The number of tech hubs and co-working spaces in Uganda keeps increasing every year. A 2017 survey by GSMA showed there are 442 active tech hubs and shared working facilities in Africa.
South Africa and Nigeria led the lot, featuring 59 and 55 hubs respectively, while Uganda was in position number 8 with sixteen active hubs. Our neighbor in the East, Kenya, has 30 active hubs.
In their survey, however, GSMA didn’t mention names, they just gave a count. So, in this piece, we shall list the tech hubs and co-working spaces in Uganda that we were able to contact and get information about.
But before we go to the list, we need to highlight a few things. For every shared working hub mentioned in this article, we shall also include location, price and some of the services they provide.
The charges differ according to services offered, location, target customers among other factors.
As someone with a startup, you also need to consider the time a particular hub opens and closes. Distance from where you stay also matters.
For instance, you could be a resident of Ntinda and a hub, say, in Bugolobi is cheaper than that in Kamwokya, which is near your home. But as you focus on the low rental fees, you also need to consider how much you’ll be spending on transport.
The other crucial thing you need to think about deeply as you choose from the tech hubs and co-working spaces in Uganda is food.
As someone running a startup and surviving on a small budget, you don’t want to spend a lot on food. Some hubs are located in Kampala’s high-end communities so food can be really high-priced when the facility has no internal catering service and you’ve to move out to buy food.
In some hubs, you’ll find there is a restaurant where you can buy food at a fair price. Then, there are also factors like a hub having a pantry and a kitchen where you can make tea. In some, you have to carry your own utensils.
Why should you choose a co-working space instead of renting your own office? The most fundamental reason is that co-working spaces are way cheaper than renting your own room to set up an office?
To set up your own office, you need furniture, electricity and water bills, internet, cleaners and security. This is all catered for in co-working spaces at a price that’s really low as you’ll find out from the figures below.
Secondly, you get to work from an environment filled with people going through the same challenges you are encountering and you can always share knowledge.
Most tech hubs and co-working spaces accommodate startups at all stages of growth so you can easily find them and talk them about the knowledge they’ve accumulated over the years.
When big organizations are looking for entrepreneurs to fund, they normally go through tech hubs; the most recent example is Alibaba and Nailab in Kenya. So, working from tech hubs will increase your chances of getting exposed to funding. The list goes on.
Location — Plot 18, Kanjokya Street, Kamwokya
Shared desk — Shs100,000 per month
Dedicated desk –- Shs150,000 per month
Open — 7pm-6pm
Location — Najim Mall, Ntinda
Shared desk — Shs100,000 per month (next year — Shs120k)
Fee for a day – Shs7,000
Open — 8am-9pm (Monday to Saturday)
Services — Water point (tea and drinking) [No kitchen, need your own utensils]
Location — Soliz House, Lumumba Avenue, Kampala
Shared desk – Shs220,000 per month
Private room – 18 dollars per sq. meter plus 18% tax on each dollar
Works — Monday to Friday (7am – 10pm)
Services — Water (drinking)
Location — Plot 8, Bukoto Street, Kamwokya
Open — 9am — 9pm (Monday to Saturday)
Half day — Shs20,000
Full day — Shs30,000
5 days — Shs125000
Charges in hours — 35hrs ($50), 70hrs ($100), 150hrs ($200), Unlimited ($300)
Services — Mail service, conference room (for free and others for hire), plans to introduce kitchen,
Location — Fifth street, Industrial Area (Bugolobi)
Open — 6am — 6pm (Monday to Friday), Saturday: 8am-2pm
Day – Shs25000
10 days – Shs215,000
16 days – Shs325,000
30 days – Shs425000
Startup – Shs625,000 (2 people)
Services — free boardroom and another bigger one for rent: Shs320,000 half a day and Shs640,000 full day, snack point within, drinking water and outdoor and indoor spaces for rent when you have events.
See: Opinion: The facts and fictions about Africa technology and innovation hubs
Location — Plot 7, Binayomba Road, Bugolobi
Day — Shs25,000
Month – US$150
Dedicated office — Negotiable
Services — free coffee, food (Shs7000), spacious outdoor space with grass, conference room.
Location — Plot 90, Kanjokya Street
Open — Monday to Sunday (24 hours)
Shared desk — Shs150,000 per month
Dedicated desk — Shs400,000 per month
Cubicles — US$400-500 per month
Services — Tea, water (drinking), Kitchen
Location — Ntinda Complex, Ntinda-Kisaasi Road
This is divided into two sections
Section 1
Open — Monday to Saturday (closes at 9pm on weekdays and 8pm on Saturday)
Shared desk — Shs200,000
Cubicle — US$450
Section 2
Open — Monday to Sunday (24 hours)
Shared desk — Shs500,000
Cubicles — US$350-500
Services — Kitchen, water, a restaurant inside the hub, conference rooms
See: Perspective: How to boost early stage deal flow in Africa
Location — Park Royal Building, Plot 26 Buganda Road in Kampala
Check tweet below for details on services and charges for space
The "Tech Hub" is open for business at Park Royal Building 7th Floor, Uganda Road (next to Watoto). Supporting early-stage #Businesses and Social #Enterprises to flourish through #incubation and #acceleration. See flier for details. You can follow us @The_TechHub pic.twitter.com/v5T0MFdG7h
— Silver Kayondo (@SilverKayondo) May 14, 2018
Location — Be Forward Uganda, Lugogo By-Pass, Naguru
Dedicated desk — US$100
Shared desk — Shs250,000
Location — Cooper Road, Kampala
Read also: In brief: Tumwebaze on National ICT Hub opening, govt-funded startups …
Away from Kampala
Location — KKT Plaza, Block C – Room 211, Duka Road, Arua
Month — Shs60,000
Location — Third Floor, Easy View Complex, Mbarara town
Month — Shs100,000 (To be reduced)
Important to note: Some of the prices quoted above are negotiable and they can change from time to time. So, when you visit any of the hubs, don’t accept the first figure they mention.
When listing services offered by tech hubs and co-working spaces in Uganda, we didn’t include some of the general things that offered by everyone like internet access, furniture, washrooms, etc.
The list is also not exhaustive so we shall keep updating it.
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