Marketing Tools in Uganda

Marketing in Uganda is undergoing a rapid transformation. With growing internet access, social media usage, and mobile money adoption, the landscape is ripe for businesses to scale using modern digital tools.

Whether you're running a salon in Ntinda, a school in Mbale, or an online store serving customers across East Africa, having the right marketing tools can dramatically improve how you attract, engage, and retain customers.

In this guide, we’ll break down the main categories of marketing, the best tools available in Uganda, and what each one costs.

1. Marketing Automation Tools

What is Marketing Automation?

Marketing automation is about using software to handle repetitive marketing tasks — like sending follow-up emails, scoring leads, or assigning sales reps to hot prospects — without human effort.

Recommended Tools

Trembi Marketing Automation

Website link: https://www.trembi.com/automation

Built for Africa, the platform helps businesses automate client engagement via WhatsApp, Email and SMS in Uganda, across Africa and the world.

Key Features:

• Automated follow-up across email, SMS, and WhatsApp

• Visual pipeline to manage leads

• Smart CRM with reminders and lead scores

  
  

Pricing: No monthly charges billed only pay for the SMS', Emails or WhatsApp fees needed

HubSpot

Hubspot is a CRM tool with some basic marketing tools available. Their marketing automation tool is ideal for large enterprises that are already in the hubspot ecosystem.

Pricing: Starts at $800 per month

2. Email Marketing Tools

Why Email Still Works

Despite the rise of social media, email remains a reliable, cost-effective way to communicate. It’s great for newsletters, abandoned cart reminders, promotions, and onboarding.

Recommended Tools

Mailchimp

• A widely-used platform known for its intuitive drag-and-drop email builder.

• Features: Email templates, A/B testing, autoresponders, analytics.

• Pricing:

  • Free for up to 500 contacts

  • Paid plans from $13/month (about UGX 48,000)

Trembi Campaigns

A local tool offering email + SMS + WhatsApp marketing in one place.

• Features:

  • Send bulk and personalized email campaigns

  • Smart segmentation based on user behavior

  • Track open rates, clicks, and responses

• Use Case: A school uses Trembi Campaigns to send newsletters to parents and fee reminders via WhatsApp.

• Pricing:

  • Free Plan: Limited monthly messages

  • Standard Plan: Starts at UGX 39,000/month, includes 100 emails, 100 SMS, 50 WhatsApp messages

MailerLite

• A lightweight email marketing tool with automation features.

• Pricing: Free up to 1,000 subscribers; premium starts at $10/month

3. SMS & WhatsApp Marketing Tools

Why SMS & WhatsApp Matter in Uganda

Uganda has over 30 million mobile subscribers. SMS remains highly effective due to its reach and simplicity even people without smartphones receive messages. WhatsApp, meanwhile, dominates mobile communication.

Recommended Tools

Trembi Campaigns

• Integrated platform for SMS, WhatsApp, and email.

• Built with local businesses in mind.

• Pricing:

  • Starts at UGX 39,000/month, includes free credits

  • Additional credits from UGX 40–60/SMS or UGX 70–100/WhatsApp message

  
  

  

  
  

Yo! Uganda

• Known for bulk SMS services.

• Mostly used by SACCOs, schools, and NGOs.

• Pricing: Around UGX 45–60 per SMS depending on volume.

• Note: Lacks automation and multi-channel support.

Africa’s Talking

• Offers SMS, USSD, and airtime APIs for developers.

• Better suited for tech-savvy teams or developers.

• Pricing: SMS around UGX 50 per message; integration required.

RELATED: SMS Marketing tools in Uganda

4. Social Media Marketing Tools

Why Social Media is Essential

Uganda has over 4 million social media users most of them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Social media marketing is crucial for brand awareness, customer engagement, and driving sales.

Recommended Tools

✅ Meta Ads Manager

• Run paid ads on Facebook and Instagram.

• Features: Detailed targeting by location, age, interests, and behavior.

• Pricing: As low as UGX 200,000/month 

  
  

✅ Canva

• Used to design social media graphics, posters, video reels, and flyers.

• Features: Templates for Instagram, Facebook, flyers, etc.

• Pricing: Free plan; Pro version at $12.99/month

✅ Buffer

• Used to schedule and auto-post content on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

• Pricing: From $6/month per channel

5. Influencer & Content Marketing

Why Influencers Work in Uganda

Local creators have strong, loyal followings — especially on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. A good word from a trusted voice can do more than a billboard ever could.

🔧 Recommended Tools

✅ Trembi Connect

• Match businesses with relevant content creators in Uganda and across Africa.

• Features: Campaign management, performance tracking, payment processing.

• Pricing: Free to explore. Influencer rates vary based on reach and engagement.

  
  

🔍 6. Search Marketing & SEO Tools

Why Google Still Matters

When Ugandans want to find a school, hospital, or hardware store — they Google it. If your business isn’t visible there, you’re missing out.

🔧 Recommended Tools

✅ Google My Business

• Put your business on Google Maps with opening hours, reviews, and photos.

• Pricing: Free

• Use Case: A clinic in Jinja gets more walk-ins after updating their GMB profile with photos, working hours, and services.

✅ Google Ads

• Paid search results to get on top of relevant Google searches.

• Pricing: Pay-per-click model, starts from $1/day

• Works well for service businesses, online stores, and B2B services.

✅ Google Analytics

• Free tool to monitor website visitors and their behavior.

• Pricing: Free

7. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Why CRM is Important

A CRM helps track who your leads and customers are, what they’ve bought, and how you’ve engaged them. It’s vital for scaling sales teams and improving follow-up.

🔧 Recommended Tools

✅ Trembi Sales AI (with CRM)

• Combines CRM with automation and lead tracking.

• Features: Notes, contact history, lead status, deal value, reminders.

• Pricing: Included in UGX 49,000/month plan

✅ Zoho CRM

• Flexible CRM with reporting and sales tracking.

• Pricing: Free for up to 3 users; paid plans from $14/month

✅ HubSpot CRM

• Ideal for startups and growing teams.

• Pricing: Free plan available. Add-ons for marketing/sales from $20/month

🧾 Summary Table

Category	Tool	Best For	Starting Price
Automation	Trembi Sales AI	Lead generation & automation	UGX 49,000/month
Email	Mailchimp	Newsletters & campaigns	$13/month
SMS/WhatsApp	Trembi Campaigns	Multichannel campaigns	UGX 39,000/month
SMS Only	Yo! Uganda	Simple bulk messages	UGX 45–60/SMS
Social Media	Meta Ads	Facebook/Instagram Ads	UGX 2,000/day
Design	Canva	Posters & graphics	Free / $12.99/month
Scheduling	Buffer	Post automation	$6/month
Influencer	Trembi Connect	Local influencer marketing	Custom
Search Marketing	Google Ads	Google search visibility	$1/day
CRM	Trembi Sales AI	Local CRM + automation	Included
CRM	Zoho	CRM tracking for SMEs	$14/month

Final Thoughts

Marketing in Uganda doesn’t require millions it requires the right mix of tools, clear goals, and consistent execution. Whether you’re just starting or looking to scale, tools like Trembi Campaigns and Trembi Sales AI offer affordable, localized solutions tailored to Ugandan businesses.

If you’re still unsure which tool is right for you, start small. Test, measure, and scale gradually. The businesses winning in Uganda today are the ones using data, automation, and mobile-first strategies.