Turning hours into gold: How generative AI can unlock Uganda’s productivity potential

 

By Richard Sebaggala

The world is currently experiencing a quiet revolution in the way work is done. Across industries and continents, generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot are changing the way people do everyday tasks. A recent global survey presented by Visual Capitalist found that workers using AI can reduce the time it takes to complete their tasks by more than 60 percent. Writing a report, for example, no longer took 80 minutes, but only 25, while fixing technical problems, which normally took almost two hours, was reduced to 28 minutes. Even solving mathematical problems was reduced from 108 minutes to just 29 minutes. These are not just marginal improvements, they represent a complete change in what a single employee can accomplish in a day.

 

The survey also found that tasks that require deeper thinking and human judgment, such as critical thinking, time management or instructing others, saw dramatic increases in productivity. Time spent on critical thinking dropped from 102 to 27 minutes. The time required to instruct and manage employees was also reduced by almost 70 percent. This shows that AI is not only useful for programming or technical analysis, but also for teaching, planning, decision-making and communicating. When people are equipped with the right tools, they are able to produce much more in much less time.

 

While these gains are impressive in advanced economies, their potential is even greater in countries like Uganda. For decades, low productivity has held back development in many African countries. In sectors such as agriculture, education, small businesses and government, workers still spend large parts of their day doing slow, manual and repetitive tasks. Productivity levels remain far below the global average, and this gap continues to fuel inequality between the global North and South.

Uganda has recognized this challenge and is responding with a bold new vision. With its 10-fold  development strategy, the country aims to increase its GDP from 50 billion to 500 billion dollars in just 15 years. The plan focuses on unlocking value in key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals and oil and gas. However, for this vision to succeed, it is not enough to invest in industries alone. Uganda also needs to improve the way people work, and this is where AI can be a game changer.

 

Many people still think that AI is something reserved for big companies or tech firms. However, the most immediate impact in Africa could come from small, everyday businesses. Just recently, I had an experience in the city of Entebbe that brought this home to me. I wanted to take a photo in a small secretariat that offers passport photos, typing and printing services. While I was waiting, I observed a young man helping a woman who had come in with a handwritten pieces of paper. She was applying for a job as a teacher in a kindergarten and needed a typed CV and cover letter. The man patiently asked her questions, read through her notes, typed slowly, rephrased what she had said and tried to create a professional document.

 

As I watched, I was struck by how much time they were spending on something that generative AI could do in seconds. All the man had to do was take a photo of the handwritten pages or scanned them, upload it to ChatGPT and ask it to create a customized resume and cover letter. He could even include the name of the school to make the cover letter more specific. In less than five minutes, she would have gone home with polished, professional documents, and the man could have moved on to the next client. Instead, this one task took almost an hour.

 

This small example represents a much larger reality. Across Uganda, there are hundreds of thousands of people running small businesses like this secretarial bureau. They type, translate, write letters, prepare reports and plan budgets, often by hand or on outdated computers. Most of them don't realize that there is a faster, smarter way to do the same work. AI tools, especially chatbots and mobile-based platforms, can multiply their output without the need to hire more staff or buy expensive software. Time saved is money earned. In many cases, this means better service, more customers and more dignity at work. Personally, before I start a task, I now ask myself how much faster I could do it with AI

 

In schools, AI can help teachers create lesson plans, grade assignments and design learning materials with just a few clicks. In government agencies, it can optimize reporting, organize data and improve decision-making. In agriculture, farmers can use mobile AI tools to diagnose plant diseases, find out about the weather or call up market prices in their local language. For young entrepreneurs, AI can help write business proposals, design logos, manage inventory and automate customer messaging.

 

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world. Our youth are curious about technology, innovative and willing to work. What many of them lack is not ambition, but access to tools that match their energy. Generative AI could completely change Uganda's productivity curve if it is widely adopted and made accessible through training and mobile-friendly platforms. This does not require billions of dollars or complex infrastructure. In many cases, awareness and basic digital skills are enough.

 

To seize this opportunity, Uganda needs to act thoughtfully. Schools and universities should teach students how to use AI tools as part of their education. Government employees should be trained to use AI in their daily tasks. Innovators should be supported to develop localized AI solutions that work in Ugandan languages and sectors. And, perhaps most importantly, the average citizen, like the secretarial worker, needs to see that AI is not a distant or abstract technology. It is a tool they can use today to work faster, serve better, and earn more.

 

If Uganda is serious about achieving its 10-fold growth strategy, improving the way people work must be at the center of the journey. AI will not replace human labor; it will augment it. In a country where every minute counts, the difference between three hours and thirty minutes could be the difference between survival and success.