Digital literacy has emerged as a critical institutional imperative in higher education systems across Sub-Saharan Africa, yet its strategic integration into university management frameworks in Uganda remains inadequately theorised and empirically under-examined. This study examined the management strategies employed by Ugandan higher education institutions (HEIs) to drive digital literacy transformation, drawing on a concurrent mixed-methods design involving 348 respondents drawn from six purposively selected universities across Uganda. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires and analysed using univariate descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), while qualitative insights were obtained through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, subjected to thematic analysis. The SEM results revealed that leadership support (β = 0.61, p < 0.001), ICT infrastructure (β = 0.58, p < 0.001), and staff capacity building (β = 0.53, p < 0.001) were the strongest determinants of digital literacy integration outcomes. Bivariate analysis confirmed significant positive correlations between all management strategy dimensions and digital literacy outcomes (r = 0.44–0.62, p < 0.01). Qualitative findings further illuminated that leadership visibility, resource allocation priorities, and alignment with national ICT policy frameworks were central to institutional transformation. The study concluded that digital literacy transformation in Ugandan universities demands a coherent, multi-dimensional management strategy that synchronises leadership commitment, infrastructure investment, staff development, and policy alignment. The study recommends the development of institutional digital literacy frameworks anchored in robust ICT governance structures, ring-fenced budget allocations for digital infrastructure, and mandatory competency-based staff training programmes embedded within human resource management systems.