In a bid to promote local investments and expand markets for the small and medium enterprises, Equity Bank has organized a two-day trade mission bringing over 40 foreign investors from across Africa and beyond to explore trade and investment opportunities in Uganda.

The investors arrived in Uganda Wednesday evening, having been in Tanzania for a two-day trade mission, which spanned Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. The trade mission organized by Equity Group is designed to promote cross-border trade and investment and strengthen regional value chains under the Group’s Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP).

The mission convenes over 40 investors from Asia, Africa, Middle East and Europe, including entrepreneurs, private equity firms, development partners, and institutional investors.

Delegates will participate in panel discussions, B2B networking, government and business forums, and strategic site visits in sectors such as agribusiness, energy, tourism, infrastructure, financial services and manufacturing.

“This mission is a strategic effort to unlock the enormous potential that exists in Tanzania and Uganda by connecting global capital to local opportunities. Our goal is to catalyze investment and trade that delivers lasting impact by creating jobs, enhancing value chains, and driving inclusive economic growth,” said Dr. James Mwangi, Equity Group Managing Director and CEO.

Delegates will also explore opportunities in value addition, manufacturing, and technology, with special attention to sectors such as dairy processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, and agri-tech. Investors will also go on site visits and engage in dialogue with policymakers and business leaders in Kampala.

The trade mission builds on the legacy of successful Equity-led trade and investment missions in recent years, including Uganda-DRC, Uganda-Vietnam, India-Uganda, and DRC Investors Roadshows.

These missions have helped catalyze billions in investment, facilitate new business partnerships, and supported regional trade integration helping to facilitate the Africa Free Continental Trade Area Agreement, of which Equity Group is a signatory. In addition, through a formal partnership with the East African Community (EAC), Equity is actively supporting the creation of a common market by accelerating the implementation of the ARRP.

As part of its Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan, Equity Group is redirecting liquidity equivalent to 2% of the region’s GDP toward the private sector, targeting critical value chains in agriculture, manufacturing, MSMEs, and infrastructure. The plan aims to reach 100 million people and businesses by 2030 and create up to 50 million jobs across the continent.

Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP)

As part of its strategic vision, Equity Group Holdings Plc has developed the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP) an ambitious initiative designed to catalyze economic growth through private sector-led development. ARRP focuses on key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, trade, SME development, and financial inclusion, aligning with Africa’s broader economic goals and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). By leveraging innovative financial solutions, strategic partnerships, and capacity building, ARRP is well-positioned to drive sustainable economic recovery and resilience across the continent.

The ARRP is underpinned by:

1. Capacitating and enhancing productivity of raw material producers.

2. Integrating primary producers to more co-ordinated African productive or manufacturing capacities.

3. Connecting these primary and secondary sectors to global supply chains (and capital markets) that are now more focused on reducing concentration risks with increased focused on accessibility.

Equity Group’s execution of the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan is underpinned by its Tri engine business model that includes Social, Economic and Sustainability engines that serve to capacitate value chains; provide holistic financial solutions to productive ecosystems and support development in a sustainable way.

Objectives of ARRP

The first phase (end-2030) objectives of the plan include:

1. Inclusivity of 100 million businesses and consumers.

2. Multiplier effect of 5 million borrowing businesses and 25 million borrowing consumers

3. Employment of 50 million: 25 million direct jobs to be created as businesses grow and a further 25 million indirect jobs created as value chains expand and deepen.

4. Additional private sector lending of 2% of regional GDP: Loan book to be directed

towards agriculture (30%), manufacturing (15%), MSMEs (65%).