BUSINESS NEWS: The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Uganda has today announced a partnership with Interswitch Group, one of Africa’s leading digital payment and e-commerce companies, to extend social security services to more Ugandans through Quickteller an agent network owned and managed by the Interswitch Group.
The partnership launched in Kampala aims to onboard over 100,000 new voluntary savers onto the Fund’s SmartLife Flexi product through the countrywide Quickteller Agent Network.
The NSSF SmartLife Flexi is a flexible, goal-driven savings plan designed to help Ugandans achieve their financial goals with the freedom to choose savings period and frequency while earning a competitive monthly return, accrued daily.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, NSSF Managing Director, Patrick Ayota, said the partnership will accelerate the Fund’s drive to expand social security coverage in both the formal and informal sectors, in line with the Fund’s expanded mandate.
“One of the key pillars of our new 10-year strategic direction, informed by our mandate to provide social security services to all eligible Ugandans, is to increase national social security coverage to 50% of Uganda’s workforce by 2035, representing over 15 million people.”
“We have in the past partnered with telecoms and commercial banks, this enabled us to avail all our services on USSD, mobile and online, and provided convenience for remittances of contributions. However there remains a big number of people who prefer a human interface and yet our 21 branches might not be within their proximity. Quickteller agents are the bridge to the informal economy.” said Ayota.
He added that the partnership responds to the continued need to simplify savings and payments amid the country’s growing cash economy.
According to the Bank of Uganda’s June 2025 report, the value of cash currency in circulation increased from UGX 8.21 trillion in FY2023/24 to UGX 8.98 trillion by June 2025, a 9% rise, even as digital transactions continued to rise.
“This partnership will ease how our members and new savers onboard onto SmartLife Flexi and make contributions to their accounts using digital payment channels they already trust, such as Quickteller. It’s about meeting Ugandans where they are, digitally and physically,” Ayota added.
Customers can now enrol and register for SmartLife Flexi free of charge at any nearby Quickteller agent. The minimum initial deposit is UGX 10,000, and members can make subsequent contributions conveniently at affordable Quickteller transaction rates.
In addition, employers can also remit their mandatory contributions through the same network of Quickteller agents, making the process faster and more accessible.
Interswitch Country General Manager, Moris Seguya, said the collaboration reinforces the company’s mission to simplify and deepen financial inclusion.
“This partnership is pivotal to our primary objectives at Interswitch Group, we are driven by the need to see every Ugandan access financial services easily and affordably. With over 20,000 agents spread across the country, Quickteller is strategically placed to serve everyone, especially Ugandans in the informal sector.”
“Today, about 80% of our population is employed in the informal sector where benefits to do with savings are limited. Partnering with NSSF allows us to ensure that Smartlife customers, especially those in the informal sector, can deposit their savings at the Quickteller agents within their neighborhood, making saving easy and convenient. In addition, our systems, which are reviewed by the regulator, Bank of Uganda on a regular basis, are secure and robust to ensure safety of our customer’s transactions,” he added.
Flavia Namutamba, a Quickteller agent located in Kampala, said that the partnership will provide a solution to some of their customers who do not have easy access to formal banking services, bringing them into the fold of a modern financial services system.
“Some people always inquire whether they can register or send money to their NSSF accounts through Quickteller since we are located nearer to them. This solution helps us bridge this gap in the market,” she said.
