Find Computing and Office Supplies expertise in Uganda
- Computing Industry
- Development
PC penetration in Uganda is relatively low by world standards, with just 17 PCs for every 1,000 people (2006). According to the 2012-2013 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 13% of the population, equivalent to 4,376,672 people, have access to the internet, giving the country an overall rating of 112 out of 144 countries included in the report (WEF, 2013). In the same year, 562,240 people in Uganda were registered Facebook users, representing a 1.7% penetration rate (Internet World Stats, 2012). Broadband penetration in Uganda is low; in 2012 there were just 0.3 broadband internet subscriptions, and 2.8 mobile broadband subscriptions for every 100 people in the population (WEF, 2013). In 2010 total imports of computing and office related machinery amounted to 2.37% of the country’s total imports (Observatory of Economic Complexity, 2010).
There are several notable computing and office supplies companies located throughout Uganda, including one of Africa’s leading ICT solutions providers, Computer Revolution Africa. Computer Revolution Africa offers ICT solutions and services to small and large scale businesses. The company has partnerships with Microsoft and Dell. Service & Computer Industries [NCR] is another key player in the Ugandan computing and office supplies sector. The company offers a variety of products and services, supplying top name brands including Dell and Xerox. The majority of the country’s computing and office supplies companies are located in Kampala.
There are also a number of computing companies located in Kampala which supply hardware and software from global brands. Examples include Elite Digital Solutions, an African company specialising in the authorised resale of Apple products.
In 2009 the government of Uganda imposed a moratorium on the import of second-hand and refurbished PCs due to concerns over electronic waste and the economic cost of out-of-date hardware and software. Following this, the government run Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) launched an electronic waste awareness programme in a bid to encourage ICT stakeholders to more effectively manage electronic waste. The penetration of ICT in Uganda has suffered slightly as a result of the government moratorium. In 2013 the ICT Association of Uganda was launched with the purpose of assisting in government ICT policy aims.
