Ugandan singer Kapa Cat has spoken about the financial challenges facing musicians, saying artists are putting in more work for less money while struggling to maintain the respect they once commanded in the industry.
The singer revealed that she has explored other income-generating activities, including offering online companionship to people who want someone to talk to, as a way of meeting her financial obligations without relying entirely on music performances.
According to Kapa Cat, the people who contact her have different needs. Some seek company because they are bored, while others want to discuss business or other subjects that interest them.
“Some of them want company because they’re bored. And they pay you good money for it,” she said.
Kapa Cat explained that people sometimes misunderstand the arrangement and assume online companionship automatically involves sexual activity. She stressed that this is not necessarily the case.
The singer added that she would not rule out pursuing a personal relationship with someone if a genuine connection developed, but made it clear that any such decision would be hers to make.
“I’ll sleep with whoever I want to, if I want to,” she said.
Her comments distinguish the companionship services she described from any decision to pursue intimacy, which she said would depend on her own wishes rather than what another person could offer financially.
Kapa Cat said the additional income has helped her pay bills without having to depend on constant stage performances.
She illustrated the financial calculation by comparing the money she could earn from a performance outside Kampala with what she makes through online engagements.
“If people in Jinja call me to perform with a cash payment of UGX 2 million but when on my phone I make UGX 2.5 million, why would I go to Jinja?” she questioned.
Under that comparison, the singer said earning UGX 2.5 million through her phone makes more financial sense than accepting a UGX 2 million performance fee that requires her to travel to Jinja.
Her argument centres on the economics of live entertainment: artists must weigh performance fees against the time, travel and other demands associated with appearing at events.
Kapa Cat’s account highlights the pressure some musicians face to diversify their income as they navigate an industry she believes offers diminishing financial returns. For her, online companionship has become an alternative that can help cover expenses when the numbers attached to a live show do not make business sense.