TikTok has emerged as Uganda’s most popular social media platform, attracting 10.8 million users by March 2026, according to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Market Performance Report for the first quarter of 2026.
The platform outpaced WhatsApp, which recorded 9.9 million users, while YouTube followed with 6.5 million. Snapchat registered 2.8 million users, Instagram had 1.4 million, and X, formerly Twitter, accounted for 700,000 users. Netflix remained a niche platform with about 100,000 subscribers.
The figures indicate that TikTok and WhatsApp remain the dominant channels for brands, advertisers and content creators seeking to reach Ugandan audiences.
The report shows mixed fortunes for Uganda’s communications sector during the January to March 2026 period. Mobile subscriptions continued to grow, while internet consumption and industry earnings declined.
Uganda recorded 61.6 million registered SIM cards, exceeding the country’s estimated population of about 50 million. However, only 47.5 million subscriptions were active within a 90-day period, reflecting the widespread practice of owning multiple SIM cards.
Fixed telephone connections remained low at 375,000, underscoring the limited relevance of landlines outside government institutions and large organisations.
Internet usage declined sharply during the quarter. Data consumption dropped from 332.4 million gigabytes in the final quarter of 2025 to 256.8 million gigabytes in the first quarter of 2026. UCC attributed the decline partly to internet restrictions imposed during the January 2026 General Elections, which were lifted on January 18, 2026.
Average monthly data consumption per mobile internet user also fell from 5.3GB to 3.0GB.
Mobile money continued to drive Uganda’s digital economy. The sector processed 2.37 billion transactions during the quarter and recorded 36.7 million active users. The average value of person-to-person transactions rose slightly to Shs100,690 from Shs100,296 in the previous quarter.
According to Bank of Uganda data cited in the report, 58.7 million SIM cards are registered for mobile money services.
Telecommunications revenue fell to Shs1.60 trillion during the quarter, down from Shs1.66 trillion in the previous quarter and Shs1.78 trillion recorded in June 2025. Postal and courier services also registered lower earnings, with revenue dropping from Shs14.5 billion to Shs12.7 billion.
Uganda had 20.3 million smartphones in use by March 2026. However, feature phones and basic handsets remained dominant, accounting for 24.7 million and 13.3 million devices respectively.
Telecommunications infrastructure continued to expand. The national fibre optic network grew to 71,740 kilometres from 62,941 kilometres in the previous quarter. The country also increased its telecom tower count to 5,578.
The cinema industry showed signs of growth. Ticket sales rose throughout the quarter, with 7,600 tickets sold in March alone. The most screened films included Dhurandhar, Hoppers and Crime 101. Evening screenings attracted the highest attendance.
Uganda also strengthened its position in the continental postal sector during the 11th Pan African Postal Union Plenipotentiary Conference held in Kampala in March 2026. The country secured the PAPU chairmanship for the 2026–2030 term, while Jessica Hope Ssengooba retained her position as Assistant Secretary General after winning 63.6 per cent of the vote.
Despite weaker data usage and lower revenue, the report notes that Uganda’s communications sector remains supported by expanding infrastructure, growing mobile money adoption and increasing digital connectivity. Industry players will be watching closely to see whether internet consumption and revenue rebound in the second quarter of 2026.
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