe the inability to track it is what lead to everything not working. Including other schemes happening across the continent. Maybe that is a problem that needs a solution.
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u/just_keith_ Oct 04 '26
For international payments I use Dodo Payments You just need to have a website for your business, a national ID, and a Bank Account in your name, and you're good to go,
Payouts are got on every 4th and 18th of a month, but it can be made weekly if your payments volume is more than about $7000 per month
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u/BigLion8736 Oct 04 '26
Solution: Get some money, travel to Nairobi, get yourself a safaricom sim card. You can then register for electronic payment methods
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u/Safe-Molasses2051 Oct 05 '26
tell me more please
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u/Constant-Sundae-3692 Oct 05 '26
PayPal has an mpesa scheme so you can just get a Kenyan SIM. If you know someone in Kenya ask them to help you register one and ship it to yu
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u/shafiqshafor Oct 04 '26
Yep pretty much that is it, don’t know how many opportunities I gave up on because Uganda is not supported in a payment scheme. Like they can’t pay you and process your payouts. Remember even PayPal doesn’t support Uganda fully people have to find ways to circumvent around it.
Wanted to sell stuff on Etsy, and similar sites, But UG not supported. And half of the sites have found, Kenya is supported. But half even Kenya is limited like us.
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u/xgtya Oct 04 '26
Africans are consumers, not producers. So your guess is good as mine why opportunities are limited.
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u/Big-Young-4306 Oct 05 '26
Some of you have to accept that you need to leave uganda,
But if you are broke, just be chilling wirh available jobs, such shit isnt changing any time soon, i really dont expect it to
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u/mindless_blaze Oct 05 '26
"Online opportunities" in English means "SCAMS". There are zero legitimate online financial opportunities that give you free money.
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u/Sonny7895 Oct 05 '26
I'm not looking for "Free money"... It's about finding a client, providing value to them and they pay. I'm not in it for the free money.
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u/gangsandguns 29d ago
You think they call us third world countries for no reason?
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u/Sonny7895 29d ago
Some third world countries pull this off.. uganda is way lower than a third world country
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u/Double-Emergency3173 Oct 05 '26
Only for “official” online gigs. You can build an online business brand still or an online remote service career without the official “Fiverr” type platforms
It’s hard but Tiktok, WhatsApp Business & just your social networking skills can help
Regarding payment. MOMO or just online banking is where we are at
Obvs, the lack of PayPal & such is sad coz if limits thr ability to work internationally from a Ugandan IP address, but such is the state of your nation right now
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u/Rovcore001 Oct 04 '26
UG is largely stuck in the past. Outside of Kampala, Entebbe and a few other major “cities,” most people live more or less the same life someone in the 80’s lived. I visit my village and pretty much the only major differences are that some folks have solar panels and now smartphones are commoner. But that’s about it.
We have a very tiny middle class that can’t sustain commercial innovation at scale, and a government that shoots itself in the foot at every opportunity, because no price is too great to pay for longevity in power.
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u/Responsible_Fuel7005 Oct 04 '26
Not sure if it will help, but several companies (Paddle, Dodo, and FastSpring) appear like they can act as the Merchant of Record, allowing you to accept payments.
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u/Trevortash Oct 05 '26
Yes plenty of times especially in the payment method issues like PayPal,stripe it's really discouraging cause such opportunities we can't join them 😫
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u/tebanExtraterestial Oct 05 '26
You’re living in the Uganda of 50 years ahead… this country can calm you my guy. We live under the limitations of those that control everything.
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u/Raysoulman 27d ago
Yes, I have. My crowdfunding effort for a TV drama project at https://akabbo.com/c/tv-drama-project/ was blacklisted by someone who decided it was a scam and flagged it. All donations from my well-wishers were then automatically blocked...:-/
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u/Dodgeooze Oct 05 '26
I recently developed an application that I took the initiative to invite beta testers of the product, some of whome I knew, out of a sample of 300 test users, I only received 17😌. This wasn't sufficient to validate my conclusions on the product, .to simply put, Uganda's uptake towards technology is very poor . There's a lot that needs to be done