The Ugandan Boy Live Talk Show: Reflecting on evolution of content creation

The show, which was held at Coterie Book Cafe located on Bandali Rise, Kampala -- had the actress Harmony Kyomugisha and radio personality BigBoy Shaque, setting the tone for the event.

After some warmup music, the emceeing duo invited Bonny Kibuuka, the host of The Ugandan Boy Talk Show, for an interview session in which he delved into why he started the podcast.

"God has blessed me with a lot of things... after achieving my dream of becoming an aircraft mechanic, I wanted to share my story to inspire a child who can also be like me," said Kibuuka, who currently lives in Michigan where he earns a living as a pilot and aircraft mechanic.

Born in Wakiso district, Kibuuka said growing up Capt. Mike Mukula (former minister) was the only expert he knew in aircraft engineering and it was hard to meet him for pointers.

"So, I wanted to create a platform where information could easily be passed on," said Kibuuka. "After sharing my story, I realized there were other people with stories to share and that's why I started inviting them."

He said 90% of his guests have been Ugandans in different fields and he has so far published 180 episodes.

He said one of his biggest milestones was starting because that is usually hard for most people and consistency after starting. He also mentioned being a two-time winner of the Pulse Influencer Awards (podcast category) as another major win.

He advised creators to focus on consistency.

For the live podcast dubbed Homecoming Edition, Bonny Kibuuka spoke to Edwin Nyaika (photographer and videographer), Prim Nyonyozi (lifestyle content creator) and Angel Kabera (soet).

Nyaika revealed that he tried shooting his first video in 2010, but the phone camera he was using stopped working after that video. He decided to focus on photography until in 2020 when he saw opportunities in videography again.

L-R: Nyaika, Kibuuka, Kabera and Nyonyozi Pulse

He started with wildlife photography and realised "animals don't pay" and noticed that it would take lots of heavy lifting to earn from that kind of content. His ambition was to work with National Geographic.

From wildlife, he switched to corporate photography after landing a gig with The Innovation Village in Ntinda. Soon he would realise that anyone could take pictures, so he slid into videography.

He realised "it's good to dream but not all dreams come true."

Speaking about how his work has rewarded him, he said he now has face value at events and it is easy for him to negotiate deals because of past work.

When creating content, he advised, look for something unique, not obvious.

He said advised creators to share their work with the public so feedback can help them measure progress. "Be willing to learn from people," he said.

Nyaika Pulse

Nyonyozi revealed that when she was starting she used to freeze while speaking to the camera but with encouragement from friends and continuously doing it, she's now become so good.

Kabera said that she started with spoken word while in school and also participated in competitions. After school, she decided to continue doing it and she's been learning along the way. She learnt singing from church.