Uganda has made, and continues to make great strides in regulation. Perhaps most notably is the development of regulatory experiment (or sandboxes) – a cutting edge approach designed to allow fintechs to try new innovations without disrupting the existing financial ecosystem.
By Joseph Lutwama and Kim Kariuki
Technology advancements in the last two decades have resulted in a chain reaction of innovations in financial services never experienced in this generation. Whereas previously financial services would only be accessed in big, tall and intimidating bank branches, now a financial transaction can be completed in just under a minute without stepping into a bank branch or even talking to a banking relationship manager across the counter.
This report aims to give an overview of the Ugandan banking sector and the potential opportunities that exist to increase the banked population. The information generated by the FinScope Uganda survey, conducted in 2018, provides the basis for this report’s analysis.
Information presented in all tables and figures are obtained from analysis of FinScope 2018 dataset.
Efforts to increase formal financial inclusion in Uganda are faced with significant challenges which are both supply and demand side in nature.
Money management, planning and the safe building of assets are core components of a larger set of economic and social skills needed to achieve a sustainable livelihood. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the obstacles women and young adults face in developing these abilities. Financial service providers (FSPs), however, are still failing to meet the needs of these sections of society. In the process, they are missing out on the potential benefits of developing the female and young adult economy.
The findings of the FinScope survey conducted in 2018 show that formal insurance uptake in Uganda is at 1%. Current insurance penetration in Uganda is also estimated at 1%. The low level of formal insurance uptake is attributable to public mistrust, low public awareness and a narrow insurance product range – especially for low income earners.
Uptake of formal insurance was 6% in Kenya, 9% in Rwanda and 15% in Tanzania. This means that uptake of formal insurance in Uganda is the lowest in the region.
By Joel Muhumuza(FSDU) and Protazio Sande(IRA)
It’s midnight and Muzeeyi Bizibu and his wife are meant to be asleep because they have to wake up at 5am to go to work. However, Muzeeyi Bizibu’s chest is yet again bothering him. He can’t seem to breathe well and is having coughing fits. It might be pneumonia.
Presentation at the Innovation Forum and FSDU Insurance Challenge Fund Launch – Kampala, 10 December 2018.
By Former Communications Officer
Advances in Technology could be the solution to smallholder farmers’ access to financial services in Uganda. Take Enid Nimusiima, 42 years old, a member of Mushanga Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) in Sheema District, in Uganda.
FinTech holds great potential for both financial inclusion and economic development in a wider sense. Digital financial solutions have been expanding access and reach to consumers, especially the unbanked and under-banked. They have been significantly lowering the costs of providing financial services, making it possible to serve the base of the pyramid in a more profitable way. Fintechs have also enabled new business models that offer expanded services to customers and continue to generate new revenue streams for financial service providers.
By Joel Muhumuza (Former Manager, Financial Services)
Like many developing countries, Uganda is a cash economy. This is particularly true for the transportation sector. Boda-Boda’s or motorcycle taxis dominate private transportation in Uganda, particularly in major towns like the capital city – Kampala. Until recently, boda-boda drivers in Uganda’s cities and towns acquired customers by standing alongside busy roads close to where people might need transport. With the increased penetration of smartphones and the emergence of companies like SafeBoda, an app based ride hailing company for motorcycle taxis – the dynamics of demand and supply have changed, with drivers now able to accept passenger requests from anywhere within a certain catchment area. Thus matching demand and supply more accurately.
The FinScope Survey is often conducted to respond to a lack of information regarding the need for financial services. The study is designed to determine how individuals 16 years or older (i.e. adults) manage their money and the extent to which they use financial services to do so. The study also enhances monitoring changes in levels of financial inclusion over time. The 2018 FinScope survey was conducted in 316 Enumeration Areas, and 3002 adults responded. The weighted FinScope data represents an adult population of 18.6 million Ugandans.
According to Uganda’s National Household Survey 2016-2017, eight out of every 10 Ugandans reside in rural areas, with the majority engaged in agriculture, while those living in urban areas are mostly involved in the trade and service sectors.
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Ensuring Resilience in the Supply of Agricultural Finance amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons from the Integrated Cooperative Model.
FI4R Diaries Round IV Insights: Gender
The Shared Agent Banking Platform is Increasing Financial Inclusion in Uganda
Highlights on Agent Banking Services in Western Uganda (Mbarara and Hoima Districts)
