Kasule Douglas Benda
For years, filmmakers in Uganda have spoken about the need for collective financial strength, a way to cushion the unpredictable nature of our work, build wealth, and take control of our futures. We’ve faced challenges in saving, investing, and accessing credit because of the nature of our industry like irregular payments, low project frequency, delayed earnings, and unstable cash flow.
But on Saturday 28th June 2025, a milestone was finally reached. The UGANDA FILMMAKERS SAVING AND COOPERATIVE SOCIETY (SACCO) was officially launched, witnessed and endorsed by a representative from the Uganda Cooperative Alliance.
Kasule Douglas (middle) receiving official documents
This SACCO has been born out of hard truths. Many of us know what it’s like to wait months for a paying project, only to be paid late or poorly. Some have lost property or faced arrests after falling into the trap of high-interest moneylenders. Others received big paydays on commissioned projects but fell into the illusion of financial arrival moving into costly lifestyles that couldn’t be sustained when the projects dried up. We’ve seen the cycle:
Big cheque → new car, new apartment, lavish lifestyle → project ends → reality hits → selling assets just to survive.
But a new chapter begins.
A group of passionate filmmakers came together with a simple but powerful dream: ‘to build a financial structure designed by filmmakers, for filmmakers.’ A SACCO that understands our unique struggles and supports our goals through affordable loans, investment opportunities, and a revived saving culture tailored to the realities of the creative industry.
At launch, 30 filmmakers had already registered and many more are joining. The call is now open to all filmmakers across Uganda, regardless of your department: directors, editors, actors, writers, producers, DOPs, costume designers, sound engineers, makeup artists; this SACCO is yours.
To join, you only need:
- A membership fee of UGX 50,000
- Your first share purchase of UGX 30,000
- To be a Ugandan actively working in the film industry
We are holding our next national engagement meeting on Tuesday 15th July 2025 at the National Theatre, starting at 5:00 PM.
Come with your questions. Sign up. Buy shares. Participate in electing our leadership. And be part of shaping a financial system that works for us.
Together, we can stop surviving and start thriving. Let’s build our future as a united industry, with our own cooperative financial muscle.
Contact Jesca – Treasurer on +256 705 098317
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