Equity Wraps up Uganda Leg of Regional Trade Mission as Value Addition Drive Gains Traction

September 21, 2026 in Companies, Land & Agriculture, Trade & Industry by Editor

Mark Ssempijja, the General Manager at RZ Innovations Ltd taking the Equity Trade Show delegates through a stategic tour of the factory (2)

Equity Group concludes its Uganda trade mission, spotlighting value addition, manufacturing, financing and regional market access.

 

Uganda’s efforts to move beyond raw commodity exports and expand value-added production came under the spotlight as Equity Group concluded the Uganda leg of its 2026 Trade and Investment Roadshow, bringing more than 150 investors and business leaders from 10 countries to local enterprises.

The September 15 visits to Zigoti Coffee Works Limited, Roofings Limited and RZ Innovations Limited followed the launch of the roadshow at the Marriott Hotel in Kampala the previous day, providing participants with an opportunity to examine Uganda’s manufacturing and agro-processing potential, alongside the financing and infrastructure constraints affecting business expansion.

The engagements highlighted the opportunities and challenges facing Ugandan businesses seeking to process more raw materials locally, increase production and access regional markets.

At Zigoti Coffee Works, a third-generation coffee business established in 1984, discussions centred on financing processing equipment, working capital and smallholder farmers as the company seeks to increase the value of its coffee exports.

Zigoti, which became Uganda’s first licensed private coffee exporter following the liberalisation of the coffee sector, is investing in wet processing and specialty coffee as part of its efforts to expand value addition and strengthen its position in international markets.

Charles Roscoe Nsubuga, Chairman of Zigoti Coffee Works, emphasised the importance of long-term financing in enabling local exporters to compete more effectively.

The discussions also explored financing arrangements for smallholder farmers to purchase agricultural inputs, with repayment linked to coffee sales. The company is additionally seeking to strengthen regional distribution, including opportunities in markets such as South Sudan.

For coffee processors, access to finance extends beyond the purchase of machinery. Working capital, farmer support and distribution networks remain important to the ability of businesses to maintain supply, improve quality and reach higher-value markets.

Irene Irungu, Senior Manager of Trade Relations at Equity Group, said the roadshow was developed in response to demand from customers seeking opportunities across African markets.

“It was about regional integration, directly matching our producers with buyers across our subsidiary markets so they could conduct direct trade rather than struggling to find new markets on their own.”

The approach places market connections alongside financing, addressing one of the challenges facing businesses that want to expand beyond domestic sales but lack established regional distribution networks.

Manufacturing Growth Meets Production Constraints

At RZ Innovations and its parent company, Royikems Industries, delegates encountered a different dimension of Uganda’s value-addition ambitions, centred on industrial manufacturing and the challenges of maintaining competitiveness.

RZ Innovations began as a motorcycle spare-parts business in 2005 and has since developed into a manufacturer of motorcycle tyres, inner tubes and brake shoes, employing approximately 650 people.

Its products are supplied to markets across East and Central Africa, while investments in circular manufacturing include the recycling of scrap aluminium and rubber for use in production.

The company’s experience demonstrates the potential for domestic enterprises to develop manufacturing capacity and serve regional markets. However, management identified high production costs, foreign exchange fluctuations, logistics difficulties and unreliable electricity as continuing constraints.

Mark Ssempijja, General Manager of RZ Innovations, said fluctuations in electricity supply affected factory operations.

“Unreliable grid voltage directly impacts sensitive machinery and hot rubber processing.”

The company has also invested in improving its access road, seeking to reduce dust exposure and protect product quality.

During the engagement, investors discussed commercial solar power as a potential option for manufacturers seeking to improve energy reliability while managing operating costs.

The discussions illustrate how energy infrastructure and financing decisions are closely linked to the performance of industrial businesses. For manufacturers operating machinery and processing materials, disruptions to power supply can affect production continuity, equipment performance and operating costs.

Connecting Local Businesses to Regional Markets

The roadshow brought together businesses, investors, buyers and financial institutions around opportunities for production expansion and cross-border trade.

At Zigoti, the focus was on increasing the value of coffee exports and strengthening farmer and distribution networks. At RZ Innovations, the discussions highlighted the development of local manufacturing capacity, resource recycling and access to regional markets.

Together, the engagements pointed to the different financing requirements of businesses operating at various stages of the production chain, from agricultural processing and farmer support to industrial equipment and energy infrastructure.

Equity Group’s regional banking network is intended to facilitate connections between producers and buyers across its subsidiary markets, potentially helping businesses identify commercial relationships beyond Uganda.

The trade mission offered investors a closer look at enterprises pursuing that transition, while exposing the infrastructure, financing and market-access issues that will influence their ability to scale.