All Eyes on December 10th as Play It Loud Gathers Uganda’s Top Creators

Uganda’s creative industry is buzzing with anticipation as Play It Loud prepares for its official launch on December 10th. Over the past few weeks, the platform has been quietly but steadily signing a powerful lineup of some of the country’s most influential and bankable content creators. Through behind-the-scenes footage, cryptic social media teasers, and studio sightings, it has become clear that a major shift is unfolding — even before the full roster is formally unveiled.

Confirmed and teased signings that have surfaced online include Katrina, Bad Black, Mami Deb, Tindi, Natasha Sinayobye, Prim Asiimwe, Anna Kansiime, Azeezah, Evelyn Mic, Pablo, Troy Kente, Faisal, Kingsley, Marijan, Patra, Abryans, Kato Katende, Akelly, Ken Katuramu, Ken Kayongo, DJ Vee, Keith Malembe, Diana Kahunde, Eyo Mackus, Stella Nantumbwe, Comedy Store, Zari, Navio, among others still under wraps. The diversity and scale of these names — spanning comedy, lifestyle, music, digital media, and mainstream entertainment — point to a platform with continental ambition, not just local reach.

Play It Loud is positioning itself as more than a traditional streaming service. At its core, the platform is being presented as a creator-first economic engine built to empower African storytellers to produce high-quality content, own their intellectual property, and distribute their stories to global audiences at scale. This marks a major shift from the long-standing model where creators largely depended on brand deals and foreign-owned platforms for income and visibility.

According to Shafik Nekambuza, Commercial & Strategy Lead at Play It Loud, the vision behind the platform is deeply rooted in long-term creator empowerment and ownership.

“We didn’t just build a streaming platform, we built an economic engine for creators. Play It Loud is a creator-first platform designed to help African storytellers produce great content, build bankable intellectual property, and connect their stories to the rest of the world. For the first time, creators are not just contributors — they are partners in the ecosystem,” he said.

Industry observers believe this approach explains the sudden rush of high-profile signings. By offering creators structured monetisation, professional content packaging, and shared ownership in a growing ecosystem, Play It Loud is tapping into a demand that has existed for years within the African digital space.

Beyond entertainment, the implications for Uganda’s digital economy are significant. If successful, Play It Loud could position Uganda as a major hub for Africa’s streaming and creator economy, enabling local talent to compete on a global stage while building sustainable, long-term revenue models at home. It could also signal the beginning of Africa exporting its own original digital culture at scale, rather than primarily consuming content from international platforms.

With the official go-live date set for December 10th, expectations continue to rise across the creative, tech, and media industries. Many now view the upcoming launch as more than just a product release — but as a potential turning point for African content ownership, distribution, and monetisation.

For now, the message across the industry is clear:

If this many major creators have signed on before launch, then December 10th could mark the start of something truly transformative for Uganda — and for Africa’s digital future.