For almost two decades, Julius Kyazze has been one of the quiet hands shaping Uganda’s entertainment industry.
While artists have taken the stage and brands have commanded the spotlight, Kyazze has largely worked behind the scenes, building companies, developing talent and finding ways to turn creativity into business.
Now, the Ugandan creative entrepreneur has earned continental recognition after being named among Africa’s 100 Most Influential.
The recognition adds another milestone to a career that has stretched beyond music into entertainment, media, experiential marketing, content and the wider creative economy.
Kyazze is best known as the co-founder of Swangz Avenue, the entertainment company he established with musician Benon Mugumbya. What began as a music venture has grown into one of Uganda’s most recognisable creative brands, working across music production, talent development, events and content.
But Kyazze’s ambitions have increasingly moved beyond the recording studio.
Through LIVE54+, he is building a broader African creative group with interests spanning music, experiential marketing, media, content, creative services and talent.
For a man whose career has largely been about building rather than seeking attention, the recognition comes with a sense of reflection.
“I’ve always been more comfortable building than talking about the building. So recognition like this is a moment to appreciate how far we have come, but also to remember how much more there is to do,” Kyazze said.
His journey mirrors the evolution of Uganda’s entertainment business itself.
When Kyazze and Benon established Swangz Avenue, Uganda’s music industry was still finding its modern commercial footing. Over the years, the company has worked with some of the country’s biggest artists while expanding its interests across different parts of the creative industry.
Kyazze has also been involved in Buzz Group Africa, an experiential marketing business operating across several African markets, giving him another avenue through which to connect creativity, brands and business.
That wider portfolio points to a philosophy that has increasingly shaped his work: Africa's creative economy cannot depend solely on artists releasing music and selling performances.
There is a bigger business opportunity in building the companies, platforms, intellectual property and infrastructure that allow African creativity to grow.
“Africa has already proved that we have the talent and the culture,” he said. “The next phase is ownership. We need to build the companies, platforms, intellectual property and infrastructure around that creativity.”
It is a conversation that comes at a time when African music, fashion, film, digital content and other forms of popular culture are reaching audiences far beyond the continent.
For Kyazze, however, the opportunity is not simply about exporting African culture. It is also about ensuring Africans own and benefit from the businesses being created around it.
His recognition among the continent’s 100 most influential people therefore puts a spotlight on a side of the entertainment industry that audiences rarely see the entrepreneurs, executives and creative business builders working behind the scenes.