In Kampala, most spas and massage parlours pay the therapist about 30% of the session fee. The spa keeps the other 60-70%. So on a UGX 100,000 session, you take home about UGX 30,000 and the spa takes about UGX 70,000.
On Velvet Africa the split is turned around. The platform takes a flat 20% commission and you keep 80%. The same UGX 100,000 session pays you UGX 80,000.
That is about 2.7 times more money for the same hour of work. Joining Velvet is free. No signup fee, no monthly fee, no plans to choose from. You only pay the 20% when you actually earn something.
Below are the real numbers, session by session and month by month. Then an honest look at what a spa gives you that you would have to handle yourself.
Key takeaways
- A Kampala spa typically pays the therapist around 30%. Velvet pays you 80%.
- At UGX 100,000 a session: the spa pays you UGX 30,000, Velvet pays you UGX 80,000.
- Five sessions a week at UGX 100,000 is about UGX 600,000 a month at a spa, or about UGX 1,600,000 a month on Velvet.
- Joining is free, permanently. Verification is also free, and you need it to receive bookings.
- The client pays into escrow before you meet. You get 50% in your wallet when the booking is confirmed, and the rest when it is completed.
- You set your own prices, services, hours and boundaries. Out-call transport fees are 100% yours.
What a Kampala spa actually pays you
Most spa jobs here work on commission, not a real salary. Reception takes the money from the client. At the end of the week or month, the spa gives you your share. Around 30% is normal. Some places pay a small basic wage plus a smaller commission, which usually works out about the same.
There is nothing shocking about that. The spa pays rent, electricity, laundry, oil and reception staff out of its share. The problem is simply that very little is left for the person doing the actual work.
Spa vs Velvet: what you keep per session
| Session price | Spa pays you (30%) | Spa keeps | Velvet pays you (80%) | Extra in your pocket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGX 65,000 | UGX 19,500 | UGX 45,500 | UGX 52,000 | + UGX 32,500 |
| UGX 100,000 | UGX 30,000 | UGX 70,000 | UGX 80,000 | + UGX 50,000 |
| UGX 150,000 | UGX 45,000 | UGX 105,000 | UGX 120,000 | + UGX 75,000 |
| UGX 200,000 | UGX 60,000 | UGX 140,000 | UGX 160,000 | + UGX 100,000 |
Look at the UGX 100,000 row. One booking on Velvet pays you UGX 80,000. To earn that at a spa you would need almost three sessions. Three clients, three hours, three sets of towels. For the same money.
Create your free profile — it takes about 3 minutes.
Monthly totals at 3, 5 and 10 sessions a week
Now the same maths over a month, at UGX 100,000 a session, counting 4 weeks in a month. Real months are a little longer, so these figures are slightly on the low side.
| Sessions a week | Sessions a month | Spa (30%) | Velvet (80%) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12 | UGX 360,000 | UGX 960,000 | + UGX 600,000 |
| 5 | 20 | UGX 600,000 | UGX 1,600,000 | + UGX 1,000,000 |
| 10 | 40 | UGX 1,200,000 | UGX 3,200,000 | + UGX 2,000,000 |
Ten sessions a week is a busy full-time week, so treat that last row as the top end, not the normal one.
Here is a month of 20 sessions (5 a week) at other prices. Find the row closest to your own rate.
| Your session price | Spa, 20 sessions | Velvet, 20 sessions | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| UGX 65,000 | UGX 390,000 | UGX 1,040,000 | + UGX 650,000 |
| UGX 100,000 | UGX 600,000 | UGX 1,600,000 | + UGX 1,000,000 |
| UGX 150,000 | UGX 900,000 | UGX 2,400,000 | + UGX 1,500,000 |
| UGX 200,000 | UGX 1,200,000 | UGX 3,200,000 | + UGX 2,000,000 |
These are examples of arithmetic, not promises. Nobody can guarantee you a number of bookings. What is fixed is the split: 20% to Velvet, 80% to you, on every shilling you earn.
What the 20% covers, and what it never touches
The flat 20% applies to everything: bookings, content subscriptions, pay-per-view content, tips, chat unlocks, livestreams and gifts. The same rate for everybody. No hidden deductions, and no charge for photos or badges.
Two things stay fully yours. Out-call transport fees come to you whole — the platform takes no share of travel. And the small card or mobile-money processing fee is added on the client's side. It is not taken out of your 80%.
Be honest: what the spa does give you
The spa is not giving you nothing for its 70%. It gives you real things:
- Walk-in clients. People come through the door. You did not have to find them.
- A room. A bed, towels, oil, hot water, laundry, music. No setup cost for you.
- No marketing. The signboard and the location do the advertising.
- Some safety. Other staff are nearby. You are not alone with a stranger.
- No money handling. Reception collects. You never argue about payment.
Working independently, those five jobs become your jobs. That is the honest trade. The good news: the two hardest ones — finding clients and getting paid safely — are the ones Velvet is built to solve.
How escrow and verification fix the two hardest parts
Getting paid. The client pays into escrow through the app before you meet, and Velvet holds that money. When the booking is confirmed, half of your share is released into your in-app wallet straight away. The rest is released once the booking is completed. If the client never shows up, they are refunded automatically and you are not left arguing on the phone. You never chase cash. Our guide on how companions get paid in Uganda explains it in full.
Finding clients and staying safe. Your profile sits on Velvet Explore, where real clients search by city and service. Every booking comes from a signed-in, paying account with a record in the app — not from an anonymous DM. Free ID and video verification gives you the verified badge, and verified profiles are the ones clients trust and book. Verification is not a barrier to joining. It is the thing that wins you bookings.
You still handle your own room or out-call arrangement, your transport and your diary. Many therapists start by keeping the spa job and taking Velvet bookings on their days off. That is a sensible way to begin, and you risk nothing, because joining costs nothing.
How to start, step by step
- On your phone, open velvetafrica.com/c/register.
- Type your name, your email and your phone number. Choose a password. Tap Create account.
- Open your email. You will get a 6-digit code. Type that code into the app.
- Add your photos and a cover photo. Write a few lines about yourself. Choose your city and area.
- Set your services and your prices. Set the hours you are free. You decide all of this.
- Tap Verification. Photograph your ID, then record the short video the screen asks for. Tap Submit. This is free.
- Once you are approved, your profile goes live and clients can book you.
You must be 18 or older. For more background, read how to earn as a massage therapist in Kampala.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to quit my spa job to join Velvet?
No. There is no contract and no minimum hours. Most people start on their off days, see how the bookings go, and decide later. Your profile costs you nothing while it sits there.
Is joining really free, or is there a fee later?
It is free, permanently. No signup fee, no activation fee, no monthly fee and no levels or plans. Every creator gets every feature. Velvet only earns when you earn, through the flat 20%.
Why is the commission only 20% when a spa takes 70%?
Velvet has no rooms, towels or reception staff to pay for. It runs the app, the payments, the escrow and the verification checks. That costs far less than running a physical spa, so far more of the money can stay with you.
When exactly do I get my money?
The client pays before the meetup. When the booking is confirmed, half of your share goes into your in-app wallet. The rest is released when the booking is completed. You then withdraw from your wallet.
Do I need verification just to sign up?
No. You can sign up, build your profile and set your prices immediately. You need the free ID and video verification before you can receive bookings and show the verified badge.
Who sets my prices and my boundaries?
You do. You choose your services, your rates, your working hours, your areas, and what you will and will not do. Velvet never sets your price for you, and anything illegal is not allowed on the platform.
The short version
At a spa, three sessions pay you what one session pays on Velvet. Five sessions a week at UGX 100,000 is about UGX 600,000 a month at a spa, or about UGX 1,600,000 a month on Velvet. Same hands, same hour. Different split.
