Equity Bank Drives Uganda-Rwanda Trade and Investment Push as Roadshow Opens
Corporate editorUpdated 1 hour Ago2 Mins read17
The 2026 Uganda & Rwanda Trade and Investment Roadshow has kicked off in Kampala, bringing together more than 150 participants from 10 nationalities, including business leaders, investors, policymakers, technology providers and other regional stakeholders.
The roadshow is focused on creating practical business connections that can lead to new markets, investments, partnerships and commercial opportunities between Uganda, Rwanda and the wider region.
Speaking at the event, Equity Bank Uganda Executive Director Claver Serumaga said Uganda’s industrial transformation will require more than access to finance.
Businesses, he noted, also need access to markets, technology, knowledge and strategic partnerships to grow and compete.
He pointed to agriculture and coffee as examples of sectors where Uganda can capture greater value by moving beyond primary production into processing, packaging, branding, technology and access to higher-value international markets.
“The success of a trade mission is measured by the partnerships initiated, investments unlocked, transactions generated and relationships that continue to create value beyond the mission,” Serumaga said.
Uganda Targets Greater Value Addition
Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Hon. Sanjay Tanna highlighted Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy tenfold under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), with agro-processing, tourism, mineral extraction, and science, technology and innovation identified as key drivers.
He noted that Uganda’s GDP has reached approximately US$69 billion and stressed the importance of transforming the country from an exporter of raw commodities into a producer of higher-value goods.
Coffee, agriculture and minerals, he said, present significant opportunities for value addition.
The Minister also highlighted Uganda’s infrastructure, power capacity, liberalised foreign exchange regime and access to regional and continental markets as advantages for investors.
He called for greater financial literacy among MSMEs, affordable development capital and stronger collaboration between businesses, investors and financial institutions.
From Networking to Market Entry
Mahvish Malik, Equity Group Associate Director, Trade Relations, said the objective of trade missions should extend beyond simply bringing businesspeople into the same room.
According to Malik, Equity’s trade missions are designed to help businesses understand new markets, identify suitable partners and turn initial relationships into actual commercial opportunities.
The approach includes targeted Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Government (B2G) meetings, connections to government and value-chain partners, and financial support beyond the mission.
Equity also announced its upcoming Kenya Roadshow scheduled for November 2026 under the theme “Where Global Capital Meets a Continent.”
The initiative is expected to connect international capital, technology and export markets with opportunities in sectors including coffee, tea, leather, cosmetics, e-mobility and the creative economy.
For businesses participating in the Uganda-Rwanda roadshow, the focus now shifts from conversations to execution, turning introductions into partnerships, investments, market access and transactions that can continue long after the event ends.
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