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For the past four decades, Uganda’s video jockey (VJ) scene has grown into a dynamic, fast-paced industry. From loudspeakers in video halls to personalised flash disks and subscription websites, VJs are now found in nearly every corner of the country.
They entertain, translate, and localise foreign films for millions of Ugandans, especially those who cannot understand English or other foreign languages.
But this booming culture has humble, unexpected roots.
The VJ culture, according to academics that have studied the industry, evolved from a practice dating back to Uganda’s colonial era.
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John-Baptist Imokola, a lecturer at Makerere University says at that time, Christian evangelists would show religious films to local communities and assign someone with a microphone to translate the message into local languages.
Speaking to The Guardian explained that as foreign movies on VHS tapes became more accessible in the 1980s, local video halls began to emerge.
With many viewers unable to understand the languages spoken in these films, VJs were hired to translate in real time—often adding humour and dramatic flair in the process.
A movie shop in Kampala
Local Voices, Global Stories
As technology progressed, VJs transitioned from live translation in halls to recording dubbed versions of films on VHS, VCDs, and now DVDs and flash drives.
Many have even launched websites where audiences can stream or download translated content for a fee.
Some VJs, such as the popular VJ Junior, have gone a step further by translating not just foreign content, but also Ugandan films and series.
Junior described his work as more than just translation: “helping people understand movies, entertaining them, and inspiring them.”
However, the profession isn’t without challenges. Copyright enforcement has led to occasional police raids, with DVDs and copying equipment confiscated. VJ Junior admitted that securing rights to dub foreign content is “very difficult.”
Imokola praised the cultural value VJs bring, saying, “They feel appreciated, they feel recognised and they feel known.”
Still, he warned that oversimplified translations could strip away important themes and messages embedded in the original productions.