East African Business Notifier

Airtel Uganda launched its 2025 nationwide Iftar campaign to celebrate the spirit of Ramadhan by supporting Muslim communities across the country.  The month-long initiative will see Airtel host Iftar dinners across nine regions of Uganda, namely: Kampala, Mbale, Gulu, Kabale, Luwero, Jinja, Fort Portal, Masaka & Arua,  bringing the holy month celebrations closer to the communities it serves. The campaign, which reinforces Airtel's commitment to community engagement, will feature bi-weekly Iftar dinners throughout the month of Ramadhan, with each event hosting 150 guests including senior religious leaders from the respective regions. Speaking at the launch, Airtel Uganda’s Sales & Distribution Director, Ali Balunywa highlighted the essence of this holy period. He said, “Every year, the holy month of Ramadhan reminds us of the values of faith, gratitude, and community.  "It is a time of reflection, generosity, and coming together to share in the blessings of Iftar....

By Adons Aryong  There was a time when snaking queues outside banks was a normal sight at the beginning of the school term.   In one bank, so as not to inconvenience the other clients, they dedicated space in the basement parking area to handle school fees payers. Woe onto you if you were not ready and seated at 7 am, you would be assured of many hours of waiting to pay.  In order to speed the process along you filled in fees slips, made sure your money was in the correct denominations, and was the exact amount, including the sh2000 banking fees. When you paid you left a slip with the bank, you took another to school, and you kept one for yourself.  How times have changed.   In a trend we at Post Bank are experiencing daily and is mirrored around the industry, we have seen school fees payments over the counter collapsing from up to 80 percent to just about 20 percent in the just concluded school fees payment cycle.  People are now using our mobile and ...

Huawei Technologies Uganda has announced the successful completion of the Digital Skills Training program through its innovative DigiTruck corporate social responsibility activity.  At the graduation ceremony, a total of 851, 493 (58%) male and 358 (42%) female market vendors graduated from the Digital Skilling initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance in collaboration with the National ICT Innovation Hub, MTN Uganda Foundation,   Centenary Technology Services (Cente-Tech), and the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) to bridge the digital divide gap and leaving no one behind. The graduation ceremony, held on 12 th  March at the UICT National Innovation Hub, marked a significant milestone in empowering small business owners and market vendors across the Kamwokya Community Centre, Kamwokya Market, Kamwokya Mosque, Kitintale Market, Port Bell Market, and Usafi Market. with essential digital skills to thrive in the ...

By Desmond Lachman WASHINGTON, DC – At the first cabinet meeting of his second term, US President Donald Trump declared  his intention to impose a sweeping 25% tariff on all imports from the European Union.  But before opening a European front in his trade war, Trump might want to consider the continent’s economic malaise: the German economy has been experiencing a prolonged downturn , while Italy and France are struggling with serious public-debt problems. Maybe then Trump will grasp that his tariff actions – part of his “America First” agenda – risk triggering a European-wide recession and another eurozone debt crisis. Some might argue that Trump has no interest in Europe’s fate. But given how badly the 2010 Greek debt implosion shook US and world financial markets, similar crises in France and Italy, the European Union’s second- and third-largest economies (and many times the size of Greece’s), would have truly catastrophic consequences for markets and the global economy. T...

Anu Madgavkar, Marc Canal Noguer NEWARK/BARCELONA – The effects of falling birth rates and rising life expectancy are increasingly evident in advanced economies like Germany, Italy, and Japan. Labor markets are tightening, worker shortages are worsening, and families are struggling to find care for aging parents. In some areas, declining student numbers are forcing schools to  shut down . South Korea offers a stark example. In 2023, as the country’s total fertility rate plummeted to  just 0.7 children per woman  of childbearing age over a lifetime, sales of dog strollers  surpassed  those of baby strollers. But population aging is not limited to advanced economies. Within a generation or two, many emerging economies will likely face the same demographic problems plaguing their developed-country counterparts – without the financial resources needed to cushion the blow. In a new McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report, we  divide  these demographic shifts...

Laurence Tubiana PARIS – Never has it been so obvious that Europe must stand on its own. But as European leaders debate how to do so, they should not fall for the bogus trade-off between security and competitiveness, on one hand, and climate goals on the other. Doing so would squander one of Europe’s major strategic advantages: its substantial lead in the transition to a low-carbon economy. This advantage is not just a   luxury for calmer times or a distraction from the pursuit of security and economic resilience. After all, energy is at the heart of Europe’s security challenge. Dependence on Russian gas proved to be a critical vulnerability in 2022, triggering economic and political shocks that are still reverberating. Higher energy costs have constrained many EU member states’ fiscal capacity – and thus their ability to invest more in defense. In the three years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe has made positive strides in...

 Mumba Kenneth Kalifungwa has officially assumed the role of Chief Executive at Stanbic Bank Uganda, the nation’s largest lender by assets, revenue, and deposits. His appointment was first announced in December of last year. “I am delighted to join Stanbic Bank Uganda. With the support of my colleagues and stakeholders, this new role presents an opportunity to e nhance leadership that creates a positive impact for our employees, customers, and the country as a whole,” Mumba stated. Patrick Mweheire, the Standard Bank Regional Chief Executive for East Africa, welcomed Mumba’s arrival as timely. “Uganda’s economy continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience amid global economic challenges. The strong macroeconomic stability, infrastructure investments—including developments in the oil and gas sector—and improved trade prospects present us with opportunities to collaborate with stakeholders to deploy our resources effectively, facilitating growth and creating sustainable livelihoods...

Midori Paxton NEW YORK – During my 35-year career in environmental conservation, I have come to realize that today’s planetary crisis is driven not just by destruction and neglect but also by something more profound: our economic systems’ blindness to nature’s value. As governments chase GDP growth and companies seek to maximize profits, they fail to account for the vast ecosystems that sustain our economies, societies, and personal well-being. We manage what we measure, and because ecosystem services don’t appear on balance sheets, they are effectively invisible, even as the implications – exploitation of natural resources, habitat destruction, and pollution of our air, land, water, and ocean – stare us in the face. The consequences of remaining on our current path are well-documented. The World Bank warns that the collapse of just a few critical ecosystem services, such as wild pollination and marine fisheries, could  shrink global GDP  by $2.7 trillion annually by 2030. How...

Uganda's Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in collaboration with UNICEF Uganda has unveiled the ‘FunDoo webinar series’ aimed at addressing the evolving demands of the job market by equipping young people with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful employment. In today’s fast-changing digital economy, both soft and hard skills are critical for career success. While technical competencies provide the foundation for job performance, soft skills such as communication, adaptability, and problem-solving are essential for collaboration and innovation. Susan Serumaga, Technology for Development Officer UNICEF while addressing the press launch said that the FunDoo webinar learning series will create a platform to discuss best practices, share resources, and explore strategies for empowering youth with these vital skills. The Webinar series are set to: ·  Enhance knowledge and best practices – Share insights, lessons, and a growing body of evidence on empowering y...

Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda Limited (AMCUL), in partnership with Mastercard, Diamond Trust Bank, Network International, has launched the Airtel Money Global Pay Card,   a virtual prepaid card designed to give Ugandans a secure and convenient way to make international payments . The Airtel Money Global Pay Card sits independent of the customer’s day-to-day Airtel Money wallet. This prepaid card allows customers to load only the amount they need, offering better control over spending for a range of services like e-commerce, entertainment, education, travel, and digital advertising. Accessible through the MyAirtel App, the card is free to create, free to fund from the customer’s wallet or free to withdraw making it convenient for the customers in the growing connected world. Speaking at the launch, Japhet Aritho, Managing Director Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda Limited, stated, “We are delighted to launch a product that reflects our commitment ...

  As the global transition to renewable energy accelerates, weather and climate insights are becoming increasingly important to ensure the reliability and resilience of energy systems and planning of electricity demand and supplies, according to a new report. 2023 Year in Review: Climate-driven Global Renewable Energy Potential Resources and Energy Demand  finds that climate-informed and diversified energy solutions are essential if the world is to meet targets to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030. The report was jointly produced by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the  International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)   and the  Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) , operated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). “Whether it is solar power generation in drier-than-average conditions, wind power generation in regions experiencing shifts from La Niña to El Niño conditions, or hydropower g...

At MWC 2025 Barcelona, Dr. Peter Zhou, President of Huawei Data Storage Product Line, delivered a keynote speech on AI-Ready Data Storage Accelerates Telco-to-Techco Transformation. The speech, delivered at the product and solution launch event. Dr. Peter Zhou believes the AI-powered transformation of various industries is creating a golden era for data. Global carriers are continuously exploring business value by capitalizing on and monetizing application scenarios, such as smart home and digital factories. And that means higher demands on data storage, service capabilities, and business models. To address these challenges, "Huawei Data Storage provides the AI-Ready data lake solution, diverse data storage services, and the FlashEver business model, empowering carriers to turn their disordered data into high-quality assets to unlock the value of data," as Dr. Peter Zhou said. The AI-Ready data lake breaks data silos, making data visible, manageable, and available For mission...