Overview:
The BNI East African Convention in Kampala gathered business leaders to discuss SME growth and regional trade. Absa Uganda highlights its commitment to entrepreneurs with a new business club.
KAMPALA – Business leaders from across East Africa and beyond gathered in Kampala to discuss how networking can drive regional economic growth, with a key focus on Uganda’s expanding role in trade.
The 4th BNI Convention, which brought together more than 430 attendees from seven countries, noted that Uganda’s merchandise exports had surged by 26%, reaching $9.3 billion in the 12 months leading up to March 2025. This growth was a central theme of the event, held under the theme, “Beyond Borders: A Legacy of Collaboration, Growth, and Impact.”
The conference served as a platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to gain insights into market trends and financing, with the goal of deepening regional integration through cross-border trade.
As a key partner, Absa Uganda used the conference to showcase its commitment to supporting SMEs, which contribute 90% to Uganda’s private sector and over 80% to its GDP. The bank highlighted its revamped Absa Business Club, which provides members with tools, networking opportunities, and resources to help them grow.
In his remarks, Moses Rutahigwa, Absa’s Retail and Business Banking Director, said the club is one of the bank’s “engines to grow these stories as we offer SMEs the tools, networks and resources to thrive in Uganda’s fast-changing economy and beyond.”
According to Diana Ninsiima Kibuuka, National Director of BNI Uganda, the organisation’s growth from four members to over 600 businesses is proof that “when we work together, we go further.” She said the convention reflected a commitment to expanding opportunities across borders for the region’s entrepreneurs.
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