The number of Ugandans using social media platform TikTok has hit five million, data from Uganda Communications Commission has indicated.
According to UCC’s latest report, despite being at 5.5 million users, TikTok is below WhatsApp which at 7.6 million users becoming the most used social media platform in the country.
The 2023 Annual Communications Sector Report by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) also indicated that social media subscriptions in Uganda have moved from 13.7 million in 2020 20.7 million by December 2023.
The report shows that there are 4.6 million Ugandan users on YouTube, Snapchat at 1.4 million users, Instagram at 1 million subscribers while 600,000 Ugandans are on X and Netflix has 94,000 subscribers.
UCC attributed these impressive figures to the deepening in smartphone penetration in the country which they said is currently at 33%.
“Driven by Uganda’s youthful population and the proliferation of both smartphones and feature phones, there has been notable adoption and usage of numerous social media apps. ,” the report says.
The figures show there is a growing trend of Ugandans, as is in the world for users to opt for social media platforms which offer video than any other services.
The UCC report says the reduction in cost and accessibility of mobile data plans and packages by telecom companies has also greatly attributed to this growth.
