A highy profitable multi-media firm built from scratch

Mr Oboth takes photographs during a wedding session in Kampala recently. Photo by Rachel Mabala. 

By Lydia Namono

In Summary

Mr Oboth, the multi-media proprietor shares what it is like to start a company and what it takes to bring in the money.

Tucked away in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb, Media 256, which produces documentaries, film, weddings, commercials and corporate videos was founded in 2010 by 23-year-old Isaac Oboth.

The multi-media business owner had never run a business; neither had he worked in a media company when he conceived the idea.

Mr Oboth discovered a passion in himself that he could monetiseand restructured his life, earning him freedom and fulfilment.

His entrepreneurial journey started out of a desire to keep some memories of his Senior Six luncheon.

“The people who filmed the luncheon gave us poor quality work yet the charges were quite on the extreme.

So if they were paid such money for the poor quality works, how much more would I earn for doing a better job?” Mr Oboth asks.

Mr Oboth wanted to create a digital year book but the idea could not materialise so he pushed it to the following year.

His business acumen told him it had to be affordable. So he eliminated printing costs of the photographs and produced a digital alumni album.

The self-taught owner signed up for tutorials on the internet to improve his skills.

“I spent more than 20 hours a day behind the computer experimenting for four months until it worked out,” Mr Oboth narrates.

Since he did not have all the necessary tools, he teamed up with Mr Henry Ngonzi, who already had gained expertise and better understanding of the selling aspect of an enterprise.

Through the use of inter-personal skills, the business has made a breakthrough as a major media company in Uganda.

While working in Nairobi for Mara Foundation, his salary was not that impressive, but he pressed on for opportunities that could come with handsome rewards.

“We saw an advert of an event that was due in Kampala, so I called the team and shared to see if we could do the job. We gave them samples of our works and they were impressed, Mr Ngonzi shares.

Luckily, among some of Mr Oboth interviewees was the managing director of the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange and she wanted someone to produce a short film with a mix of farmers, millers and stock brokers.

Through this, the exchange would emphasise the relevance of the commodities exchange on the Ethiopian market.