A 2020 complete guide to online Shopping and Shipping websites in Uganda

As online shopping continues to grow in Uganda, we see many new companies coming up everyday and some closing shop. Payment systems are getting easier with more and more people acquiring VISA/Mastercard to help them pay for goods/services online. Multiple service providers and stores also accept mobile money as a form of payment which is a good thing because the majority of Ugandans actually use mobile money compared to bank accounts.

It is now not only possible but easier to shop from any where in the world and ship right here to Uganda. Websites like Jumia and Kilimall currently allow you shop online locally and get the goods shipped to your address or collected from the sellers store. While platforms like GoodsExpress and Intralineonline will allow you shop and ship (almost) anything from anywhere in the world to Uganda. Whether it is a car, the latest gadget or fashion item from your favorite designer or store in the UK, US or Asia.

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Here is a list of websites, platforms or companies that will help you safely and conveniently shop online (locally or internationally) and ship to Uganda.

GLOBAL ONLINE SHOPPING AND SHIPPING SITES

These are more advanced and sometimes hard to categorize. Some of them are shopping platforms while some are shipping companies. Others do both shopping and shipping or just one. What is clear is that they connect sellers and buyers or help you ship whatever you have bought online to a selected location.

With these platforms, you can shop, ship, sell or buy almost anything in Uganda or around the world.

GoodsExpress

Update: Goods express closed shop in Uganda. 

GoodsExpress is an online shopping and shipping platform that allows you shop online from thousands of stores and ship to Uganda securely and conveniently. They have an advanced and robust platform from which you can browse or search for millions of items online from their website.

The platform also allows you to add links to different products that you have found online, then calculating your approximate shipping and tax cost almost instantly before you checkout and ship the item. The platform also has inbuilt order tracking that helps you know the status of your shipment. It is the most convenient service we have used so far and we were satisfied with their service.

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Security: https encryption
Payment Methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Bank Transfer, Cash and Mobile Money.
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Acacia Mall, Kisementi Cooper Road, Kampala Uganda

IntralineOnline

IntralineOnline a subsidiary of Intraline Shipping and Logistics,  lets you shop from almost anywhere in the world and ship to Uganda. They also have a repository of items that you can buy directly from their website and if you can’t find what you want, just send them a link to the item you want to buy and ship to Uganda and they will do the rest.

They will get back to you with approximate costs for shipping and taxes after which you are required to pay cash at their office or mobile money for the item before it is shipped. We have used them and were satisfied with their service.

Security: https encryption
Payment Methods: Paypal, Visa, Mastercard,  Cash and Mobile Money.
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Plot 112, Muteesa II Road, Ntinda, Kampala, Uganda

READ MOE: 

Masikini

Masikini is the latest entrant to the online shopping world in Uganda. Barely a few months old, Masikini is like an Amazon of sorts that actually ships directly to Uganda. They source items from China, UK and USA with quite a wide selection of items from all over the world.

Security: https encryption
Payment Methods: Visa, Mastercard, Cash and Mobile Money.
Platforms: Web and App
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Oasis Mall, Basement, Yusuf Lule Road

Intership

Intership closed shop.

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Intership is a Ugandan shipping company that allows you to shop from thousands of stores online and ship to Uganda. Users are given a tax free US address to ship their items to after shopping online. You are then requested to declare your items so that you can get a quote on what you owe and pay for your package upon receipt.

They also have a “Shop for me” option where users send a link of the product they want, get a quotation, pay a 70% deposit, the item is shipped and balance payed upon delivery. We have used them before and were satisfied with their service.

Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: Visa, Mastercard, Cash and Mobile Money.
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Outbox, 4th Floor, Soliz House, Lumumba Avenue

NileCargo

Nile Cargo helps you shop from the US and ship to Uganda in 10 – 15 days via Air Freight.  Apart from the fact that they ship huge items like  Generators, Medical Equipment, Music Equipment , Vehicles, Construction Equipment, Farm Tractors, Auto Parts, Tractor Parts, etc, they also ship basic items for the everyday consumer like Cell phones, Computers, iPads, Printers, Personal items, Flat Screen TVs Washing Machines & Dryers, Household Goods, Refrigerators, Cookers and Furniture among others.

Because they are more into shipping large stuff, their shipping of small consumer items isnt as optimized or smooth compared GoodsExpress, Intraline Online or Intership. There are no items on their website to browse through so all order are made the manual way by contacting them directly.

Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: Cash
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: No
Office: Nile Cargo Uganda, Ltd. Bakuli House, Plot 17 Hoima Rd, Bakuli,

US2Ug

US3UG closed shop

US2Ug lets you shop specifically from the US and they help you ship whatever you have shopped to Uganda. All one has to do is send them a link of the item they want after which they will get a quotation. After payment is made,the item is shipped, customs cleared and delivered to the buyer.

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Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: Cash and Mobile Money.
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: No
Office: Plot 3910 Ntinda- Kisasi Road, Kampala

Supaprice

Supaprice helps you buy from the UK and receive in Uganda. They have a couple of products listed on their website with prices already worked out. The products range from Fashion items to electronics and beauty products. They require a 50% deposit and balance on delivery. Most of the items ship within 10 working days.
We also have information that you can order different items (not on the website) from the UK and have them shipped to Uganda by contacting them directly.

Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: Cash and Mobile Money
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Shop 19 –21, 2nd Floor, Kamu Kamu Plaza, Kampala, Uganda

LOCAL ONLINE SHOPPING AND DELIVERY

These stores operate locally allowing Ugandans shop online and get their items delivered to a particular address or collected from the seller stores

Jumia

Jumia is a huge store with an assortment of products in broad categories. These products are listed by the different sellers on Jumia’s website. Jumia then manages the process of you accessing the products, making payments and the logistics of getting the product to you.

They have quite a wide range of items from Men and Women’s fashion, Household items, electronics and appliances to foods and beverages.

Security: https encryption
Payment Methods: Cash On Delivery and  Mobile Money.
Platforms: Web and Mobile App
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Luwum Street

Odukar store

Odukar store is a niche online store dedicated to quality electronics at affordable prices. The store launched in early 2020 just before Covid-19 and is seeing steady growth. At time of launch, they have a great assortment of mobile accessories such as USB Charging cables, iPhone lightning cable, USB wall chargers, HDMI cables, Car chargers and phone holders. You can get all these at price point below Ugx 100,000. Check them out here.

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Kilimall

Kilimall is a relatively new entrant in the Ugandan market with presence in East Africa particularly Kenya. They also have quite a good range of products mainly sourced from China. As a local store, they let you browse through the various products that they have on their website, order and have it delivered to you within Kampala.

Most of the items on their website are already available in Uganda so you will not be paying a shipping fee or tax. They have prices indicated already inclusive of tax and shipping. It is like walking into a local store and buying something except that this time it is online.

Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: Mobile Money and Cash on Delivery
Platforms: Web and Mobile App
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Naguru

Hi2Shop

Hi2Shop is another e-commerce store with good local presence. They majorly deal in home appliances, electronics and fashion. They source a lot of products from China allowing users to order items straight from China that arrive to Uganda in a about 15 working days.

Most of  their items are sold locally so you will not be paying a shipping fee. They seem to have most the merchandise on their website in their stores or warehouse. They do free delivery within Kampala and have a return policy.

Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: Visa, Mastercard, Mobile Money, Cash on Delivery, Bank Transfer and Cash
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Plot 43 Jinja Road, Near Bank of Africa, Kampala, Uganda.

JumiaFood

JumiaFood will help you order food and get it delivered to your doorstep. With over 75 restaurants in and around Kampala, you have a wide menu to choose from.

Security: https encryption
Payment Methods: Cash on Delivery and  Mobile Money.
Platforms: Web and App (Android & iOS)

Kikuu Uganda

Kikuu is an app based shopping platform present in 6 countries (Uganda, Congo, Cameroon, Ghana Nigeria and Tanzania) They have a website for easier browsing but all purchases and payment are made through the app. If you wanted to buy something that you have seen on the website, you would have to use the app to scan the QR code of the item on the website and then pay for it on the app.

Also, all payments are made using K-Pay credit that you can top up using your Visa card. They have a rather cheap collection of items most which range in Fashion items, jewelry and accessories.

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Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: K-Pay topped up via Visa or Mastercard
Platforms: Web and Mobile App
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Not known

Dondolo Shop

Dondolo Shop has been around for a while and has proved to be consistent when it comes to selling of devices. Their website shows that they deal in a lot of other things like Fashion, Computers, Furniture but none of those things are actually displayed on their online store.

Even if they have a functional online store that you can check out at, we have never tried it out and since they do not have https encryption which is necessary for websites that ask for credit card information, I would be more comfortable with visiting them offline which I have done multiple times because they have some good deals on genuine phones and accessories. We have also gotten some positive peer reviews from people who have used them.

Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: Cash, Mobile Money, Cheque, Bank Transfer, Credit and Debit Card
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Dondolo Shop, Plot 40, Kampala RoadnOpposite City Square

2Fumbe

2Fumbe pronounced “tufumbe” means “let us cook” in the local dialect. It is an online  store for home and kitchen appliances. They have quite a good range of kitchen supplies ranging from Kitchen ware, Pots/pans, Rice Cookers, Cookers, Refrigerators, toasters, Sandwich makers  and so much more.

They also support online payments via VISA, Paypal and Mobile Money. They have implemented https encryption for secure shopping so I would try them out.

Security: https encryption
Payment Methods: VISA, Paypal and Mobile Money
Platforms: Web
Refund/Return Policy: No
Office: Online

PapleRayn Store

PapleRayn is a Ugandan fashion store that deals in assorted fashion items and accessories mostly for men. They also sell custom clothing under their own label “Paple Rayn Hub”. The website allows to browse through an assortment of cloths, suits, jackets,  shoes, perfumes and various accessories. Unfortunately PapleRayn doesnt accept Credit/Debit cards and only does Cash on Delivery or Mobile Money.

Security: No https encryption
Payment Methods: Cash on Delivery and Mobile Money
Platforms: Web a
Refund/Return Policy: Yes
Office: Haruna Shopping Mall, 5th Floor, Suite 049, Kampala, Uganda.

UGUnlocked

UG Unlocked popularly known as “Buy from the USA receive in Uganda” is another company that has been around for a while with many positive reviews. They even have an iOS and Android app (I am still not sure I know these apps do)

They are mainly active on Facebook. Their website seems to be for information only and so are their apps. From what we gather. If you need to use them. You have to find the item you want to ship, email or contact them, they will get back to you on the costs involved. You then make a payment at their office in Kampala and then your item is shipped according to whatever you may have agreed upon.

ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS IN UGANDA

Classifieds are like a market place also with buyers and sellers. The difference is that it is people like you and I buying or selling our old stuff or stuff we no longer want or need. Whether it is a car, a smartphone, tablet or some furniture, Classifieds sell anything.

Unlike your Online shopping stores, the classified are only a connection point between the buyer and the seller who then have to agree on how to meet to close their deal.

OLX

OLX is one of the most popular classifieds in Uganda with hundreds of people listing products and services on a daily. The platform is amazing. It connects buyers and sellers very easily but because OLX doesn’t ably regulate the platform, cases of fraud have been quite high with many people being scammed and taken advantage of.

I have been able to get amazing deals from OLX but many of my friends have not been lucky. So whenever you are using OLX tread with uttermost caution.

Facebook

Facebook is another platform with lots of buying and selling groups. From cars, fashion items, household appliances to electronics and so much more. Just like OLX it involves meeting the seller/buyer offline after agreeing on price and pick up points online.

Facebook selling groups have become so big that Facebook has optimized such groups to facilitate trade. For instance, when I want to post an item, Facebook asks what are you selling. After a seller posts an item, there’s a button to directly contact seller

Jumia Deals

Formerly Vendito, Jumia Deals is the OLX of Jumia that silently launched in Uganda a few years back as Vendito before the rebranding. Despite the competition from OLX and Facebook it is fairly active and still full functional and operational.

A quick look round makes Jumia Deals look a little more secure to use than OLX since all the Ads posted on Jumia deals are manually verified by their content team (If we are take their word for it). They have also taken the effort to create a consumer education page about safety while using their platform which I believe goes a long way in reducing the amount of fraudulent activities that happen on classified websites by con artists and scammers.

Eye Trade

EyeTrade is one of the oldest classifieds having operated for close to 10 years. Despite competition from Facebook, OLX and Jumia deals, it still holds it’s ground as full functional and operational with an ongoing hard print directory.

It has a wide assortment of listings in multiple categories that would guarantee that you would at least find something of interest.

LOGISTICS AND DELIVERY

When it comes to shipping, some people may ask, What if I want to ship something from Uganda to the world – What do I do?

Now depending on what you are shipping, its destination and a couple of other factors, there are lots of companies you would use. We mention a few global logistics companies that can help with shipping from Uganda to the world

DHL

Present in over 220 countries and territories across the globe, DHL is part of the world’s leading postal and logistics company Deutsche Post DHL Group, and encompasses the business units DHL Express, DHL Parcel, DHL eCommerce, DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Freight and DHL Supply Chain. DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers.

Now it is not the most popular choice for the everyday Joe but it is widely used by business to transport goods around the world. If you wanted say to ship an item say a parcel to the UK or wherever, DHL would come in handy.

FEDEX

FedEx Express invented express distribution and is the industry’s global leader, providing rapid, reliable, time-definite delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. They are one of the options that can help you ship different items from Uganda to the  world

Posta Uganda

We have used Posta Uganda to ship a few basic items to the US and can confirm that they work fine especially for small items not beyond a certain weight.

It should also be noted that companies like Intraline Shipping and Logistics and Nile Cargo also do global shipping from Uganda to the world or from the world to Uganda.

DEFUNCT UGANDAN ONLINE SHOPPING WEBSITES

  1. Zidi.ug
  2. Shop247.ug
  3. Kaymu.co.ug (Merged with Jumia)
  4. Takeawayug.com
  5. Homeduuka.com
  6. Meka.ug

Disclaimer: 

This is not an endorsement of any of the websites mentioned here and all due diligence and caution must be exercised in dealing with them. Dignited or its writers will not be held liable for any issues that may arise as a result of dealing with any of the above mentioned companies.

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