Sometimes, finding the right talent for your team feels like a transfer deadline day – options are limited, budgets are tight, and the perfect fit isn’t always available. But in Uganda, where 78% of the population is under 35, maybe we should stop just watching football for entertainment and start learning from it.
Take Chelsea FC. Under their new ownership, they abandoned the traditional approach of chasing big-name stars and instead bet big on youth. Instead of signing established players for short-term impact, they committed to long-term investments – seven, even ten-year contracts for young talents yet to prove themselves at the highest level. The gamble? That experience isn’t just something you buy; it’s something you build.
Naturally, skepticism followed. Pundits, fans, and critics had the same question: Where’s the leadership? Where’s the experience? Chelsea legend Gary Cahill recently provided what might be the best response:
“What haven’t they got? Experience. You get experience by playing games, going through ups and downs. We have to be patient. Every year they get experience, next season I expect them to be better.”
That struck a chord. Because in business, just like in football, success isn’t always about buying experience – it’s about building it.
Our Next Media Playbook: Blending Experience with Youthful Energy
At Next Media, we’ve lived this philosophy. We knew that while established names would help elevate our profile, long-term success would come from investing in young, hungry talent. So, we built a model that balances both.
Obadia Ismail Otim, our Group’s Chief Legal Officer, is a case in point. He didn’t arrive as an executive. He started as a legal officer, learning the ropes, growing his skills, and fully embracing Next Media’s high-performance culture. He specialized further, joined the Next Media CEO Mentorship Program, climbed the ranks from Head of Legal to Company Secretary, and now sits on our Executive Committee (EXCO). Beyond Next Media, he has also led legal affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters, making him an invaluable asset to the media industry.
And he’s not alone. Across the Next Media Park, you’ll find professionals who have risen through the ranks, earning their place at the top not because they were handed leadership, but because they built their own experience from within.
Addressing the Critics: The Reality Behind Our Strategy
Of course, people have looked at Next Media and concluded that we simply “poached talent” from competitors. That’s only half the story. We strategically brought in top names such as Solomon Serwanjja, Douglas Lwanga, name them, to elevate our brand, ensuring that everything we were building got the attention it deserved. But those names were never the entire plan. They were the accelerators, not the foundation.
The foundation had the likes of Canary Mugume, Victoria Bagaya and a lot more, many of them off the screen – the youth we’ve invested in. We have been intentional about hiring and developing young professionals who are shaping the future of Uganda’s media with us. Some of our most exciting content innovations today are driven by Gen Z talent – people who understand digital culture, who live and breathe short-form video, and who are redefining what media means in 2025.
The Bigger Picture: Next Influencer – Uganda’s Game-Changer for Digital Creators
But this isn’t just about hiring the right people – it’s about creating the right environment. That’s why we have built Next Influencer, an innovation designed to discover, manage, and support digital content creators and influencers. We’ve studied the best models across the region and invested in a system that has the ability to identify new and untapped influencers, while also helping any digital creative turn their passion into sustainable careers.
This for us is about creating dignified jobs in the digital space. Instead of young creatives struggling for opportunities, Next Influencer gives them the tools, mentorship, and platforms to thrive. Whether it’s storytelling, entertainment, or digital media, we’re ensuring that the next generation of influencers and content creators can build their futures right here in Uganda.
Trusting the Process, Even When the Critics Come
Of course, building something new always comes with criticism. Chelsea’s young squad is under fire because results haven’t come fast enough. Their manager, Enzo Maresca, is already facing pressure. Sound familiar? It does to us.
At Next Media, we’ve faced our share of doubters, too. There were moments when people questioned whether we were on the right path – especially when all the attention was on the few industry stars we brought in, rather than the incredible young talent we were developing internally. But we stayed the course. And now, we’re seeing the payoff.
Our homegrown talent is leading the charge. Our new hires are settling in faster because they’re joining a company where culture is more than that buzzword thrown about but something we live.
The Take-Away for Ugandan Businesses
This isn’t just about Next Media or Chelsea FC. It’s about rethinking how we build teams, companies, and industries in Uganda. With thousands of young graduates entering the job market every year and unemployment still a major challenge, we really need a shift in strategy.
Instead of always searching for “ready-made” professionals, maybe we should be developing them. Maybe the most valuable employees aren’t the ones with the longest CVs, but the ones who’ve been given the space to grow, to make mistakes, and to learn from them.
And for you, the young professionals, the lesson is just as important: Experience isn’t handed to you – it’s earned. It comes from showing up, doing the work, and embracing the journey. The best teams – whether on the pitch or in the boardroom – aren’t built overnight. They’re built over time.
Chelsea is betting on its young squad to deliver future success. Next Media has done the same – and it’s working. Maybe it’s time more organizations in Uganda took the same bold step.
