Cashing in on digital media

Kacungira (R) works with her employees to create unique concepts for the digital advertising agency . Below: She makes a phone call in her office. PHOTO by EDGAR R. BATTE  

By  EDGAR R. BATTE

In Summary

Smartphones, tablet computers and broadband speeds pushed Kacungira to tap into digital markets.

Away from the radio scene, Seanice Kacungira is a business lady whose hunger for success has paid off. One of the first business ideas she ever harboured was at the age of 14.

 

Her wish was to teach dance to young students in an international school in Tanzania.

With her sister, Nancy Kacungira, they formed and registered a business called ‘Krazy 4 dance’. Their father helped them to get tee shirts made.

“We had 14 students. We charged each student roughly about Shs50, 000 ($20) per lesson and we had three lessons a week,” she recounts.

Kacungira was motivated to do business from a young age because of her desire to create new things.
“I have always had a streak in me that sought to organise large groups of people for mutual benefit,” she says.

Kacungira, who likes fighting for her ideas, says, “I usually just chase good ideas and projects and then work my tail off, very hard to figure out how to make these projects and ideas viable.

I do not do things my instinct warns me against.”
At a more professional level, the 31-year-old’s business started with a salon named Suqa located in Nsambya in October 2009, and later Blu Flamingo, a digital advertising agency in February 2010.

The agency with a branch in Nairobi deals in digital branding, events and audio visual production, among others.

Earnings
Asked about her earnings, Kacungira said, “How much I earn a month is a very tricky question because to answer truthfully it is not little money and rather personal as it has many ramifications because people may not understand that I have different interests.

So, it may look like I earn too much money to some people, especially my staff, yet my sources of income are diverse.”

Overcoming challenges and managing money

The radio presenter and business lady says to maintain a client, one needs skills and dedication. But her journey has not been smooth.

Kacungira has lost about Shs160 million which was lost in bad bet on a project that did not work out. She learnt some lessons from it.

“The recovery was slow but it was worth the lesson. I have now learnt not to rush in and not to spread myself too thin,” she says.
The business lady looks up to Richard Branson whom she has met.

“Having met him, the thing I admire most about him is his passion and will. Through it all he maintains a child-like spirit, is fascinated about life.”