Watu Uganda has financed one million devices through Watu Simu, bringing smartphone ownership within reach of opportunity-seekers across the country.
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The milestone was marked at an event in Kampala on 20 July 2026, alongside seven years of Watu Uganda operations since the company launched in the market on 11 July 2019, and three years since Watu entered smartphone financing in July 2023.
Watu Simu allows customers to finance a smartphone with a down payment and manageable repayments over time, rather than paying the full cost upfront.
For a boda rider, trader, small business owner or student, the phone is a working tool: it is how they take payments, find customers, order stock and stay reachable.
The pace of growth has accelerated sharply. After crossing 500,000 devices financed in 2025, Watu Uganda reached one million in July 2026, doubling its cumulative portfolio in less than a year. More than 250,000 devices were financed in the first half of 2026 alone.
This growth has been supported by an expanding dealer network, now more than 300 partners strong across the country. Watu Uganda now operates through 29 branches, working with over 10,000 agents and 880 staff nationwide, bringing smartphone financing closer to customers across urban, peri-urban, and regional markets.
“Growth like this doesn’t happen by accident,” said Damien Gueroult, Country Manager, Watu Uganda.
“That kind of demand tells you people want a practical way to own a phone, not just a subsidy. It’s why we’ve kept investing in our dealer network, now over 300 partners nationally, so customers can access Watu Simu wherever they are.”
The link between Watu’s two asset classes is direct: over 6,000 boda riders who financed a motorcycle through Watu have since financed a smartphone as well, using both assets to run their businesses.
Female customers make up 42% of Watu Simu’s one million customers overall, and now account for half of all new customers as of June 2026. For customers like Suzan, a market trader in Kampala, the Watu Simu smartphone was her first-ever device financed rather than bought outright. She has since cleared most of the balance from her daily earnings and says the phone now keeps her in touch with customers, suppliers and family.
In Rukungiri, Adrine, a tailor who runs her own shop, says the ease of paying it off over nine months has meant she has already referred several other customers to Watu Simu.
“We’re just getting started,” said Mykyta Batenko, Head of Watu Simu, Uganda.
“We’re focused on reaching the next one million Watu Simu customers, and doing it faster than the first. Uganda remains one of our most important markets, and this milestone gives us a strong base to build from.”
Alongside Watu Simu, Watu Uganda finances motorcycles and electric motorcycles, supporting customers who rely on mobility assets for income.
The Kampala event brought together Watu teams, dealer partners and customers to mark the milestone.
Watu is a leading asset financier in Africa, committed to driving financial inclusion and digital empowerment. Since 2015, Watu has unlocked over $1 billion in credit and disbursed more than 7 million loans across ten countries. In Uganda, Watu provides fast and flexible financing for motorcycles and smartphones, enabling thousands of entrepreneurs to earn a living and connect to new opportunities.
Through Watu Simu, the company is expanding digital access by making smartphones affordable within 30 minutes, supported by flexible repayment options, helping Ugandans participate fully in the digital economy.
