MoTIV, a tribe of talented makers whose aim is to create a growing and thriving creative industry in East Africa has today launched Omwoleso.africa, an online platform which connects makers to a nationwide online market.
Omwoleso, a word which depicts a festival or show, is a market day initiative by MoTIV where makers have the opportunity to showcase locally made products. This has now been revamped with a digital platform, Omwoleso.africa www.omwoleso.africa which not only offers vendors exposure to a larger customer base, but is also customized to their specific needs. The platform also gives customers the opportunity to buy unique products, engage with and support local makers with ease.
Speaking at the event,Silas Byakutaaga, Product Marketing Manager at MoTIV said, “At MoTIV, we believe in building a thriving creative community for Ugandan entrepreneurs within the informal sector. This is why we came up with initiatives like Omwoleso to provide creatives like tailors, mechanics, furniture makers, videographers, photographers, and content creators access to a larger number of customers to showcase their uniquely made products and sell them; an aspect that will change their lives and livelihood”.
Byakutaaga said, “Omwoleso is divided into three aspects; a physical event which is an entry point for all local entrepreneurs looking for a market to sell their products; the online platform (Omwoleso.africa) which is a website that connects makers to a nationwide market and the MoTIV shop, an online trade outlet that links makers of premium local products to potential retailers and an export market.”
He added, “The community that participates in Omwoleso get the opportunity to support local entrepreneurs in a fun and interactive way. The customers are treated to an enjoyable shopping experience filled with great entertainment from local artists in a vibrant, relaxing environment.”
“We believe that as Omwoleso grows, MoTIV will be able to connect makers to customers throughout the country, with markets running simultaneously in multiple cities throughout Uganda such as; Jinja, Mbarara and Gulu in which 5000 makers will have both online and offline access to the market and create 10,000 jobs by the end of 2021” Byakutaaga said.
Joseph Odole, Country Manager DHL Express Uganda said, “International e-commerce is growing at a remarkable pace, and we want our Ugandan businesses to grab their share of the market – this means adding value to their e-commerce proposition. We’re convinced that cross-border e-commerce has a huge upside that many merchants – B2C and B2B – have not yet tapped. Our partnership with MoTIV through the Omwoleso platform will enable us as the international express provider of choice to provide Ugandan artisans with vital support as they go global.”
Robert Ongodia, the opportunity Bank CEO also noted, “We at opportunity Bank provide training to the youth through our financial literacy programmes to equip them with skills and finance them with capital to run and sustain their business. With these, we believe the creatives will be able to sell their products on larger scales and enable them gain presence in bigger markets.”
Juice business, Lucas Natural Concentrate has been in operation for two years now. Its founder Robina Namata says the marketplace is creating never seen before opportunities for her budding enterprise. “I am a vendor on omwoleso.africa. This online platform helps create market for us in Uganda, East Africa and internationally. We sell to different places including shops. The physical shop limits us to people who already know the product but now more people know our product,” Namata says.
MoTIV is a key factor in exhibiting Ugandan entrepreneurial talent and possibly investor interest. Omwoleso continues to increase the opportunities for vendors to network and create linkages with potential customers and Omwoleso.africa connects them digitally to others who cannot be accessed physically.
