TIPPING IN UGANDA

Interesting enough, tipping goes back to the 17^th Century in Britain; and it originated more like a bribe than today’s tip.  Apparently, in taverns in jolly old England, people would give some money to the person serving drinks to improve the speed of the service.  The word tip comes from the phrase “to improve promptness”.  When rich American business people traveled to Europe after tipping was introduced there, they brought the practice back home.  It was not a popular practice initially, many people saying that the practice was anti-democratic and underscored the very foundation of the American philosophy of all people being equal.  It was seen as something very rich people did to influence poorer people.  Many states even tried to pass “anti-tipping’ laws. 

Tips will always be appreciated

Today, in the Western World, tipping is an accepted practice and the act of giving a tip is after the service is provided; the amount can vary depending on the quality of service performed.  Statistically, the average restaurant tip in the U.S. now is 17%.  And tipping is not limited to waiting staff in restaurants, but now is an accepted practice for most hotel staff, including the maids that clean the rooms, car jockeys that park your car and taxi drivers.  Not leaving a tip in a restaurant, for instance, is making a statement that either the food and/or service was unacceptable.  Usually, a client that does not leave a tip would be confronted by the server and asked why they did not do so.

In Uganda, tipping is a totally new concept.  It is very rare for a Ugandan to give a tip in a restaurant, especially in one that serves local food.  Recently a tourist was followed out of a restaurant in Uganda by the owner who told him that he left some of his money on the table.  The tourist explained that he left this for the waitress; the restaurant owner replied, that he paid the waitress a salary and there was no need for him to give her money.  Even after explaining the practice of tipping back home, the restaurant owner refused to allow the money to be given to the waitress.

Basically, the majority of tipping done in Uganda is performed by the foreign tourists, and depending where they come from, will determine the amount.  From recent studies done, it seems the biggest tippers are the North Americans; the smallest or non-tippers are the British.  The Europeans, Asians, Australians, etc., all fall somewhere in between. Guidelines are given by tour companies in Uganda; they suggest that pretty much everyone you come in contact with should be tipped, especially their tour guides, drivers, the park rangers and all hotel staff.  Many tourists are suspect that this advice is not really the accepted practice, but a ploy to have the tourists pay-direct the wages of these tour agencies’ staff. 

So, as was it in the US many centuries ago, tipping is left up to the individual.  One thing is for sure, any amount of gratuity that a foreign tourist gives to a Ugandan service provider is greatly appreciated.  Statistically, informal-arrangement jobs of people with little or no education, are at the bottom of the scale in terms of their wages.  Waiting staff in small restaurants fall into this category; the average hourly wage for such employees is just over 500 shillings ($1 U.S. is equal to approx. 3,000 UGX).  The average hours that such people work is 16 per day; that calculates to 8,000 Ugandan Shillings per day, or $2.40 U.S.  Based on the normal 6-day work week, that would amount to about $60 U.S. per month.

In Kampala, an average tourist will spend anywhere from $10 to $30 for a meal; based on the Western tipping norm of 17%, that would mean a gratuity of $1.70 to $5.40 per person.  So, it is obvious that the impact of a wait-staff receiving a tip for serving a restaurant meal is huge.  Unlike the situation in the Western World, customers not leaving a tip in Uganda do not receive a reaction; here in Uganda, it is the opposite.  A tipper is thanked, usually with a big smile and a handshake; a tip makes a huge impact on the finances of the server and his/her family. 

Popular tourist attractions such as Gorilla Tracking involve some tipping; local guides that spend many hours searching for the Silverbacks, are generally tipped afterwards.  Drivers, who always do more than just operate the vehicle, are usually tipped after spending a few days in close quarters with their clients.  Relationships develop with the service people that travelers encounter when visiting the 10 National Parks in Uganda, exchanging personal information about families and life experiences.  Such friendships are built regularly and most tourists like to tip such people to show their gratitude for the personalized service they receive.  Mountain climbingand Volcano Hiking usually involves the use of not only guides but porters to carry luggage.  These people are customarily tipped for their service. 

In 5-star lodges and resorts, the situation is somewhat unique, as most of the clientele are foreign tourists.  Many such places, have a recommended schedule of tipping; listing most of the staff positions and an appropriate amount per day to leave for their staff.  Many guests of such accommodations, do not condone such schedules, and would rather see the employer pay these monies to their staff in the form of wages, and include these fees in the cost of the rooms.  That being said, most tourists are prepared to give tips to such staff, even when it is not mentioned.  Ugandans are particularly friendly, and most accommodating; behavior that encourages gratuities. 

At Jewel Safaris we recommend to our clients that they use their discretion when it comes to tipping.  We believe that good service should be rewarded; because, it not only recognizes such good service, but encourages future good service.   In terms of the amount of tips, Jewel Safaris does not have a chart for you to follow; we consider the amount of a tip to be discretionary.