KAMPALA, Uganda– Absa Bank Uganda has launched a new Retail and Business Banking campaign anchored on financial literacy, aimed at empowering individuals and small businesses to make smarter borrowing decisions and use credit as a tool for sustainable growth.
The campaign responds to a key insight across Uganda’s lending landscape: many borrowers access credit without a clear understanding of available financing options or how to structure borrowing to support long-term personal and business goals.
“We believe deeply in the potential of every individual and business,” said Moses Rutahigwa, Retail and Business Banking Director at Absa Bank Uganda. “While we continue to provide innovative and accessible financial solutions, this campaign goes further. Over the course of the year, we are committing to deliberate, practical conversations that help our customers understand credit, choose the right solutions, and use borrowing as a catalyst for growth—not stress.”
Through the campaign, Absa will engage customers across its branch network, digital platforms, and media channels with practical guidance on financial discipline, loan structuring, business planning, and personal money management. The programme will feature real customer success stories, expert insights, and everyday tips designed to demystify borrowing and promote responsible financial behaviour.
The campaign was launched at an interactive customer engagement session featuring personal finance coach Newton Buteraba and business leader Robert Kabushenga, who shared candid lessons from their own financial journeys—from early missteps to the discipline required to build sustainably over time. The session sparked lively discussion, with participants raising practical questions on managing debt, planning for school fees, structuring business loans, and balancing ambition with financial reality.
These exchanges highlighted the very gap the campaign seeks to address: the need for relatable, everyday guidance that enables people to make confident and informed financial decisions.
According to the Bank of Uganda, the industry’s non-performing loan (NPL) ratio improved to 3.66% by September 2025, down from 3.74% the previous quarter. While the trend reflects a recovering economy and improved credit risk management, NPLs remain a concern for the sector.
“Even with this positive trend, non-performing loans continue to impact the financial system,” Rutahigwa noted. “They are often driven by poor financial decisions, weak planning, or diversion of funds to unproductive uses. That is precisely where financial literacy and discipline become critical. Our goal is to ensure customers borrow with clarity, purpose, and confidence.”
Rutahigwa added that the campaign aligns with broader national efforts to enhance financial capability across Uganda.
The Bank of Uganda continues to champion a long-term financial literacy strategy aimed at improving consumer understanding of financial products and informed decision-making as part of its mandate to promote financial inclusion and consumer protection. This includes public education initiatives covering savings, loans, and budgeting to help Ugandans make sound financial choices.
Similarly, the Uganda Bankers Association drives industry-wide consumer education and financial literacy initiatives that promote responsible banking practices and public awareness around effective money management. These combined efforts provide a strong strategic backdrop for Absa’s campaign.
The campaign is supported by a suite of accessible financing solutions designed to meet diverse personal and business needs. These include personal loans of up to UGX 400 million, with repayment periods of up to 96 months and guaranteed feedback within six hours; home loans of up to UGX 2 billion at competitive rates to support property purchase through real estate partners, home construction, or equity release; and digi-loans of up to UGX 5 million, available instantly through Absa’s paperless mobile banking app. Customers can also access unsecured business loans of up to UGX 200 million with tenures of up to three years, secured loans of up to UGX 600 million, school bridge financing offering unsecured loans of up to UGX 500 million with zero arrangement fees, vehicle asset finance solutions of up to UGX 600 million, and competitive interest rates tailored for individuals, entrepreneurs, and SMEs.
In addition, the bank offers a broad range of financial solutions, including trade finance, credit cards, bancassurance, and other personal and business banking products to support customers’ borrowing and investment needs.
