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My Story

Hi, I’m Oliver.

Born in the United Kingdom. Given a second chance in Uganda. Building businesses across both — with faith, family and a lot of lessons learned the hard way.

Portrait of Oliver Amanya Alinaitwe

Where it begins

I didn’t start out on the right path. I want to be honest about that.

I was born in the United Kingdom and grew up there from the age of about one until I was fourteen. Growing up wasn’t easy. The environment around me was difficult — gang culture, negative influences, and a lot of young people heading in directions that rarely end well.

By the age of twelve, I was selling drugs. I was groomed into it by older people who knew exactly how to draw in a young boy who didn’t yet understand what he was getting into. I’m not sharing that for effect, and it isn’t who I am today. I take responsibility for my choices — but I also understand now how easily children in environments like mine are pulled in.

Football was the one thing that felt different. I played for a number of academies, and for a while it looked like it could be my way out. Then I was released. It was one of the first real disappointments of my life.

My story doesn’t make sense without any of that. You can’t fully understand where I’m going unless you know where I could have ended up.

I believe God had a different plan for my life.

At fourteen, I was given the opportunity to move to Uganda and live with my father. It became one of the most important turning points of my life — although it certainly didn’t feel like it at first. I was scared and uncertain. Everything was unfamiliar, and those first few days were hard. Adapting to a completely different way of life took time.

Then I started school in Uganda, and slowly I began to look at life differently.

I come from a family of businesspeople, many of whom have experience in exports and international trade. Being around that every day changed what I thought was possible. I didn’t just want a job. I wanted to build something of my own.

What followed wasn’t a straight line. It was two failed businesses, a website I nearly didn’t take seriously, a question about agriculture that wouldn’t leave me alone — and eventually, two companies I’m proud to lead. This is that story.

OliverOliver Amanya Alinaitwe

01

The Journey

Nine chapters, from the UK to Uganda and back again.

Every chapter taught me something. Some of them cost me money. All of them were worth it.

  1. A British city skyline under grey skies
    01Age 1 – 14 · United Kingdom

    Growing up in the UK

    I spent my childhood in the United Kingdom. It’s home in many ways, but the environment I grew up in was hard. Gang culture and negative influences were part of everyday life, and older people around me knew how to take advantage of a young boy.

    By the age of twelve, I had been groomed into selling drugs. I’m not proud of it, and I don’t hide from it. Looking back, I can see how close I came to a very different future.

  2. 02Childhood · Football

    Playing for the academies

    Football was the other side of my childhood. I played for a number of academies, and for a while it felt like the path that could take me somewhere better.

    Then I was released. At that age, being let go feels like the end of a dream. It was one of my first real disappointments — and an early lesson that nothing is guaranteed, however much you want it.

  3. Green hills in Uganda
    03Age 14 · Uganda

    A second chance

    I moved to Uganda to live with my father. I was scared, and the first few days were genuinely difficult — new surroundings, new expectations, a completely new way of life.

    But starting school there gave me room to reset. For the first time, I began thinking seriously about who I wanted to become, surrounded by family members who had built businesses in exports and international trade.

  4. 04First business

    Unlimited Clothing

    My first business was a clothing brand. I invested over £500 and tried to run it from Uganda while selling to customers in the United Kingdom.

    It didn’t generate a single pound in revenue. It was my first experience of putting real money into something and watching it fail — and it stung.

  5. 05Introduction to technology

    My first website

    Some time later, a family member needed a website, so I built one for them. The project went well, and I earned a little pocket money for my work.

    At that point I didn’t see web development as a serious business opportunity — it was simply something I could do. I had no idea how important that small project would turn out to be.

  6. 06Second business

    Luxe Clothing

    Despite the first failure, I wasn’t ready to give up on fashion. I launched another brand, Luxe Clothing. It failed too, without generating any meaningful revenue.

    But between the two brands, I learned more about business, customers, market demand and persistence than an early success could ever have taught me.

  7. Dried agricultural produce in open sacks
    07A new question

    Discovering agriculture

    I began exploring agricultural products, starting with dried agricultural goods. It opened my eyes to the enormous potential of Uganda’s agricultural sector — and to a question I couldn’t stop asking:

    “Uganda produces so many incredible agricultural products, but why aren’t more of them reaching customers around the world?”
  8. Bagged produce being loaded onto a lorry for transport
    08Agriculture & international trade

    Founding Axis Agro International

    Having grown up in the UK and lived in Uganda, I could see the opportunity on both sides: fertile land, hardworking farmers and excellent produce in Uganda; real demand for quality products in the UK and other international markets.

    With the support and guidance of a relative, I established Axis Agro International Limited to connect Ugandan agricultural products with international buyers, while creating opportunities for farmers, suppliers and trading partners. What started as an idea gradually became a real business.

  9. 09Technology & digital solutions

    Building Kavo Technologies International

    I returned to technology, this time with a completely different mindset. Businesses across the UK and Uganda needed professional websites, digital systems and modern technology solutions — and I knew I could help deliver them.

    I founded Kavo Technologies International Limited and began working with clients, particularly British businesses. Over time, I expanded our client base and built a team of people who work with me on websites and other technology projects. Today I lead and coordinate that team, overseeing client projects, business development and the overall direction of the company.

Freshly harvested pineapples
Pineapple
A basket of tropical fruit
Tropical fruit
A crate of fresh peppers, beans and avocados
Fresh vegetables
A pile of ripe mangoes
Mango
A heap of fresh green limes
Limes
Halved passion fruit
Passion fruit
02

What failure taught me

Two brands. Zero revenue. Three lessons I still use every day.

i.

Demand comes first

A good idea isn’t enough. Both clothing brands taught me to understand the market properly before spending a penny.

ii.

Know your customer

Trying to sell into the UK from Uganda without truly understanding my customers was a mistake I won’t repeat.

iii.

Keep going

Failure isn’t final unless you stop. Each attempt brought me a step closer to the businesses I run today.

£5,000+

Profit generated within a three-month period

Where I am today

The number matters less than what came with it.

Across my entrepreneurial activities, I’ve generated over £5,000 in profit within a three-month period. More valuable than that is the experience I’ve gained, the relationships I’ve built with established businesspeople — some of whom have guided me, supported my journey and bought services from my businesses — and the lessons that continue to shape how I operate.

My Faith

I don’t believe my story is luck.

One of the most important parts of my story is my faith in God. When I look at the environment I grew up in, what I was caught up in as a young boy, and the opportunities that followed my move to Uganda, I can’t put it down to chance. I believe my journey has been guided by God’s grace.

My faith has carried me through difficult moments, failed businesses, uncertainty and the challenges that come with entrepreneurship. It keeps me grounded when things go well, and it keeps me going when they don’t.

So I don’t take all the credit for where I am. I’m grateful to God, to my family, and to the people who have guided and supported me along the way.

I believe God gave me a second chance at life. What I choose to do with that opportunity is my responsibility.

What comes next

The story is still being written.

See what I’m building now, or get in touch if you’d like to be part of the next chapter.