KAMPALA, Uganda — With just four weeks to the 2026 Uganda International Fashion Week (UIFW), organizers of the weeklong event will this Thursday hold a national conversation on X exploring how Uganda’s creative industries can unlock economic growth, create jobs and build sustainable careers for young people.
Ugandan music icon Bebe Cool will join ARAPAPA boss and founder of fashion weeks in Uganda Santa Anzo for the second edition of the Uganda International Fashion Week Webinar Series, which will run from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. EAT.
The X Space, which will be hosted by award-winning journalist Canary Mugume, is expected to bring together creatives, entrepreneurs, policymakers and the public to examine the growing role of the creative economy in Uganda’s development.
The X Space will run under the theme “Creative Industries as Catalysts for Uganda’s Economic Transformation” and shall explore how fashion, music and other creative sectors can create employment, stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation, promote exports, strengthen Uganda’s national brand, boost tourism and contribute more significantly to the country’s economic growth.
With more than two decades of experience building one of Uganda’s most successful music brands, Bebe Cool is expected to share practical insights on transforming creative talent into sustainable businesses.
Drawing from his journey in music, brand building and audience development across Africa, Bebe Cool is expected to further guide on what it takes for creatives to build long-term careers and commercially successful brands.
The discussion will also draw on global research and insights from UNESCO and other internationally recognized institutions to examine the growing contribution of the creative economy to national development and why investment in creative industries is becoming increasingly important around the world.
Santa Anzo said this X Space conversation is intended to prepare creatives for opportunities beyond the runway and encourage them to view creativity as both an artistic pursuit and a viable business.
“UIFW has always been about much more than fashion and style,” she said. “It is about creating opportunities, building sustainable businesses and empowering young people to earn a living through their creativity. With this X Space being part of that journey, we want creatives to hear directly from industry leaders like Bebe Cool, who have successfully built lasting brands, and inspire them to see the creative industry as a powerful driver of economic transformation.”
The X Space forms part of UIFW’s pre-event engagement program, which is designed to spark meaningful conversations around fashion, entrepreneurship and innovation ahead of the main event.
The first webinar, held on Zoom, focused on Fashion for Impact, exploring how Uganda International Fashion Week is transforming fashion into a catalyst for job creation, entrepreneurship, trade, tourism, investment and sustainable economic growth beyond the runway.
UIFW 2026 Fashion & Business will run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5, 2026, and tickets for the Grand Finale Gala are already on sale via MTN MoMo using the app or by dialing 16520/#. Registration is via fashionweek.uifwglobal.com.
About Uganda International Fashion Week
Founded in 2003 by ARAPAPA Fashion House under the leadership of renowned fashion entrepreneur Santa Anzo, Uganda International Fashion Week (UIFW) is one of Africa’s longest-running fashion platforms. More than a runway showcase, UIFW uses fashion as a catalyst for economic growth by developing skills, promoting entrepreneurship, creating jobs and connecting designers, manufacturers, models and other creatives to local, regional and international markets.
The 2026 edition, themed Fashion for Impact, is focused on transforming talent into skills, jobs and bankable businesses for women, girls and youth. The initiative advances trade, tourism, innovation and inclusive economic empowerment by positioning fashion as a catalyst for sustainable development.
Through training, mentorship, enterprise development, market access and strategic industry linkages, Uganda International Fashion Week aims to equip 9,840 young people over three years — particularly women, girls, refugees, persons with disabilities and other youth — with practical skills, entrepreneurial capacity and income-generating opportunities across Africa’s growing fashion value chain.
