Customers’ Perspectives of Mobile Digital Technologies Uptake in Food Vending in Kampala Capital City, Uganda

Continuous technological development has changed customers' purchasing behaviours, and in the food vending business, mobile digital technologies have transformed how vendors interact with customers. Customers’ perspectives of mobile digital technologies (MDTs) uptake in food vending in Kampala Capital City were assessed. Using a case study exploratory research design, data were collected from January to March 2026 in Central, Kawempe and Nakawa Divisions of Kampala Capital City using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 131 respondents. Data were scrutinised for normality by determining multicollinearity using variance inflation factors and the Shapiro-Wilk test. This was to ensure that independent variables in the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis are not too highly correlated with each other. Data were also subjected to a chi-square test and OLS regression analysis. The Theory of Planned Behaviour was applied to elucidate customers’ perspectives of MDT uptake in food vending, and the concept of Digital Customer Engagement was discussed to illustrate the interaction between customers and food vendors through digital platforms. Results revealed that 37% of customers owned smartphones, 86.6% used MDTs for financial transactions via MTN and Airtel networks, and 76.8% used social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram to review the menus and place orders. The chi-square test revealed a statistically significant relationship between customers’ level of education and usage of MDTs in food vending (χ2= 22.704, p<0.05) and between customers’ ownership of smartphones and usage of MDTs in food vending (χ2= 43.800, p<0.05). OLS regression analysis revealed age as a significant predictor of customers’ perception of MDTs uptake in food vending. The majority (79.6%) of the customers perceived MDTs uptake in food vending in terms of convenience and efficiency in ordering and delivery of food. Challenges faced by customers in using MDTs in food vending include inadequate protection of their data, overwhelming unsolicited adverts leading to unplanned purchases, among others. These challenges serve as a foundation for future research, including identification of vulnerabilities and fortification of MDT users against exploitation.