My Dubai Salary: ‘I started as a cleaner with Dh800 and now earn up to Dh24,000 a month’

Vincent Kazibwe upskilled himself in digital marketing to improve his earning potential

Vincent Kazibwe, marketing head at Luxbridge International Realty, plans to buy a property in Ajman in the next few years. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Vincent Kazibwe, a Ugandan national, started his career at the age of 19 as a cleaner with a labour company in Dubai.

“I left school in 11th grade and moved to Dubai from Uganda in 2016, when I was 19. The work was gruelling – 12-hour shifts with only one day off each month. However, I was determined to improve my situation,” he says.

The 27-year-old focused on upskilling himself, worked his way up the ladder, and now works as the marketing head at Luxbridge International Realty in Dubai. Also an entrepreneur, he runs a digital marketing agency in Uganda.

“I did a certification in hospitality management and used that to move from my job as a cleaner to Al Habtoor Group, where I worked as a receptionist at their tennis academy," he says.

“Currently, I am saving funds from both my job and company revenue to expand my company’s reach within Uganda and internationally, including plans to enter the Malaysian market.”

Mr Kazibwe rents a studio apartment in Dubai Marina and supports his family, that includes his mother and five siblings.

What was your first job and salary?

My first job was a cleaner in a labour company and my salary was Dh800 ($217.8). I worked there from 2016 to 2017.

Later, I moved to Al Habtoor Group as a cleaner for Dh1,000 a month, but used my credentials to get promoted to a receptionist in the company, with a monthly salary of Dh1,800.

By mid-2019, I began exploring digital marketing, taking multiple courses online. The onset of the pandemic accelerated my transition into this field, as I started taking on freelance projects through Fiverr and Upwork, which helped me survive financially and build my career in performance marketing.

I got my first job in digital marketing with a company called Voltro, which is part of venture studio Falkenherz Group, for a salary of Dh4,500 in 2021. Later that year, I was hired by an Indian company called FlexifyMe as a full-time digital marketing manager on a salary of Dh7,000. I worked there until 2022.

In 2022, I founded my own marketing agency, Marketyme Digital, in Uganda. It took about a year to break even. I started the business with personal savings, without any bank loans. In 2023, I joined FLC Group in Dubai on a salary of Dh7,500 per month [before moving to Luxbridge International Realty this year].

Tell us about your current role. What is your salary now?

I joined Luxbridge International Realty in Dubai on a monthly salary of Dh12,000 for the first three months. This later increased to Dh15,000. I work as the marketing head.

I currently earn up to Dh24,000 per month, with most of that coming from my full-time role at Luxbridge.

My company [in Uganda] generates more than Dh16,000 worth of revenue each month. I have expenses worth Dh5,500 and the rest of the money is my dividends. That adds to my income, which is cumulatively worth up to Dh24,000 a month.

I started from earning Dh800 to Dh24,000 in just seven years – a 2,900 per cent increase.

Do you have considerable savings?

I don’t manage to save because I take care of my family’s expenses in Uganda.

I also put most of the money that I generate back into my company ... to expand my business. We have opened additional offices, hired more staff and are about to add below-the-line marketing as a service, too.

For example, I had some money left after all expenses last month. I bought an uninterruptible power supply worth Dh6,500 from China.

In Uganda, there are power blackouts. As a digital company, this affects the delivery of our work.

What asset classes do you invest in?

I invested in cryptocurrency exchange Binance last year, but it didn't work out. I lost around $3,000 in four months.

So, I decided to focus on investing in my company.

Vincent Kazibwe plans to retire in his early 40s. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Have you purchased property?

Not yet, but I plan to buy a house in Ajman because it’s cheaper than Dubai. In my home country, I have taken out a seven-year mortgage for a three-bedroom apartment worth about Dh260,000 for my mother.

Do you have any debt?

I have one credit card, which I pay off in full every month. I don't use more than 30 per cent of my credit card limit. My monthly bill comes up to Dh1,400.

I don't have a car loan. I bought a car worth Dh25,000 and paid for it with cash.

Have you ever inherited a sum of money?

No. We don't have any generational wealth. My father’s parents were migrants in Uganda after escaping the genocide in Rwanda. They died when my father was six or seven years old, so we did not inherit any wealth.

Growing up, were you taught how to handle your finances?

I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos on how to manage finances.

I do not have any formal education on how to manage funds, which is a big problem that I'm facing. I struggle with money management.

What are your major monthly expenses?

My major monthly expenses are for house rent, petrol and family. I also spend on my company. I usually invest on buying laptops, chairs and tables for my business.

I also spend on food because I don't know to cook, so I usually dine out.

I don't do formal budgeting. When my salary comes, I pay off the most important things like rent, fill my car with petrol and pay off my credit card.

Do you worry about money?

Yes, I worry about money sometimes because I am the head of my family. This is why I have taken on the responsibility to train my brothers, who are aged 22 and 19, on how to make money.

I don't have an emergency fund, but I have taken life insurance in Uganda. The company deducts Dh300 from my business account every month. This plan is valid for five years.

At what age do you wish to retire?

I haven’t started saving for my retirement. I could still work for the next 10 years. I plan to retire in my early 40s.

After retirement, I plan to train my siblings on how to manage my business.

What are your financial goals in the short term and long term?

In the short term, my financial goal is to earn a higher salary on this job.

In the long term, after paying off my mother's house in Uganda, I will focus on expanding my company, buying a house in Ajman and opening a branch of my company in Dubai. This is about two to three years from now.

What is your idea of financial freedom?

My idea of financial freedom would be to quit my job, run my own company, generate money and travel with my family.

If my business is thriving the way it is now, I would travel around Asia with my siblings.

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