Feature phones commonly known as kabiriti or Mapeesa phones still dominate Uganda’s market having reached 26.7 million, an increase from 25 million at the close of 2023, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has revealed.
The Commission revealed this in the Annual Communications Sector Report 2024 that was published by the Commission on 12th December 2025, where the Commission attributed the continued domination of feature phones on high cost of smart phones and limited access to electricity in many parts of the country at reasons behind the increased reliance on feature phones.
The report read, “In 2024, feature phones continued to dominate the Ugandan telecommunications market, primarily due to their affordability and the provision of more cost-effective internet access. While smartphones, offering enhanced internet capabilities, demonstrated the most significant growth in subscriptions, their higher price point meant they still held a smaller market (39%) share than feature phones (56%). Feature phones reached 26.7 million, an increase from 25 million at the close of 2023. Smartphones demonstrated the most significant growth, with subscriptions rising to 18.3 million, up from 15 million over the same period.”
The Commission added that while feature phones currently dominate the Ugandan market, the adoption of smartphones is crucial for accelerating the digital economy owing to the economic benefits, including access to advanced digital services, e-commerce, and productivity tools, which UCC says are substantially greater than those derived from feature phones.
The report noted, “The substantial growth observed in the smartphone count provides strong evidence of a much greater untapped potential for expansion within the Ugandan ICT sector. This transition is currently hampered by the high cost of smartphones. To fully realize the benefits of the digital economy, efforts must be focused on reducing the cost of smartphones to enable the broad transition from feature phones.”
According to UCC, the performance of Uganda’s Telecom sector pointed towards resilience and cementing its position as a key enabler of Uganda’s digital economy, after the financial performance indicating that Telecoms and multimedia space posted revenue of UGX 6.5 Trillion in revenue, and an aggregate contribution of UGX7.2 Trillion in VAT, import duties, excise tax, PAYE, income and corporate tax, among other tax classes, thus positioning the sector among the top 3 tax generating sectors for Uganda.
Uganda Communications Commission also sounded a warning to traditional media noting in its report that trends have pointed to the media landscape shifting as consumers move away from traditional television to online content platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, a change UCC says that it presents a dynamic new environment for both viewers and content creators.
“The growing preference for online streaming and on-demand content has altered how people consume media. Platforms such as YouTube and Netflix offer a vast and diverse range of shows, movies, and user-generated content that is easily accessible. This has given rise to a new era of content consumption where viewers have more control over what, when, and how they watch,” as explained in the report.
The Commission further revealed that the Ugandan content creators are increasingly leveraging these platforms to monetize their work through ad revenue, platform partnerships, and direct fan support, creators are finding new ways to earn a living from their content.
“The telecommunications, multimedia, and post sectors remain some of the most vibrant in Uganda, supporting over 1,000,000 direct jobs and attracting more than UGX 3 trillion in new investment, while serving as a key enabler for businesses across different sectors. As outlined in national priorities, ICT is recognized as a foundational pillar and critical driver of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation, alongside energy, transport, and human resources,” the report says.
