Brilliance at a Bad Price: Burnout, Stress and Survival in Uganda’s Advertising Industry, Where Working Long Hours is a Norm Uganda’s ad industry sells imagination, but behind the bright work is a workforce stretched thin by shrinking budgets, endless revisions, chronic stress and the pressure to perform at superhuman levels. From brain surgeries to burnout, the emotional price is rising faster than the retainers. As new generations reject old pain, the question becomes: can creativity thrive without destroying the people who power it?

Uganda’s advertising industry has been shaped by resilient leaders who understand both the brilliance and the burden of creative work. David Galukande built an agency culture so intense it felt like a movement, while Josephine Muvumba powered through long, thrilling yet exhausting early years that blurred passion and pressure. John Chihi continues to navigate the financial strain that quietly wears teams down, and Seanice Kacungira leads in a digital era where constant iteration leaves little room to breathe. Together, their stories reveal an industry fuelled by ambition but shadowed by stress and burnout—demanding systems that protect the people behind the ideas.