Douglas Lwanga: “If young people want to succeed, they should be willing to acquire many skills”

Douglas Lwanga is one of the most prominent TV personalities in Uganda. He is the host of After 5, a musical show that features Monday to Friday on NBS TV. Over the years he has amassed a huge fan base and social media following. He spoke to Youth Blitz about his TV journey and told us why young people need to have more than one skill to succeed in today’s dynamic world.

Who is Douglas Lwanga, in one sentence?

Briefly I am a TV presenter but I am also a graphics illustrator, social media influencer and I am humanitarian

What inspired you go into TV?

It was never my dream to be a TV personality although I did mass communication at university and everyone would expect that I would be in front of the camera. Personally I desired to be behind the cameras that I was I did things like video-editing, graphics design and all these are professions behind the camera. TV was like my last option and its quite funny how I ended up being on TV.

Were you always tilted towards entertainment?

I was tilted towards entertainment because ever since my secondary school, I have always been in these drama clubs, dancing clubs, I love music. Being on TV just amplified that virtue.

Over the years you have amassed a following and a big fan base on your social media platforms. Does this keep you awake at night?

I appreciate the numbers because these are real people who love what I do. I don’t take this lightly. They keep me working hard. My Purple Parties were hit by Covid-19 but they will be back that is why I am urging everyone to get vaccinated and I hope when it is done, we shall all get back to work

When you compare the pre-Covid-19 entertainment scene with the one today where social events are restricted, which of the two do you prefer?

You will be shocked the other day I was talking to Sheebah Karungi (a musician) and she told me she has made a lot of money during the Covid-19 period than when the entertainment scene was open. Covid-19 has made some people look for new avenues to make money, others are still stuck. They are like ‘we were badly hit’. I have personally got some good deals to do with digital marketing. Way back companies were not into looking for influencers to promote their brands. But this has changed.

What advice would you give to young people who want to follow your path?

For the young people, I advise them not to out all their eggs in one basket. If you have done mass communication at the university, know that it is not all about being on air. Most people come from university and want to be on air. But you can start out as a camera person, try video editing, be a producer, a writer and these are all different skills you can build to make yourself better. So try not to focus on only one skill, you never know time would come when you need all of them.

Any TV presenter or entertainment personality that inspires you?

Ryan Seacrest inspires me a lot. He owns TV shows and has moved from being a host to a producer now he is an executive producer of various TV shows. If you watch Keeping up with the Kardashians, he is the brain behind that show.