Alex Ponton @ponton_alex Twitter profile

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Alex Ponton

10 days

I asked my friend @nahabwe how he would go about expanding to Zambia. I picked Zambia because he's never been there and knows little about it. I'm paraphrasing, but his answer has stayed with me: "I would send a few of my guys to live there for a few months. They would eat in

Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

11 days

Kigali or Nairobi? People in both Kigali and Nairobi have reached out to @ModernLivingEA , asking when we are opening there. Both cities have their pros and cons: Kigali: Smaller but rapidly growing with investor-friendly policies. This likely means more buildings, more

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

I officially left my job in finance in Toronto 8 years ago to move to Uganda. Why did you leave Canada to come to Uganda? I wanted to see what it was to build and invest in a totally different context. That's it! No mission or pretention; just curiosity. The journey took me

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

The beginnings of @ModernLivingEA Hadijja was sitting behind the bar at Embers on 7th Street. She was the manager. The hours had become crazy as the place transformed over the years into an after-hours. Folks would show up at 3 am and start ordering bottles. As the manager, she

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 months

We didn't do eCommerce in Africa. We built rails and marketplaces that tried to compete with permutations of Instagram, Tik Tok, WhatsApp and a boda delivery guy. They failed... The eCommerce that will succeed and is already succeeding is the one that uses localised content and

Osaretin Victor Asemota

@asemota

2 months

We did e-commerce in Africa, and it was over quickly. We did Fintech, and it is now essentially over. Everything that can be done in this era has been tried and done successfully and unsuccessfully. There are no vacancies left. Crypto was largely a bust. Only a few made it alive.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 years

People should stop looking down on products made in Uganda! All the products below are made by my amazing wife and her team @ModernLiving16 . She doesn't have free land or tax exemptions; just grit and passion. Uganda truly has amazing talents! Reach out 0789356458

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

18 days

There is nothing special about Ugandan Tourism. Yes, I said it again... I might make my friend @wekesa_amos choke on his katogo this morning, and perhaps I am mistaken. I come in peace. Yet, I am saying it again: if we want our tourism to succeed on the global stage, we need to

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

5 months

The rich are underserved in East Africa. Yes, I said it! There are around 15,000-dollar millionaires in East Africa. Those include the very rich (i.e. Sudhir) and I suspect this number excludes all the folks who have perfected the art of hiding their money. Our Kikuubo

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

Instead of dunking on Kenyans, Ugandans should see this as an eye opener. As a Canadian, I can tell you that the folks where I am originally from think Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa before they even consider UG for a Safari. Even the gorillas, Rwanda is eating UG's lunch...

Trudy

@misstrudy_

1 year

Uganda has surprised me today! I did not know they also have game drive in Uganda! I thought that these are only in Kenya & Tanzania We spent the evening watching Antelopes, Giraffes,zebras, warthogs, water bucks and Hippos. Who would have thought? #Perlofafrica #Uganda #Africa

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

10 months

In mature capital markets, the lenders of Biyinzika would have put the company in bankruptcy, wiped out the equity holders, taken the keys, put the business on auction and find a PE / Strategic buyer to buy it as a going concern with a brand new capital structure. If the banks

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

5 months

#ParliamentExhibition - I couldn't resist adding my 2cent My mum used to be the Head of Legal at the public transport company in Montreal. Think Subway and buses for one of the largest city in Canada. They had an annual budget in the billions of dollars. She would fly economy

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 months

9 years ago I was boarding a plane to Uganda for the first time. I left my big finance job in Toronto to join a small impact fund as a fellow. I wanted to be "close to the action" and learn how it was to invest and do business in a totally different context. It was supposed to

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

4 months

There is nothing special about Ugandan Coffee. Hopefully, my friend @rkabushenga hasn't choked on his coffee while reading this. Please allow me to explain. What's special about Ugandan coffee? Is it high-end? Is it from the source? Is it of good quality? Is it affordable? Is

Joshua Pi'Rwot

@ja_pirwot

4 months

In the middle of Tokyo are small specialty coffee shops. We checked, There was no "Ugandan Coffee". The discussion we had is a familiar one: • It's likely that Ugsndan coffee is exported but branded under different names. • The government of Uganda has allowed this to

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

6 months

My idea on Bandali Rise went viral. Here is another one. Let's get our own Central Park in Kampala: Let's have the City partner with the Kabaka and transform his ranch near Kyambogo into our version of Central Park in New York. Many major cities have those parks and

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

Doubling down on Uganda Zaabu My 2 cent on Uganda tourism is that the country should double down on nailing specific niches rather than trying to compete head-to-head with the big players like Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. They are ahead on infrastructure as a result of

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

7 months

When Mama Zaabu is nominated, I suit up. The most amazing entrepreneur I know by far. Carpenter Oyee! @ModernLivingEA @mkazipreneur

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

I was tagged by my friend @TonyNatif on a thread about the current investment landscape in Uganda. Funny enough, I have spent my whole weekend with my finance friends for a bachelor party. They run funds, do real-estate PE, are investment bankers, etc. We have talked about Uganda

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

10 months

My Ssenga truly loved Uganda. My aunt Catherine visited Uganda for the first time at my wedding close to 5 years ago. She was my Ssenga with a capital S. She travelled the world to be there for us. She played along, rocked the gomesi and was a calming source of support. In the

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

Ordering breakfast from CJs is an entrepreneurship lesson in itself. The attention to details is really out of this world. - All beverages are sealed making it impossible for them to spill. - The delivery person comes with a uniform with a clear name tag - Juices and hot

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 years

Best photo of 2022 for me 💕

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 months

3 years ago, I was devasted. I had just transitioned out of my tech startup. "Transitioned out" is a euphemism. My co-founder and I had irreparable disagreements on how to run the company and I decided to walk away. At the time, it felt like everything around me was dark and

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 month

The most sucessful entrepreneur in Uganda was nicknamed Mukwano which means "friendship" or "my friend". It's quite telling if you ask me... Uganda like many other countries is small, especially the business community. I keep joking to people that you are always 2 to 3 people

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

5 months

When they are white, we call it foreign direct investment. When they are African, we despise them. The Eritrean community invests heavily and sticks together. They support each others businesses, invest in each other and employ other members of the community. To whoever wrote

Jim Spire Ssentongo

@SpireJim

5 months

Concerns on Foreigners in GABA, Kansanga, Kabalagala, Nsambya, Munyonyo…

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 years

So proud of my wife's work with her team at Modern Living (@ modernlivingea on Instagram). Buy Uganda Build Uganda!

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

7 months

Time to back some boring businesses I have been posting for all of last year about the need for early-stage funders to start backing “fast-growing” traditional businesses. It doesn’t matter if you are building a fintech or a new grocery store concept. A Startup is growth. I feel

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

If someone wonders why no works leave our showroom until it's fully paid for, it's because of stories like this. Way too often in the early days guys with big cars tried (and sometime succeeded) to take advantage of @ModernLivingEA . We were close to calling it a day a few times

Agather Atuhaire

@AAgather

1 year

Recently I received this message from Martha. ⁦ @Mbidde ⁩ contracted her to make furniture for him, she did and delivered it but he has refused or failed to pay her. I contacted the Hon. to hear what he says about the issue but he ignored me and instead sent the screenshots..

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

9 months

Rwanda and @FlyRwandAir is flying Ugandan influencers to Rwanda to promote the country and the airline... Meanwhile in Uganda, we have talks and symposiums about how to empower creatives... Perhaps we should start by giving them the gigs?

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

10 months

The great arbitrage of African Tech and why African startups should start looking outward and go global: Canvas didn't go out to build for the Australian market. Zoho didn't wake up saying "let's build sofware for Indian SMBs". They might have gotten their first clients from

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

I met the son of a successful Ugandan entrepreneur the other day. He went to school abroad and came back to help run the family business. The family holding is involved in all sort of industries: construction, tourism, retail, Real Estate, etc. This is very common in Uganda as

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

11 months

Hi everyone, we are renting this beautiful 2 bedroom apartment (self-contained) in Muyenga near La Foret. It is fully furnished by the amazing team at Modern Living. It comes with internet and cleaning 2x per week. It goes for $1,200 per month. $65 per day (minimum for 3 days).

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 years

My parents' passports were in the bag that was stolen at the airport @EntebbeAirport . Their names are Louis Ponton and Sylvie Tremblay. I'll offer a reward that will make your Xmas memorable if you get me back those passports. Bring what else was in the bag & I'll double it.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

4 months

Instead of debating homes vs bonds, why not talk of Side Hustles that cash flow as well. Consulting, AirBnB, supplies business, coffee farming, etc I have seen a lot of successful chaps deploy their capital in such. Also what happened to being able to buy share in US

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

6 months

Do you want to make Bandali Rise an internationally recognized party street? Make it a walking-only street from Thursday to Sunday. You park your car at Village Mall and go bar hopping. Dance in the street, eat amazing street food, dance in the street once more, and bar hop. No

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

3 months

I think we forgot "the carrot" part of that EFRIS discussion. If I was URA, I'd partner with UDB to create an SME product using EFRIS as the basis for disbursement. For example: The registered SMEs get 10% of their turnover in EFRIS as an unsecured loan from UDB payable over 3

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

@wetspntslaughin I talk too much to be a spy - Quote from my wife

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 months

Remote Internship opportunity! I have a few exciting projects going on but I need some help. I am looking for an intern to do market research, handle admin tasks, and do the needful to get projects off the ground. It would be a remote role and part-time. You don't need to

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

7 months

I am reading the back-and-forth on URA-Comedy Club between my friends @TonyNatif and @idringp and it reminds me of the famous quote from the late Finance minister of Quebec, Bernard Landry. I am paraphrasing but he was basically saying: "A small business that pays taxes in Quebec

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

3 months

Mr. President, it's time we make East Africa a supermarket for Ugandan products. There is no showroom of @ModernLivingEA in Kigali or Juba. Yet, most of the furniture in Kigali, Nairobi, Bujumbura, and Juba is sub-par in comparison despite the growing wealth. We are even getting

Yoweri K Museveni

@KagutaMuseveni

3 months

I met the leaders of traders from Kampala and other districts at Entebbe. I listened to their issues, which included: 1. The tax on textiles calculated based on kilograms is high. 2. Manufacturers who engage in wholesale and retail leave no room for traders to do business,

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

9 months

The 3 levels of trading - The framework I use to assess businesses... When I look to invest, start a business, or pursue the next side-hustle, this framework has been incredibly helpful to me. Level 1 - Market and convenience arbitrage. You find local suppliers of products

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

11 days

Kigali or Nairobi? People in both Kigali and Nairobi have reached out to @ModernLivingEA , asking when we are opening there. Both cities have their pros and cons: Kigali: Smaller but rapidly growing with investor-friendly policies. This likely means more buildings, more

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

29 days

People know @TonyNatif the activist. Let me tell you a story... Hadijja was overworked and overwhelmed trying to hold @ModernLivingEA out of the water. Nothing major, just the regular hustles and headaches that come from growing a business on those streets of ours. Growing fast

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 month

I have been to Rwanda, Kenya and DRC (Goma) in the last 3 months. How many Ugandan brands did I see there? Less than the fingers on my right hand. For the record, I still have 5. Ugandans entrepreneurs I meet often are affraid of expanding to neighbouring countries out of

Yoweri K Museveni

@KagutaMuseveni

1 month

Fellow Ugandans especially the bazzukulu, as earlier indicated, this afternoon at Kololo, I delivered the State of the Nation address, where I reminded Ugandans of the three historical missions, the 4 principles of the NRM, the distance we have covered, what remains to be done

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

@JaneRuth_Aceng I kind of wish this tweet started with: "This is unacceptable. Kudos to this amazing and dedicated nurse but we will fix this!"

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

Changing the behavior of banks and lenders will take time in this country. Here are some alternative ways to secure financing & liquidity for your business. Prepayments: Don't be scared to sell your solution even if it is not yet built. Nothing gets an early adopter more excited

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

@MartinTumusiime Red Pepper has no chills lol

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

4 months

I am going to China next week for a furniture expo. I will be visiting factories and major markets sourcing for hardware, accessories and machines. I will be posting the play by play while I'm there. Please send your questions below if you want to learn more about China sourcing.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

8 months

In 20 years, they will celebrate @NyegeNyegeFest as an example of grit, creativity and passion... I helped the @NyegeNyegeFest founders in the very early days. I went to the first one, was impressed and reached-out as we were in similar circles and they were friends. My

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 months

The reason why @Jumia_Group struggles is curation. The perception is that they are still selling a lot of "crap" that people don't trust. "My guy in town that has "genuine" Iphones from the UK" still beats Jumia (and other platforms) hands down in the customer's mind without

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

11 months

I have spent the week in Montreal; my hometown. Here are a 2 things my dear Kampala could borrow: - Close a few streets to cars: One night, the weather was perfect and instead of taking the subway back home, we walked 5km+. This enabled us to experience the variety of 4

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

10 months

Tips they don't tell you at incubators and startup programs - Social Media Edition Close the trust gap: Marketing all boils down to closing the trust gap between your company and your end customer. You are probably in a world where: 1) Your potential customers don't know you,

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 month

Smokies with kachumbari are better than Rolex. Sorry guys I said it.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

7 months

I guess it was worth wearing a suit! A great way to end 2023. Congrats to Hadi My BossLady. @ModernLivingEA going places!! @mkazipreneur thank you <3

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

5 months

When I was working on my previous agritech startup, we took the bus to Nairobi overnight. We were broke trying to secure a lifeline to continue going at it longer. All the investors wanted to meet in posh cafés like ArtCaffé, Cafesserie and so on. We would spend our days there

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

5 months

Make Kampala the remote work capital of the world... I listened to an old episode of @TheFlipAfrica earlier today. It was part of their series on the future of work and how remote work plays into it for Africa. If I were in charge of attracting investors to Uganda, I would

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

3 years

I visited the offices of @RocketHealthUG yesterday. I was impressed. The office was buzzing but everything was extremely organized. A Uganda success story in the making! Well done @Davisthedoc @drjohnmark_b and team!

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

I posted about this. Going to Zambia (800$) is the price of a trip to dubai with food and 3 nights at the hotel. Don't get me going on how much it costs to send a container either way. To build intra-african trade we need to find a way to reduce the cost of transport!

Rwakakamba Morrison

@Rwakakamba

1 year

The Problem: Entebbe- Nairobi $350: An internal flight in Kenya to a hotspot like Nairobi - Mombasa $123! In Uganda, to fly to an internal a hotspot, it’s $300! If you want to go granular and help Africa, you start here.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

9 months

One of the most successful entrepreneur in the history of Uganda was nicknamed "Mukwano" or "Friend". Remember that next time you are about to be rude to someone. Make no enemies. Uganda is small, be kind.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

6 months

As you guys are looking to build your businesses for 2024, here are some concepts that have stuck with me. I use them as rules of thumb to give me direction and help shape the decisions I make and the bits of advice I give. Trust = Consistency x Time. A customer who trusts

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

10 months

"Do things that don't scale" Hadijja left this morning at 4am to go to Rushere to help a client put the final touches on her home. She has a function the next day and wants to make sure everything is finalized. Let me rephrase, Hadijja wants to make sure her client is delighted

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

What are some of the most amazing yet underrated brands in this country? I am not talking Mukwano or MTN, I am talking products or services from SMEs that make you go: "wow"

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

My thoughts on Intra-African trade. 800$ for a ticket to Lusaka I went to Zambia a few months back. I met a Ugandan running a successful logistics company there. From my discussions with him, it's a great place to do business for a Ugandan Entrepreneur. "The hustle is very

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 month

"Build an audience" --> That's something you can always do (whether you are employed, building a business, in between projects, etc.). It pays off no matter what as long as you post intelligent and relevant content. "Most decisions are reversible and low impact" --> It reduces

Tinashe M

@tmukogo

1 month

What's the best piece of business advice you have ever gotten?

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

8 months

I sincerely believe that to be a sucessful founder you need to have the following gene deffects: - You don't dwell on things: Life can throw the worse at you (personally, business wise, etc.) and you won't dwell for more than a few hours or days. Your gene mutation might even

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

8 months

Forget Jack Ma of Alibaba, Zhong Shanshan is the man.. The richest man in China, Zhong Shanshan, is the owner of Nongfu Spring which has a portfolio of beverages including the famous Nongfu Spring Water. It's pretty much everywhere in China. China through the 90s and early 2000s

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

8 months

Below is a repost from a Linkedin post of my colleague Dan @spoutsofwater . Folks don't know but we have the largest ceramic water filter factory in Africa in our backyard. Sometimes next year, it will be the largest in the world. This a truly amazing Ugandan success story and

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

3 years

Idea of the day: A pre-cooked meal company in KLA. You can pick from a diverse menu and they deliver within 4 hours. No more road-side chips or KFC, you always have a home-cooked meal in the freezer. PS: If it exists already, share the love and let me know, I'l be a power user!

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

6 months

If you are looking for reasons to go to the Zzina Awards, that's where it all began with Mama Zaabu. OK like date #3 but you get the point...

Innocent Nahabwe

@nahabwe

6 months

Since 2013 ⁦⁦ @GalaxyFMUg ⁩ has been shining a light and appreciating the greatest Ug-n talent over the years . We are doing it again at the #ZzinaAwards24 ⁦ @iuea_uganda ⁩ auditorium on 8th February. It’s one of those things we just do to uplift the Ug music . Vote

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

10 months

Business idea looking for feedback: @ModernLivingEA opens a showroom in London, Boston, Toronto & Dubai (over time) to serve the diaspora. A lot of our clients have complained about the struggles of building and furnishing a home while in the diaspora. We provide a turnkey

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

11 months

The "capital intensive" story and why, no matter what, ROI is what matters... It's funny how people will say that traditional businesses are more "capital intensive" and then celebrate the tens of millions of dollars raised by tech startups. Sendy burned through $28M and,

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

We are renting this beautiful 2-bedroom self-contained townhouse in Forest Village. The unit comes with unlimited wifi, utilities, gas once a month, and cleaning twice a week. It goes for $1,150 per month for long-term stays. Please get in touch with me on WhatsApp at 0787979933

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

5 months

I know I am going to sound like one of those motivational speakers but if you feel stuck about your current conditions, take action: - Update your CV - Send that cold email - Book that trip - Go to the gym - Start that side hustle In a nutshell, take the first steps. It's

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

Can we donate the Square Miles given to Akon to the Ghetto Kids and build a Pan-African center for creative arts instead?

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

A few learnings from starting and investing in companies. #1 Partner with the right people and align early: I was in love with the problem and I had nothing exciting on my plate at the time so, I jumped in too fast with my last co-founder. We were not aligned on the core. He

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

4 months

China Trade Fair Diary #4 - The Chinese Factories in 3 Parts Today is my first day back in Uganda. I missed my son and Kampala. With all the Twitter exhibitions, it's easy to forget that Uganda is pretty awesome! I never thought I'd miss matoke and pilau so much. Visiting

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 months

If I may, Ugandan banks are extremely profitable: Step 1: they charge depositors fees left right and center, they then Step 2: Lend to government at 16% Step 3: Get grants or government funding to lend to strategic sectors (SMEs, youth, agriculture, etc) which they use instead

Tim Timm

@TimTimmUG

2 months

@TonyNatif @TonyNatif the high base rate is because Uganda is a very lucrative place for banking so

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

3 months

The story of Prudence from Bella Wine is one of anthology. She started selling jerrycans of wine in the taxi park. Brick by brick she built a great business! I am glad I was able to support her during my days at Mango Fund! I need to visit her new factory in Namanve.

Uganda Investment Authority

@ugandainvest

3 months

#UIAInvestorsBaraza2024 : Prudence Kasibante Ukkonika, MD of Bella Wines and Juice, appeals to Ugandans to support domestic investors by buying their products in order to enable them continue to create more jobs for Ugandans. @ugandainvest has allocated for her land in Namanve.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 years

I am shocked Ugandan home-sellers / brokers rarely do any home-staging before putting a house on market. Man, you look at the pictures and people's actual dirty laundry is on display, the place is upside down, and pictures are taken with a phone from 1995.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

6 months

The issue with Scams is that they build the narrative of the industry and the country. Future government and donor programs will use those scams to benchmark future programs and companies. There will always be a doubt about the ability to do anything good... The board rooms at

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 month

When I say that the government is crowding out the private sector with it's borrowing, please consider this: There is a whole class of people, driven by the likes of my friend @KakandeAlex , considering investing in government bonds over starting a business. The main argument:

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

2 months

This post is unrelated to my post on looking for an intern. I received amazing write-ups and I will be reaching out. Super exciting!! One thing we don't talk enough about is the hidden cost of youth unemployment. Getting a job in a structured environment shapes you. It teaches

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

9 months

I feel like organising a Twitter Finance / Entrepreneurship Meetup before the end of the year. Who is in? @TheEndre we do it at @wildcoffeebar1 ?

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 month

I think people are really underestimating food from East Africa. Sometimes I dream of the late Anthony Bourdain sitting in a kafunda, drinking a cold Nile Special and eating Pork somewhere in Kampala. My post on Smokeys showed how much East Africans love their classics. Don't

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

6 months

Based on my experience in Uganda, African markets probably have the strongest viral potential in the world. I break it down into 3 main reasons and that's why I am incredibly bullish on eCommerce: Almost every single purchase decision is made on a referral & word-of-mouth: "Can

Justin Norman 🌍

@just_norm

6 months

@ponton_alex I've been reflecting on the efficacy of the venture model in Africa, in general, and I feel quite bearish on VCs funding consumer products in Africa (whatever the ecommerce permutation) if they are expecting high growth.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

9 months

I have not looked at Real Estate as much as @KakandeAlex or @jrkyanda but here are the questions I would ask if I were to seriously build a view on the sector. I use land and Real Estate interchangeably below. Is land a better store of value if currency depreciates heavily?

Kakande Alex

@KakandeAlex

9 months

Data is in. Analysis is in. I’m going to compile as much as I can and do one long comparative. Send it in. Pre-emptier statement. If your goal of buying land is for your Family construction. Just buy. That’s not a typical investment. Don’t look at the numbers. Buy.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

10 months

🕯️🕯️Vision 2024🕯️🕯️ One little hack I will use more: Doing business planning is helpful. It forces you to think through dependencies, gaps, milestones, funding needs and so on. The key issue is that more often than not, the milestones & objectives end up in a report that is

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

4 months

100% agree. The only nuance I'd add is that most VC-backed companies won't reach 100x returns so having a sector thesis about what can reach VC returns vs. not is almost useless. You are trying to pick probabilistic impossibilities so VCs should focus on whether or not the team

Jasiel Martin-Odoom

@Jasielinvests

4 months

How do we back more ideas that are not venture scalable to become sustainable in Africa? People pitch me bold ideas for Africa's future. Most won't be a 100x success in 10 years to be a fit for venture capital. But, it doesn’t mean these ideas don’t deserve funding.

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

3 months

I promised you guys I would bring friends to the party. I am very excited to be joined by @nahabwe and Hadijja of @ModernLivingEA ! @nahabwe needs no introduction. He has been one of my mentors for the last few years and he brings decades of experience building amazing

Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

3 months

As promised, I will be hosting a small get-together at @wildcoffeebar1 on Thursday at 7PM to discuss my China Trip with @ModernLivingEA . I am trying to get an idea of the size so please answer this survey!

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

7 months

Going to COP28 under the Ugandan delegation was both overwhelming and eye opening. It was the first time I was at an event where “the world” converged. For @SPOUTS International, the company I represented, it helped us reinforce our relationship with partners, meet stakeholders

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

A very underrated rule of thumb these days: Kampala is small, be kind! I don't mean to sound like a motivational speaker but if you have been around this town for a while, you know...

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

10 months

It's now less than 500$ and a direct flight to go to Lagos, Kinshasa, JoBurg and Mumbai and all the neighboring East African Countries with @UG_Airlines . A small detail but it has simplified trade dramatically if you ask me. I pray that direct flights to Guangzhou and the

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

11 months

I was reading the story of Treepz who raised 2M+ & bought Ugabus with the mission to improve bus transport. They later pivoted to car rental and it made a big fuss. Fiasco (in the making?) What if that funding and those resources went to an operator like Pokopoko with the

DBwambale

@TheMutaD

11 months

"All economic development is local. All politics is local." The Pokopoko Bus Service has acquired a new bus. As usual, some of the WhatsApp groups in Bwera and Kasese shared the photo. The old man who owns the bus company started by selling safety pins. His original shop still

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

This was definitely unexpected. I am glad that my story inspired a few. I am grateful to everyone who reached-out. If you sent me a DM, I will make it a point to get back to you in the coming days. Someone even sent me a Gold Deal, not sure how to reply to that one lol

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

11 months

3 open questions that I am obsessed with: #1 Pan-African scaling: I have worked in 6 African countries this year. Every time, I look at furniture companies & ask around. In all cases, the offerings are limited, the local carpenters are unreliable, and the imported furniture is

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

6 months

I am going to take a step further from the post of @MarkRuhindi and the responses from @TonyNatif . If we were to organize a grassroots conference for SMEs, which topic and which speakers would you like to cover?

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

@mas_nant No not at all but it was one of my clients. The founder, Prudence, is an amazing entrepreneur who has built this business to last generations. It's been a while but it was one of the businesses I invested in while at Mango Fund

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

9 months

People who are downplaying AGOA because only a few million dollars worth of trade benefited from it, miss the big picture. To put it bluntly, it's pretty clear that the Western investment / donor community is reconsidering it's involvement in Uganda. That means deals are

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

I am told that the Kilimanjaro of Uganda is taking steps to distance itself from the Kilimanjaro of Tanzania. As a duly registered entity, they want to avoid "any confusion or misrepresentation in the public eye" The Nile of Nairobi is also seeking legal advice....

Nyege Nyege Kenya

@NyegeNyegeKE

1 year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

9 months

Excelling in a high pressure environment Considering that most banks (including JPM) had to enforce rules to avoid senior bankers from burning their junior staff out, this speech needs to be taken with a big grain of salt. During my investment banking interviews, associates

Tinashe M

@tmukogo

9 months

Employees Are Responsible For Their Own Work Life Balance — Not the Company. Jamie Dimon, CEO of the world's largest bank JPMorgan Chase, drops some harsh but true words. Is he telling the truth in this 90-second clip or making an excuse for demanding employers (which JPMorgan

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

3 months

Project Coffee Oppenheimer - Making Ugandan Coffee Special We are not developing a nuclear bomb in a race against the Nazis like in the movie Oppenheimer. Yet, I think we can all agree that "getting the positioning right" for Ugandan coffee is of national importance. Coffee

Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

4 months

There is nothing special about Ugandan Coffee. Hopefully, my friend @rkabushenga hasn't choked on his coffee while reading this. Please allow me to explain. What's special about Ugandan coffee? Is it high-end? Is it from the source? Is it of good quality? Is it affordable? Is

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

18 days

@wekesa_amos The main reason I tagged @wekesa_amos is that he's a fantastic advocate for Uganda Tourism and his actions follow his words which is commendable. I knew the headline "there is nothing special about Ugandan tourism" would make him react. Hopefully, he was not eating Katogo when he

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Alex Ponton

@ponton_alex

1 year

I am not always retweeting the content of Madam because tomorrow is my birthday and I want her to buy me a nice watch. (Would be nice though :D) I am retweeting her content because I am grateful to have met a real trailblazer and amazing future wife & mother 8 years ago...

Modern Living

@ModernLivingEA

1 year

Throwback Monday! This was at our first workshop 5 years ago. Even at big meetings, I still introduce myself like this: "Hello, I am Hadijja. I am a carpenter" It doesn't matter if your line of work is male-dominated or dusty. Follow your passion!

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