Ugandan creatives have been challenged to take centre stage in marketing the country through film, photography and digital storytelling, with the documentary Back to the Source: The Nile presented as an example of how local stories can resonate on the global stage.
The call was made during the 10th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2026, held from May 21 to 23 at Speke Resort and Convention Centre in Munyonyo. The annual tourism trade show was officially opened by President Yoweri Museveni and attracted international buyers, tourism operators, investors and media delegates from across the world.
The 25-minute documentary, produced by Linck Visuals Media LTD, was showcased throughout the three-day expo at a dedicated exhibition booth where visitors were introduced to the film and its future plans.
Directed by Derrick Ssenyonyi and executive-produced by Uganda’s Consul General to Guangzhou, China, Ambassador Judyth Nsababera, the documentary follows Nsababera as she returns to Uganda to trace the River Nile from its source in Jinja while confronting her lifelong fear of water.
Speaking at the expo, Ssenyonyi said creators must go beyond producing quality content and also focus on promoting their work.
“We are here to highlight Back to the Source and make sure the message is clearly understood. Marketing is part of creation. You do not only create something good and stop there — promoting it and standing by it is part of the creator economy that many young people need to tap into,” Ssenyonyi said.
He also called for more platforms that allow Ugandan creatives to distribute and monetise their work while maintaining ownership of their stories.
“We need platforms where Ugandan creators can distribute and monetise their work while maintaining ownership of our stories. The global platforms are difficult to access and often offer limited returns for African creatives. That has to change,” he added.
Ambassador Nsababera said Uganda must position itself to attract more Chinese tourists, noting that the market remains largely untapped despite growing trade links between the two countries.
“A lot of Ugandans are going to China for trade, but we are also working hard to bring Chinese visitors to Uganda to experience the country. In 2024 alone, Chinese nationals made approximately 149 million overseas trips. Uganda remains largely untapped in that market — and that is a significant opportunity we must seize,” she said.
She encouraged tourism operators to adapt their services to suit Chinese travellers, including translating promotional materials into Mandarin.
“We encourage Ugandan tour operators and tourism stakeholders to begin adapting their services and promotional materials for Chinese audiences — including translation into Mandarin. The Chinese traveller is looking for authenticity. Uganda has that in abundance,” Nsababera said.
Photographer and author Abu Mwesigwa also emphasised the importance of Africans documenting their own stories and preserving cultural memory through visual storytelling.
“It is important as Africans and as Ugandans to take the lead in telling our own stories. Visual storytelling carries power — pictures preserve history and connect people to real experiences. African creatives must invest in documenting and preserving our own narratives for the generations that follow,” Mwesigwa said.
The documentary first premiered in Guangzhou, China, in December 2025, reportedly reaching more than 73 million viewers across Chinese digital platforms.
Its Ugandan premiere was held on April 25 at Méstil Hotel in Kampala and attended by ministers, diplomats and leaders from Uganda’s tourism and creative sectors. Another free public screening was later organised in Kampala’s Katanga community, attracting hundreds of residents and families.
Organisers said the film’s presence at POATE signals Uganda’s growing embrace of creative and cultural diplomacy as tools for tourism promotion and national image-building.
The screening programme is expected to continue with a public cinema showing at Century Cinemax, Arena Mall, on May 30, ahead of a planned European premiere later this year.
