Stanbic Uganda Pensions Conference Puts Retirement Savings at Centre of Growth Agenda

Uganda’s pensions sector has been challenged to play a bigger role in mobilising long-term domestic capital as the country seeks to accelerate economic growth under the Government’s Tenfold GDP Growth Strategy.

The call was made on Thursday at the inaugural Stanbic Uganda Pensions Conference 2026, convened by Stanbic Bank Uganda in partnership with SBG Securities Uganda.

The conference brought together policymakers, regulators, financial-sector players and industry leaders to examine how pension savings can contribute to Uganda’s long-term economic transformation. SBG Securities said the conference also marked the official unveiling of its pensions service offering as part of Stanbic Uganda’s value proposition.

Speaking at the conference, Minister of State for the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Simon Mulongo, said pension savings should be viewed not only as a retirement benefit but also as an important source of capital for economic development.

“Retirement savings are first a promise of dignity and security to those who have worked and contributed. When professionally managed, invested and governed, they are also sources of long-term domestic capital to an economy.”

Mulongo said Uganda’s growth ambitions would require collaboration between Government and the private financial sector.

“Our Tenfold Growth Strategy will not be delivered by Government acting alone. It requires financial institutions that can provide capital, investment expertise and market infrastructure.”

The conference comes as SBG Securities continues to expand its role in Uganda’s investment and capital-markets ecosystem.

SBG Securities Uganda is an investment house and brokerage firm under Stanbic Uganda Holdings. It is licensed by the Capital Markets Authority and has been a trading participant of the Uganda Securities Exchange since 2021. The company also holds a Unit Trust Manager licence and a Fund Manager licence.

For Mona M. Ssebuliba, Board Chairperson of SBG Securities Uganda, the expansion into pension fund management represents more than a new business line.

“From the Board’s perspective, the launch of SBG Securities’ pension fund management capability is therefore not simply a commercial milestone. It is a commitment to stewardship.”

The focus on pension funds comes against the wider need to channel more long-term savings into productive investments while maintaining the security and interests of contributors.

For financial institutions, this creates an opportunity to connect retirement savings with investment opportunities across the economy, while strengthening the infrastructure and expertise required to manage long-term capital.

SBG Securities already offers investment products including equities, fixed-income investments and unit trusts, giving investors access to local and regional markets.

The company says its broader investment offering is designed to give clients access to markets in Uganda and the wider region, while its parent Stanbic Uganda Holdings is listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange.

The inaugural pensions conference therefore placed retirement savings within a wider conversation about Uganda’s financial architecture — and the role financial institutions can play in converting long-term savings into capital that supports businesses, infrastructure and economic activity.

The discussions are expected to contribute to the broader debate on how Uganda can deepen its capital markets and strengthen domestic financing for its development ambitions.