Sarah Kagingo, The CEO of SoftPower Communications and Vice Chair of the Board of Director of Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU)
At the prestigious Brand Africa 100: Uganda’s Best Brands gala held at Kampala’s Serena Hotel on August 18, 2025, Sarah Kagingo was honoured with the Award for Distinguished Leadership in the Private Sector.
The CEO of SoftPower Communications and Vice Chair of the Board of Director of Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) was recognised as an exceptional business voice who champions sustainable enterprise growth and market integration to drive Uganda’s economic progress, which has elevated the country’s brand.
During the same ceremony, MTN emerged as the stand-out brand, clinching the Grand Prix for overall brand excellence, ranking as Uganda’s most admired across multiple categories.
The culmination of the 15th annual Brand Africa 100 | Uganda’s Best Brands rankings revealed sharp contrasts in brand origin: despite 60 % of Ugandans expressing belief in Africa’s potential, only 23 % of the Top 100 Most Admired Brands in Uganda are actually made in Uganda. The broader continental picture reflects that only 30 % of admired brands in Uganda are African, with a mere 7 % hailing from elsewhere in Africa.
Notably, brand preferences skew generationally: Coca-Cola was the favourite among Gen-Z, Millennials, and Gen-X, while Audi claimed top admiration among Baby Boomers .
Other distinguished leaders honoured at the event included:
Amos Wekesa, recipient of the Award for Distinguished Leadership in Industry, acknowledged for his leadership in promoting tourism.
Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, awarded the Distinguished Leadership in Public Service, celebrated for her role in institutional reforms.
Echoing the significance of these honorees, Joseph Kanyamunyu, CEO of Publics Africa, emphasized: “These brands represent more than just products and services; they embody Uganda’s ingenuity, creativity, and resilience. It is now our collective responsibility to support and grow these local champions into continental and global powerhouses.”
Meanwhile, Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa, underscored the need to translate belief into concrete support.
“Uganda has demonstrated that it can develop and sustain strong local brands that resonate with its people. The challenge now is converting belief in the country and continent into tangible brand loyalty and support,” he said.
Since its inception in 2011, the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands platform has become a definitive, data-driven gauge of consumer brand preference across 31 countries, covering over 85 % of Africa’s population and GDP. The methodology, conducted with independent research partners like GeoPoll and Kantar, remains transparent, brand-neutral, and free of commercial influence—ensuring credibility and trust in the rankings.