The conversation on Africa’s future took center stage on Tuesday as leaders from across academia, business, and finance convened at the Investor Roundtable Summit, hosted by the Makerere University Alumna Association in Kampala.
The summit, held under the theme “Exploring Opportunities for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Value Creation for Accelerated Socio-Economic Integration and Development of Sub-Saharan Africa,” attracted a cross-section of alumni, investors, scholars, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.
Among the day’s highlights was a powerful contribution from Samuel Mwogeza, Executive Director and Head of Personal & Private Banking at Stanbic Bank Uganda, who served as a panelist alongside other distinguished thought leaders.
Speaking to a packed audience filled with young professionals and Makerere alumni, Mwogeza offered a frank and data-driven reflection on the youth unemployment crisis—but quickly pivoted to highlight the untapped opportunity hidden within.
“Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world—with over 77% under the age of 25,” he noted. “But what should be a demographic dividend is becoming a ticking time bomb. Over 4 million young people are not in school, not working, and not in training. We cannot afford to waste this talent,” he added.
Mwogeza framed the moment as a defining opportunity to reimagine how African economies can create value—by investing intentionally in entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive financing. Drawing from Stanbic Bank Uganda’s initiatives, he highlighted real examples of how the private sector can be a catalyst for change.
One such initiative is the Stanbic National Schools’ Championship, which has equipped thousands of high school students with entrepreneurial skills—aimed at shifting mindsets from job-seeking to job-creating. Mwogeza also spotlighted the Stanbic Business Incubator, which delivers enterprise development support to youth- and women-led small businesses in high-impact sectors like agriculture, oil & gas, and services.
Financing remains a key barrier to entrepreneurship, especially for informal and underserved groups. Mwogeza emphasized Stanbic’s effort to bridge that gap through initiatives such asStanbic for Her, which has supported over 30,000 women entrepreneurs with access to affordable financial solutions, and the Stanbic SACCO Programme, which provides low-interest financing (10–12.5%) to smallholder farmers to scale up production and increase household incomes.
“Our current investment in local enterprises stands at over UGX 960 billion,” Mwogeza shared. “But we are not stopping there.”
In a strong concluding pledge, he reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to channel up to UGX 1 trillion by 2028 toward enterprises led by Women, Youth, and Farmers. “This is how we live our purpose—Uganda is our home; we drive her growth. It’s not just a slogan. It’s our strategy.”
As the panel discussion transitioned into a lively plenary session, audience members—including recent graduates and seasoned alumni—engaged the panelists on practical solutions for scaling innovation and entrepreneurship.
The event served as a powerful reminder that economic transformation is not only possible—but urgent and will require the public and private sectors to work hand in hand.As Uganda and Sub-Saharan Africa look toward a more integrated, productive future, voices like Mwogeza’s are helping to shape the blueprint—one bold investment at a time.
