Meet Arif Sempala, The British-Ugandan Model Instagram Keeps Showing You

It’s not every day that you meet a model who is as great in front of the camera as they are when you sit to have a chat with them. Arif Sempala ticks all those boxes. Meeting the model, who by the way, refers to himself as @mrugandanschnack, was through Instagram. The photo-sharing platform kept placing his photos in our newsfeed until we were tempted to follow him. Judging by his posts, he has worked with everyone from Burberry and NIKE to WBR.

Although he was born and raised in England, Sempala considers himself ‘So Ug’ or a ‘Fresh boy from Mpigi’. His parents moved him to Uganda for a year for his Primary four before he moved back to London until now. The 22-year-old often visits Kampala to connect with his roots and what he considers home. He’s passionate about life, relationships and connecting with Ugandans. We had a chat with him over the phone on his other passions.

We stumbled upon you on Instagram. Was it your strategy to use your Instagram to connect with Uganda?

It was! Platforms such as Instagram give us the power to connect with everyone even when they are far from where we are. I’m so passionate about Uganda because it’s home. The purpose of the account was to develop and grow my portfolio as a model. So far, so good. I’ve been able to get scouted and signed by Nev Models, a renowned model agency here in London.

Talking about connecting with Uganda, I’ve also had the opportunity to meet people like Joram Muzira of Joram Model Management. I’ve always wanted to tap the opportunities available at home, so getting signed to a model agency in Uganda is such a big deal for me.

Does that mean that many Ugandans are sliding into your DM to connect with you?

Yes. Although, I’m always irked by people that come to say “Hi I want to be your friend!” I usually ignore those ones. I’d like for someone to come and tell me what they do. Or what it’s like being a Ugandan in the hood. I prefer such conversations. As African kids, and Ugandans to be exact, we need to have meaningful conversations geared toward growing one another.

I’ve met so many young people in Uganda doing great stuff, and impacting their communities. Those are the conversations we should be having. Let’s inspire one another.

You’ve worked with a number of brands as seen on your page, which projects are you most passionate about?

I’m passionate about every single project I’ve done. With each comes an opportunity to grow. I’ve worked with Adidas, Burberry, NIKE and Werent Born Rich among others. The latter is a clothing line run by Ugandan siblings who were born in Kampala with Sickle Cell Anaemia. They moved to London as kids just so they could access better health care. Even as they grapple with the disease, they’ve managed to build and grow a clothing brand that’s doing pretty well here. Such people inspire me greatly!

Away from modelling what do you do?

I’m a businessman. My friend and I run a green tea business. I also do a bit of YouTube. Currently I’m working on a documentary on Ugandan fashion brands.

Talking about brands, any Ugandan brands on your wish list?

Surprisingly, I don’t know many Ugandan fashion brands. Apart from Werent Born Rich and Alecool that have presence here, there’s no other brands I can name off head. Oh, I also like Abryanz. This documentary is going to help me go knee deep into what Ugandan fashion has to offer.

What do you do for fun?

I play basketball. Recently I was in the US playing professionally with a team there. I even have plans of coming to Kampala to play with a Ugandan team. Away from that, I do roller-skating, balling, watching movies, eating out with friends and listening to music.

Are you listening to any Ugandan artistes?

A lot of them. My playlist is filled with old school jams from Radio and Weasel. I’m lucky that I got to meet them before Moze Radio passed on. I also love A Pass, Ykee Benda, Fik Fameika, Lydia Jazmine and many more.

Are you seeing someone?

No, I’m very single.

Who is your ideal partner?

They have to god-fearing, ambitious, kind-hearted, down to earth, a go getter and lover of family. Most importantly they have to be Ugandan. I don’t need someone perfect!

What do you enjoy eating every time you’re in Uganda?

Two things: ‘Kawunga’ (posho) and ‘Kikomando’ (chapati and beans). Every time I’m home I make sure to eat enough of those.

The modelling industry is quite competitive, how do you plan to stay relevant?

I’m doing a lot of work with brands for Instagram. That’s the way to go now. This weekend I’ll be shooting for PUMA.  I’m also looking at walking at the ASFAs this year. Having presence in both Uganda and England offers me endless possibilities.

Do you see yourself moving back home?

My plan is to retire in Uganda. That’s home, and my heart is always there. For now, I’m open minded about the future. Kampala, London or the rest of the world, I don’t mind. As long as I’m in position to impact my community positively.

Follow Arif on Instagram here.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

satisfashionug@gmail.com