Business 5 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Ugandan businesses need more than funding to succeed globally
Industry leaders in Uganda emphasize that financial capital alone is insufficient for enterprises to thrive in global value chains. Integrating with international markets, acquiring technology, and building technical expertise are crucial for sustained growth and export success. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/connecting-ugandan-enterprises-to-global-value-chains-requires-more-than-finance-say-industry-leaders-5620242
For Ugandan entrepreneurs, securing initial investment or buyer interest is often seen as the primary hurdle. However, industry experts highlight that the real challenge lies in translating these initial connections into sustainable, long-term global business relationships.
Speaking at the Equity Uganda Trade Mission 2026, Equity Bank Uganda’s Executive Director, Claver Serumaga, noted that access to credit is only one piece of the puzzle. Businesses often falter due to a lack of integration with global buyers, technology partners, and essential technical know-how, even when their products are high quality.
Serumaga stressed that trade platforms are valuable not just for networking, but for fostering tangible commercial outcomes. These events aim to connect Ugandan enterprises with new markets, capital, and strategic partners, converting discussions into real business relationships that drive investment and trade flows.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in agro-processing and manufacturing, structural support beyond finance is vital. Acquiring capital without securing reliable end-markets can lead to underutilized assets, while accepting international orders without adequate production capacity risks supply chain failure.
Serumaga urged financial institutions to adopt comprehensive growth ecosystems that combine credit with market access, technology adoption, and corporate partnerships. He stated, “Businesses also require beyond financial support, they require access to markets, you require access to technology, you require knowledge, and you require investment partnerships.”
The push for value addition is particularly critical in agriculture. While Uganda exports significant volumes of raw commodities like coffee—$2.5 billion worth in 2025—much of the potential revenue remains uncaptured due to limited domestic processing, packaging, and branding.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Sanjay Tanna, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that natural resources alone do not guarantee prosperity. “Resources alone do not create prosperity. We must transform our productive capacity by increasing investments in manufacturing, value addition, innovation and the expertise that many of you hold,” he stated.
Tanna pointed out that over 95% of Uganda’s coffee is exported in its raw form, representing a missed opportunity for significant economic gain. He highlighted government policies like the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which prioritizes agro-industrialization, mineral beneficiation, and science, technology, and innovation to move Uganda up global value chains.
Furthermore, leveraging continental trade agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers access to a vast African market. However, realizing this potential requires addressing non-tariff barriers, improving logistics, and ensuring product standardization. The government is investing in infrastructure, digital networks, and air freight to support these efforts.
“We are looking forward to manufacturing. We want to manufacture the technology we have now,” Tanna concluded, underscoring the strategic shift towards advanced domestic manufacturing and value addition as key to sustainable economic growth and job creation.