KAMPALA, Uganda — Equity Bank is hosting a two-day trade mission in Uganda, bringing together more than 40 international investors to explore local investment and market opportunities for Ugandan small and medium-sized enterprises.

The investors arrived in Uganda Wednesday evening, having completed a two-day leg of the mission in Tanzania, which included stops in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. The overall trade mission, organized by Equity Group, aims to promote cross-border trade and investment and strengthen regional value chains under the Group’s Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP).

The delegation includes entrepreneurs, private equity firms, development partners and institutional investors from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Participants are scheduled to engage in panel discussions, business-to-business networking sessions, government and business forums, and strategic site visits. These activities will focus on 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,” said Dr. James Mwangi, Equity Group Managing Director and and chief executive. “Our goal is to catalyze investment and trade that delivers lasting impact by creating jobs, enhancing value chains, and driving inclusive economic growth.”

In Kampala, delegates will also explore opportunities in value addition, manufacturing and technology, with particular attention to dairy processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining and agri-tech. Investors will conduct site visits and engage with policymakers and business leaders.

The current trade mission builds on previous successful Equity-led trade and investment missions, which have included partnerships between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Vietnam, India and Uganda, and various DRC Investors Roadshows.

Equity Group states that these prior missions have facilitated billions in investment, fostered new business partnerships and supported regional trade integration, aiding the Africa Free Continental Trade Area Agreement, of which Equity Group is a signatory. Additionally, through a formal partnership with the East African Community (EAC), Equity is 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 plans to redirect liquidity equivalent to 2% of the region’s gross domestic product toward the private sector. This initiative targets critical value chains in agriculture, manufacturing, micro, small and medium enterprises (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.