Propelling Ugandan small businesses to digital growth

 

Ugandan small businesses joined forces with industry and development partners to chart a path to growth in digital trade.

‘Ugandan small tourism businesses often struggle with low visibility, strict compliance requirements for listing on global platforms, and limited payment gateways. Yet digital platforms remain our best path to scale,’ said Ingrid Aringaniza, CEO of Footprint Experiences. 

‘We must build solutions that fit Uganda’s realities, but that can still scale to serve bigger markets for growth and profitability. The SB4U co-creation session was valuable because it helped to define a clear and realistic e-commerce journey,’ she added.

SB4U, or the Sustainable Business for Uganda project at the International Trade Centre (ITC), brought together Ingrid and some 70 other participants from Uganda’s e-commerce ecosystem. They included small businesses, sector associations, tech hubs, marketplaces, and service providers. They met in the capital Kampala to chart a new path for small businesses in the digital economy.

Participants worked together to create detailed profiles of small businesses that work in areas like grains, tourism, and logistics. These profiles helped define their unique needs, identify relevant digital platforms for onboarding, and outline partnerships essential to advancing their e-commerce journeys. 

“Supportive regulations and enabling infrastructure are critical for small businesses in the digital economy.”

‘The twin engines of e-commerce are trust and logistics,’ said Steven Lamony, CEO of Jumia Uganda, the country’s largest e-commerce platform. ‘We need to ensure an open and regular discussion with the industry to identify how concrete challenges could be bridged with existing market solutions, including the delivery networks which Jumia expands across Uganda.’ 

The discussions look at how to overcome obstacles for small businesses to succeed in digital trade. This collaborative effort reflects a shared vision for an ambitious yet realistic digital future for Uganda’s small businesses. 

This initiative responds directly to Uganda’s rapid digital economy growth and the widespread use of mobile technology. It aims to ensure that small businesses can engage with online markets, tapping into opportunities at domestic, regional, and international levels.

“We must build solutions that fit Uganda’s realities, but that can still scale to serve bigger markets for growth and profitability. The SB4U co-creation session was valuable because it helped to define a clear and realistic e-commerce journey.” Ingrid Aringaniza, CEO, Footprint Experiences

The session, which adopted a market-led approach to support small businesses in e-commerce, was convened by ITC through the European Union-funded Sustainable Business for Uganda (SB4U) 2.0 – Trade and Investment Development project, which will enhance Uganda’s regional and global competitiveness.

As a next step, a pilot e-commerce capacity building and market linkages activities will be run in Mbarara in November this year.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.