This is an exclusive interview with the Evolve Africa Marketer of the month,June 2026-Sidney Nganda

1.What initially sparked your interest in pursuing a career in marketing, and how has that motivation evolved over time?

This is a tough one but if my memory serves me right, early on, it was the creativity that drew me in. I was intrigued by the idea that words and images/visuals can move people to act. It all started with with my passion to draw and read – which led me to discover Kingo the cartoon (if you remember it in the 1990s) and later to graphic novels like Hardy Boyz, Goosebumps and DC/Marvel comics particularity Batman, Superman and Spiderman. This was later shaped by those around me – I had family in advertising as creatives, in PR and other functions like Accounts/Finance.

Over time, the motivation to be creative (draw and write) evolved to selling, and my first real job with a pay check even before University was a salesman for a Canadian company in Uganda. This gave me a career leap because my University internship was with a big Telecom as a cross-sell and upsell agent and after graduation I joined an Ad-Agency as a Business Development Executive where my primary goal was to sell advertising space for one of our client’s Magazine, bring in new clients and earn commission. I was later promoted to Account Executive – managing existing agency portfolios/clients and from then on it’s been a journey I have enjoyed and one I don’t regret, a journey of grit, grinding and with God all the way.

What began as a love for creativity has matured into a discipline of results because marketing is and has always been a growth engine in any business. Today, I’m driven by two things; the desire to create and add lasting value at all times, and to compel positive change – in everything I do, where I do it and to who I do it with.

2.Looking back, which key achievements or turning points best illustrate the influence you’ve had on the industry?

The industry is big and everyone’s opinion can be different, however, below are the key achievements I believe illustrate my influence story best.

1. My very first major campaign as an Account Manager was the Airtel and Warid merger (Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville), a through-the-line which was mapped to run for 6 months and I got to work with some brilliant minds in Uganda, Kenya, Congo and India.
2. The launch and revamp of Airtel Money – I worked with a brilliant team then to introduce ‘Mr.Money’, a strategy and execution which was later adopted for the entire Airtel Pan-African countries, and executed by the Agency I worked in at the time.
3. My secondment to Kenya in 2016 to work with a team in Nairobi on the launch of Safaricom’s Youth Segment Brand – Blaze.
4. Spark TV launch in Uganda – the brand’s DNA to identity to introduction and sustenance campaign. The launch was such a success because we had Diamond Platinum come to Uganda.
5. The Sanlam Uganda & Sanlam Rwanda’s acquisition/merger campaign with Lion Insurance.
6. As the agency lead on Coca-Cola, I have managed the launch some of Coca-Cola’s greatest campaigns for Uganda such as Share A Coke, Coke Rated Next, Coke Studio, Billion Reasons to Believe, Fanta Fruit Blast, Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup 2018 where the World Cup trophy did a global tour and Uganda was among the countries to be visited. Coca-Cola as a brand shaped my skills on collaboration – local and global agency partners & influencers/creators, for success.
7. dfcu Bank’s brand’s thematic campaign ‘making more possible’ in 2017, I was at the Agency as the Account Director.
8. In 2020, I was seconded to Airtel Rwanda (I was a Business Unit Director at the agency) to temporarily sit in for the Lead, Brand & Communications and oversee the merger between Airtel Rwanda and Tigo, thus the launch of the ‘Mu Kazi Kose’ campaign & full rebranding exercise.
9. In 2021 Uganda Breweries Limited celebrated there 75^th anniversary, this was a fun project and integrated campaign (UBL @75 Years) to work on and later the relaunch of Uganda’s Iconic Beer ‘Bell Lager – Fresh Vybez.’
10. In 2022 – 2025, I moved to dfcu Bank as the Brand & Advertising Manager – Retail, BCB and CIB, to Marketing Manager – Retail and later Ag.Head of Marketing. My key highlights here would be the Boyz II Men concert which marked the first of many music sponsorships for the brand, the dfcu Jazz In the Pearl Festival targeting HNI, the recent 2023/24 brand repositioning/revamp and last but not least a dynamic integrated HNI campaign ‘dfcu Xclusive Banking’ that felt real, relatable, and inspiring.
11. Most recent, my key achievement is leading an audacious young, vibrant and passionate team at The Partnership Africa – as Country Manager for Uganda and Rwanda. The past 8 months have been what I can describe as stressful yet fun. Great and impactful work such as; BPR Bank’s Tour Du Rwanda, Roar on the Green Golf Tournament and FIFA Series 2026, and Airtel’s Ikokinge in Rwanda, Home Broadband that re-positioned Airtel Uganda as a key player in Home Fiber, The Kabaka Birthday Run 2026 and Airtel Money Works Everywhere campaign, to mention but a few.

3.Could you share a campaign, initiative, or project that not only delivered results but also made you personally proud?

I have an example from each brand, place and country I have had the privilege to work. However, If I was to choose one campaign and project – it would be dfcu Bank’s rebrand project and repositioning campaign.

The project was close to two years and it was all about timing and respecting the process – in the end, it was the birth of; (1) a refreshed look to reflect modern banking that stays connected to its roots and this look had to be applied across all bank assets (internal, systems and applications, HQ and branches, marcomms/branding, agents and partners, to mention but a few). (2) The ‘Going Further, Together’ campaign to communicate the bank’s new promise – some of the results were 5 Nominations and 1 Win at the prestigious SilverBack Awards, and (3) revamp of dfcu Bank’s High-Net-Worth platform to ‘dfcu Xclusive Banking’ to shift the narrative from generic premium banking to something more meaningful: bespoke financial partnership.

It was intense as there was a lot at stake. I am thankful for all the support given from the Board and the Executive Committee of dfcu Bank, but most importantly the support, guidance and involvement of dfcu Bank’s CEO, CMO, Marketing team/my colleagues, Procurement team and to all partners we worked with.

4.Beyond your professional work, what social impact initiatives or community-driven efforts are you actively involved in?

For me, it’s simple real impact only happens when people are given the tools and knowledge to build for themselves.

So I invest time in mentoring young marketers & upcoming advertising professionals – as a way to pass on knowledge and to also learn from them.

In addition, from time to time I support small existing or upcoming entrepreneurs/business and NGOs who cannot afford marketing consultants/agencies with free consulting and practical tool kits (a plan, sample creatives and free Ai tools to use) that even themselves can use and implement their plans. This, helps keep some of my other skills like creative design, copy writing, social media/digital, website design & management sharp, piratical and grounded.

I am also a member of Uganda Marketer’s Society and Uganda Advertising Association, and I serve / work alongside established committees as my way of giving back to the industry.

5.Marketing is constantly evolving—what adjustments or transformations have you made in your career to stay ahead of the curve?

I follow a simple mantra – I am always curious. So I learn, unlearn and relearn, I continuously invest in education, I read – a lot and I don’t ignore trends. I hang around young marketers – call them Gen Z, I enjoying interacting with the Gen Alpha’s because I find their view of the world, the internet and brands very interesting.

In addition, I have mentors-on both life and work, knowledge from people who have been there, seen it and done it.

6.Which leadership principles or values guide your approach to marketing and team management?

My leadership philosophy is simple; clarity, accountability and impact. I believe in empowering people to think, not just execute. My goal is to always build a team that can challenge, innovate, and consistently raise the bar high. This has always helped me set a clear direction, hire strong people and give them ownership of everything and anything they do – alongside my support.

7.What challenges have most shaped your career journey, and what lessons did you take away from those experiences?

When I started on this journey as a Marketer, one of the most shaping challenges was managing diverse teams with different strengths, motivations, and working styles (in an advertising agency and working with cross-functional teams across markets and cultures). This taught me managing isn’t a one-size fits all, you have to adapt, be flexible, listen, and understand what drives everyone while holding a common standard.

Additionally, was and still is – the balance between creativity vs commercial pressure (ROAS vs ROI). As marketers, it’s easy to focus on great ideas but we always need to ask ourselves do they deliver and drive measurable business result? Thus, as marketers we need to always be ready to show impact – be ready to report, daily, weekly, monthly, upon completion of a project – it’s the only way to show what you are doing and prove it’s working, thus building support for future projects.

Failure, be ready to fail but don’t be afraid to fail. Campaigns sometimes will not land and yet on paper they were great, you’ll get negative feedback – such moments sharpened my thinking and I learnt not to take it personal but take it serious. They taught me to respect the consumer, trust data, and never confuse noise for impact.

Last but not least the hardest lesson has been moving from doing the work to leading the work. I had to learn to let go of control, trust my team, and focus on outcomes, not just execution. This also taught me that not every good idea is a good business decision – judging ideas objectively keeping in mind cost to the business vs return.

8.If you weren’t working in marketing, what other career or passion would you likely be pursuing?

If I wasn’t in marketing I would either be a professional Video Gamer (e sports player) or an Aerodrome Controller / Drone Pilot.

9.What guidance would you offer to marketing professionals navigating today’s fast-paced, technology-driven environment?

The same thing one of my mentors, very good friend has always told me – stay hungry, stay humble. Staying hungry keeps you going and investing in yourself, learning, unlearning and relearning. There are so many free resources out there – we just need to look and utilize them, it’s not always about ‘going back to school’ but yes an official certification from a credible institution of learning is important to authenticate what you know and can do.

Staying humble keeps you grounded, modest and most importantly curious. It’s a loop back to ‘staying hungry’ and some of the things this helps you with is you become open to feedback, you respect others, and recognize that there’s always more to learn and that success is never achieved alone.

Last but not least, always have fun and passion for what you do -if that dies, your drive to be your best dies and always, always take care of your first foundation – your health.

10.What legacy do you hope to leave for the next generation of marketers, and how do you envision the future of the profession?

On of my bosses whom I still admire and respect even today always asked me ‘will it move the needle?’

My legacy? I hope to leave behind fewer followers and more thinkers. To build marketers who remain curious, think like business leaders and not just communicators. Marketers who question, who challenge, and who refuse to produce work that doesn’t move the needle.