UTB taps Ghetto Kids’ global fame to market Uganda tourism

Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is seeking to turn the Ghetto Kids’ growing international visibility into a marketing opportunity for Uganda’s tourism industry, with the dance group expected to play a key role in promoting the country ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The move follows the Ghetto Kids’ high-profile appearance alongside global music star Shakira during a performance of the FIFA World Cup theme song,  Dai Dai , where the Ugandan dance group raised the national flag before a global audience.

The performance has given the group an even bigger international platform, which UTB chief executive officer Juliana Kaggwa says the board intends to leverage to showcase Uganda’s culture, people, landscapes and tourism attractions to the world.

Speaking about the partnership, Kaggwa said UTB had already been engaging the Ghetto Kids’ management months before their World Cup appearance, identifying the group as part of a wider pool of Ugandan personalities capable of promoting the country to international audiences.

“It’s really the tipping point for tourism in this country,” Kaggwa said, describing the group’s global exposure as an opportunity for Uganda to reach audiences that traditional tourism marketing may not easily access.

According to Kaggwa, the Ghetto Kids had already been producing content showcasing Uganda’s attractions before their World Cup opportunity, including footage from Murchison Falls, the Source of the Nile and Chikorongo at the Equator.

The content, she said, was deliberately created to position Uganda as a destination worth visiting while associating the country with its youthful energy, music, dance, food and culture.

“So, really happy and proud of the performance, the opportunity to partner with them,” Kaggwa said.

She said the Ghetto Kids were part of a broader UTB strategy to work with Ugandan influencers and personalities who have visibility both within and outside the country.

The group, which had already amassed millions of followers before the World Cup appearance, now offers Uganda access to a much larger international audience through its association with some of the biggest names in global entertainment.

Kaggwa said the group’s appearance alongside Shakira had also placed them in the same international space as artists such as Madonna and Burna Boy, creating opportunities to expose Uganda to audiences interested in music, entertainment and travel.

She said UTB had been preparing to onboard the Ghetto Kids for its tourism campaigns before their World Cup breakthrough, but some of the discussions were temporarily put on hold to fast-track content that the group could use during its trip to the United States.

Among the content was a video inviting Shakira to visit Uganda and explore its tourism attractions.

For UTB, the strategy goes beyond using celebrities to advertise tourist sites. The board wants Ugandan personalities to embody the country’s identity and sell an experience built around its people, culture and natural attractions.

Kaggwa said the Ghetto Kids represented the youthful, energetic and talented Uganda that the tourism board wants the world to see.

“They represent youth, Uganda is vivacious, we have energy, which the Ghetto Kids represent, and we are super talented,” she said.

The strategy is also being linked to Uganda’s preparations to host AFCON 2027 alongside Kenya and Tanzania.

Kaggwa said UTB sees the continental football tournament as an opportunity to market Uganda beyond the football stadiums and attract visitors to the country’s wider tourism offerings.

“For us, AFCON 2027 is so much more than the football,” she said.

UTB is already engaging the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and other institutions involved in culture and tourism to develop experiences that will complement the tournament.

Kaggwa said the board wants visitors who come to Uganda for football to remain in the country to experience its wildlife, landscapes, heritage, food and culture.

“You come for the football, you stay for the wildlife, you stay for the landscape, you stay for the heritage, you stay for the culture, you stay for the people,” she said.

She said the focus would be on creating what UTB describes as the “Ugandan experience”, bringing together music, food, dance, culture and the country’s diverse communities outside the football stadiums.

“All 60-plus of our tribes and different sects will be coming together outside of the stadium to create what we’re calling the Ugandan experience,” Kaggwa said.

The Ghetto Kids’ World Cup appearance therefore comes at a strategic moment for Uganda’s tourism sector, as the country prepares to use AFCON 2027 and other international platforms to increase its visibility as a tourism destination.

For UTB, the group’s global breakthrough provides an opportunity to take the “Explore Uganda” message beyond conventional advertising and into the digital spaces where millions of potential tourists already follow Ugandan talent.

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