In this blog post I share my personal tips on Ugandan mobile phone and internet providers, where to find free WiFi, SIM card registration and how to send money using mobile phone apps.
Making an international phone call from Uganda can be pretty straightforward. It can also be a right pain in the kabina (bottom).
When I first arrived in Uganda as a volunteer, I very rarely called home. For some reason outbound phone calls from the UK to Uganda were easier. Skype video calls just didn’t work.
Making a Skype call from Uganda circa 2009
A Skype conversation would go something like this:
Caller: Hi
The muzungu: Hi
Caller: How are you?
The muzungu: I’m fine. How are you?
Caller: I’m sorry, what are you saying? You’re breaking up a bit. Can you say that again?
The muzungu: I can hear you. I’m fine, how are you?
Caller: I can’t really hear you, there’s a bit of an echo on the line, I don’t think I can cope with this.
The muzungu: [Sigh…]
I think to myself: “This conversation is starting the same as the last one, and the one before that. Can we move on and have an actual conversation?”
… Call drops off…
The average conversation lasted for four minutes. I would redial and we would have a two-minute chat. The whole conversation proceeded in two-minute chunks, before one or both of us just gave up.
How to make international calls from Uganda using your mobile phone
Calling directly from your mobile phone in Uganda is far cheaper than it used to be. In fact, sometimes it is cheaper to call than to send a SMS. Mobile phone companies offer call bundles; pre-paid international call bundles are very affordable and can be loaded directly from your Ugandan-registered SIM card. Skype too is better, thanks to improved internet speeds; just don’t expect the video to always work. WhatsApp has transformed connectivity and Ugandans have embraced using Zoom, Google Meet and other communication apps. Rainy weather can affect the quality of the internet (the call quality can also be affected by someone cutting through the internet cable under the sea!)
The best-known providers are Airtel and MTN, and many of us have two phones or dual SIM phones. Other providers include Lyca Mobile, Tangerine, Zuku and Roke Telecom. Note that Africell, Smile, Vodafone and Zain no longer exist and the future of government-owned UTL is unclear (January 2023). It’s very rare to have a home landline phone in Uganda. Airtime can be purchased in tiny amounts and just about anywhere.
How do you pay using your phone if you don’t have a Ugandan bank account?
Mobile money ‘M sente’ has revolutionised airtime and bill payments. Kenya Safaricom led the world in developing M-Pesa, the first solution for sending money and airtime and paying bills via your mobile phone. I rely on mobile money apps to pay my bills. They are robust, reliable, secure and widely accepted. Buy a local SIM card and you can load local currency to buy goods and services and send money to friends, family and colleagues. The two most common providers are MTN and Airtel.
My relationship with MTN
I once spent an afternoon hidden in an airtime vendor’s shack in downtown Kampala, sheltering from an immense thunderstorm. As rain battered the roof, I had an illuminating conversation “Grasshoppers – nsenene: do you eat them or smoke them?”
And then of course there’s “MTN Sunday.” What is that all about? Without fail, every Sunday for several years, I lose contact with everyone. Texts disappear or arrive a day and half later, thus “would you like to meet for Sunday lunch?” has to be organised a day or two in advance. If Sunday is maintenance day, why have I never received a SMS telling me so? (I first wrote this post in 2013 – it was still true in 2018 – and at the end of 2023, I still had issues with my MTN line on Sundays!)
So how does the muzungu call abroad now?
Video Skyping works like a dream now with 4G. My sister prefers FaceTime and mum calls via WhatsApp. I can’t believe how easy it is to call internationally from Kampala now!
How can you access internet on your phone in Uganda?
Ugandan SIM cards can be bought very cheaply everywhere, whether at the exit of Entebbe Airport or at vendor kiosks everywhere. Show your passport to register the SIM card. You can also buy a portable wireless MiFi (some tour operators provide these for guests who want internet accesss while on safari).
You’ll find free WiFi at Entebbe Airport and in most hotels, cafes and restaurants in Kampala and in major towns and popular tourist destinations.
Do you have any tips on how to call internationally from Uganda?
… And if you have other travel tips or advice for expats in Uganda, please comment here or contact the Muzungu. I love hearing from you!
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