By John Tumwine

Africa’s mining industry is entering a defining era. The global shift towards clean energy, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies has intensified demand for critical minerals, placing the continent at the centre of one of the most significant economic opportunities of this century.

From rare earth elements and graphite to lithium, nickel and copper, Africa possesses the mineral resources required to power the world’s next industrial revolution. Yet history reminds us that natural resource endowment alone does not guarantee economic prosperity. The real measure of success lies not in what lies beneath the ground, but in how countries convert those resources into lasting national wealth.

For Uganda, this moment presents an extraordinary opportunity. Recent geological surveys have confirmed that Uganda possesses commercially viable deposits of more than 50 mineral commodities, with the country’s untapped mineral wealth estimated at between US$4 trillion and US$12 trillion.

Combined with its strategic location within East Africa, an improving regulatory framework and growing investor interest, Uganda is well positioned to emerge as one of Africa’s leading mining destinations.

However, unlocking this potential requires far more than discovering mineral deposits.

It requires deliberate investment across the entire mining value chain; from exploration and extraction to processing, refining, logistics, infrastructure and manufacturing. More importantly, it requires access to patient, long-term capital capable of financing projects whose returns often take years to materialise.

This is where strong financial institutions become indispensable partners in national development.

Mining is among the world’s most capital-intensive industries. Before the first tonne of ore reaches international markets, investors must finance geological exploration, environmental and social impact assessments, licensing, heavy machinery, transport infrastructure, energy supply and processing facilities.

These investments require sophisticated financing structures, robust risk management and long-term confidence in both the project and the country.

Banks therefore play a role far beyond lending. They structure complex transactions, mobilise international capital, provide financial advisory services, manage investment risk and connect local opportunities to global financial markets.

In many respects, finance becomes the bridge between geological potential and economic transformation. Uganda has already taken significant steps towards creating an enabling environment for investment. The implementation of the Mining and Minerals Act, 2022, together with nationwide geological mapping and continued policy reforms, provides greater certainty for investors while promoting transparency, value addition and responsible resource development.

These reforms send an important signal to global investors that Uganda is committed to building a modern, competitive and sustainable mining industry. Equally important is recognising that the future of mining cannot be defined solely by extraction.

Africa must progressively move beyond exporting raw minerals towards processing and manufacturing higher-value products locally. Beneficiation not only creates skilled employment but also strengthens domestic industries, expands export earnings and enables countries to retain a greater share of mineral value within their own economies.

This transition demands significant investment in industrial parks, processing plants, transport corridors, reliable power infrastructure and specialised technologies; all of which require innovative and long-term financing solutions.

At Stanbic Bank Uganda, we believe financial institutions have a responsibility to support this broader transformation. As part of Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest bank by assets, we are able to leverage deep sector expertise, extensive regional networks and a strong balance sheet to support strategic investments across the mining value chain.

Our role extends beyond providing capital. We work with investors, governments and development partners to structure financing, mobilise international investment and deliver advisory solutions that enable projects to achieve financial sustainability.

This approach is already evident through our involvement in strategic projects such as the Makuutu Rare Earth Project, where we have leveraged Standard Bank Group’s pan-African capabilities to support access to international financing.

Importantly, every investment opportunity must be underpinned by strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. Responsible mining is no longer simply a compliance requirement; it has become a commercial imperative.

Investors increasingly seek jurisdictions and financial partners that demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship, community engagement and transparent governance. The mining sector’s transformation must also extend beyond large-scale commercial operations.

Today, more than 500,000 Ugandans derive their livelihoods from artisanal and small-scale mining. While these miners contribute significantly to local economies, many continue to operate informally, with limited access to finance, technology, formal markets and business development services.

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

Through targeted financing, financial literacy, enterprise development and cooperative models, artisanal miners can transition from subsistence operations into productive, commercially viable enterprises. Such an approach not only improves incomes and safety standards but also strengthens national value chains and expands financial inclusion.

Our experience supporting agricultural cooperatives demonstrates that when communities receive access to finance, technical support and structured markets, they become engines of inclusive economic growth. Similar models can help unlock the enormous potential that exists within Uganda’s artisanal mining sector. Ultimately, no single institution can unlock Uganda’s mineral future alone.

Government must continue strengthening policy certainty and infrastructure. The private sector must invest in technology, innovation and value addition. Development partners must continue supporting capacity building and de-risking investment. Financial institutions must provide the long-term capital and advisory expertise necessary to transform opportunity into sustainable growth.

This is precisely why platforms such as the Mineral Wealth Conference remain critically important. They convene policymakers, financiers, mining companies, investors, researchers and development partners around a common agenda: transforming Uganda’s mineral wealth into inclusive economic prosperity.

As global demand for critical minerals continues to rise, Uganda has a unique opportunity to position itself not merely as a source of raw materials, but as a competitive industrial hub within Africa’s emerging mineral economy.

The question before us is no longer whether Uganda possesses the resources.

The question is whether we will mobilise the partnerships, investment and financial innovation required to convert those resources into industries, jobs, exports and shared prosperity.

At Stanbic Bank Uganda, we remain committed to playing our part, as its well stipulated in our purpose; ‘Uganda is our home we drive her growth’. Because financing mining is not simply about funding extraction. It is about enabling industrialisation, strengthening local enterprise, creating sustainable livelihoods and helping build an economy where Uganda’s natural resources deliver lasting value for generations to come. That is how Africa’s next mining powerhouse will be built.

The Author is the Executive Vice President, Public Sector, Corporate Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank Uganda.

The post Why Unlocking Africa’s Next Mining Powerhouse Requires Strong Financial Partnerships appeared first on 256 Business News.

The United Arab Emirates has begun easing precautionary entry measures imposed on Ugandan nationals during the Ebola outbreak, potentially removing a major constraint on traffic between Uganda and one of its most important aviation and business gateways.

In a notice issued by the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, authorities said measures introduced in June 2026 for Ugandan nationals were being eased following continued assessment of the epidemiological situation.

The decision follows Uganda’s declaration on July 28 that it had ended its 2026 Ebola outbreak after completing the internationally established 42-day monitoring period without detecting new cases.

The UAE statement specifically says the easing follows the end of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, while precautionary measures affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan remain in force.

The change could have significance for Uganda’s aviation industry, particularly the Entebbe-Dubai market, which links Uganda not only with the UAE but also with destinations across the Middle East, Asia and beyond.

Relief for Uganda Airlines

For Uganda Airlines, the development removes a major obstacle from one of its international routes, although the continuing closure of Uganda’s border with the DRC, still locks out significant connecting traffic.

The national carrier nominally operated four flights a week between Entebbe and Dubai. The route had faced an unusual combination of disruptions in 2026. Uganda Airlines temporarily suspended its Dubai services in March because of the wider Middle East airspace disruption, before subsequently resuming operations.

The Ebola-related UAE restrictions then complicated the market further by restricting entry of travellers who had recently been in Uganda unless they had spent more than 21 days outside the affected countries. The restrictions also affected passengers using indirect routings.

That created a particularly difficult operating environment for a route whose traffic includes Ugandan business travellers, traders, tourists and passengers connecting through Dubai to other international destinations.

Uganda’s Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja acknowledged earlier this month that the restrictions were affecting trade between the two countries, saying Kampala was in talks with the UAE over their removal.

Entebbe traffic still carrying the scars

The timing of the UAE decision is significant for Entebbe International Airport, where international passenger traffic has remained well below 2025 levels despite a month-on-month recovery.

Entebbe handled 169,706 international passengers in August 2026, up from 156,342 in July. But August traffic was still 29pc below the 239,329 passengers recorded in August 2025.

The weakness followed a difficult first half of the year in which international passenger traffic fell by 10.8pc, according to Uganda Civil Aviation Authority figures. UCAA attributed the decline principally to the Middle East airspace disruption and the Ebola outbreak, which caused cancellations and reduced connectivity.

The UAE restrictions therefore came on top of an already disrupted aviation market. Dubai is particularly important to Uganda because it functions both as a destination and as a connecting hub for passengers travelling onward to Asia, the Middle East and other markets. Restrictions on Ugandan travellers consequently have effects beyond the number of people travelling specifically to the UAE.

The UAE measures announced in June were significant enough that Uganda’s aviation and health authorities engaged foreign diplomats and airline operators over what Uganda described as blanket restrictions, arguing that the country’s containment measures had prevented the export of Ebola cases.

Cargo between the UAE and Uganda was not subject to the June restrictions, with the UAE authorities explicitly stating that cargo flights would continue normally. The bigger disruption was therefore on the passenger side, particularly travel by Ugandan nationals.

For airlines, the return of unrestricted passenger movement should provide greater scope to rebuild demand on the Entebbe-Dubai route. For Entebbe, the development comes as the airport seeks to recover from a year in which international traffic has been affected by multiple external shocks.

The easing does not, however, mean that all aviation disruptions affecting Uganda have disappeared. The UAE notice says measures will continue to be reviewed as regional and international epidemiological conditions evolve, while restrictions concerning the DRC and South Sudan remain in place.

The post Relief as UAE Eases Ebola-era Entry Curbs on Ugandans, Reopening Key Aviation Corridor appeared first on 256 Business News.

Equity Bank Uganda is taking its environmental campaign into schools, targeting the planting, protection and nurturing of 200,000 trees across the country by December 2027 under a new Green Schools Programme.

The programme, launched on September 25 at Nakanyonyi Secondary School in Mukono District in partnership with My Tree Initiative Uganda, puts schools at the centre of a wider effort to combine environmental restoration with climate education.

The launch saw students and partners plant 3,500 trees at the school, marking the start of the first phase of the programme, which will cover 25 schools in 10 districts by the end of 2026.

A further 150,000 trees are planned for 2027, with the programme expected to incorporate school orchards and longer-term tree-care activities rather than focusing solely on planting.

That distinction stands out in a country where tree-planting campaigns have often faced the challenge of ensuring that seedlings survive beyond launch events.

Gift Shoko, Managing Director of Equity Bank Uganda, said the programme was intended to give students a direct role in environmental conservation.

“This is more than a tree-planting initiative. It is a commitment to the future of our environment, our communities and, most importantly, the young people who will inherit the Uganda we build today,” Shoko said.

He said the bank’s approach was to move beyond planting to protecting and nurturing trees to maturity. “Economic transformation and environmental sustainability must go hand in hand,” Shoko said.

The programme builds on an earlier partnership between the bank and My Tree Initiative, which resulted in 1,500 trees being planted at Kyasanku Hill College in Mpigi District.

Enjer Ashiraf, Executive Director of My Tree Initiative, said the partnership was intended to make environmental action a practical experience for students.

The initiative comes against a backdrop of sustained pressure on Uganda’s natural forests from agricultural expansion, settlement and other land-use pressures. Equity said the country’s forest cover had fallen from about 24pc several decades ago to below 9pc.

Rtd. Gen. Katumba Wamala, Minister for Public Service and patron of My Tree Initiative, called for greater private-sector participation in environmental restoration.

“This programme is about restoring our environment,” Katumba said, linking environmental degradation to increasingly extreme weather conditions.

The Green Schools Programme forms part of Equity Group’s wider Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan, which has a regional target of planting 35 million trees across East Africa.

Gen. Katumba Wamala, the Minister for Public Service plants a tree

In Uganda, the bank said it has supported the planting of more than 60,000 trees over the past five years, alongside more than UGX34 billion in climate financing and support to more than 800 green enterprises.

The school-based model potentially gives the tree campaign another dimension with schools serving simultaneously as planting sites, demonstration farms and centres for environmental education, allowing students to track the survival and growth of trees they help establish.

The post Equity Turns Schools into Climate Restoration Hubs as Lender Launches 200,000-tree Uganda drive appeared first on 256 Business News.

Thirteen people are feared dead after a Tracep Congo Aviation Let L-410 crashed near Kenge in western Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, September 25, while operating a domestic flight from Kikwit to Kinshasa.

The aircraft, registration 9S-GUC, was reportedly en route to N’Djili International Airport when it developed problems and diverted towards Kenge, where witnesses reportedly saw it circling before it came down in the Manzaw district of Masikita. The aircraft was destroyed by a post-crash fire.

The initial accident information, attributed to aviation data provider Cirium, indicates that all 13 people on board are feared to have died. FlightGlobal, citing the Congolese investigation authority, subsequently reported that there were no survivors.

Among those reportedly killed were the Auditor General of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and several senior military personnel.

The accident occurred in daylight and under visual meteorological conditions, according to the initial reports. Kenge’s airfield, which lies roughly midway between Kikwit and Kinshasa, is understood to be disused, with part of its runway having been built on.

The accident aircraft in an earlier photo

The circumstances that prompted the crew to divert towards Kenge remain unclear, and no cause of the accident has been established.

The crash is the latest involving a Tracep-operated L-410 in the DRC this year. On July 24, another Tracep L-410, registration 7Q-GMR, crashed in North Kivu after the crew reported an engine failure while flying from Beni towards Kasongo-Lunda. One person died and survivors were rescued from the wreckage.

The two accidents involved different aircraft. Aviation fleet records list 7Q-GMR as an L-410 UVP-E built in 1985, while Tracep has also operated another L-410, 9S-GEO, built in 1982.

The L-410 is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft widely used for short-haul passenger and cargo operations, particularly on routes serving smaller airfields.

Investigators will be expected to establish the aircraft’s flight path, the nature of the reported problem, the crew’s decision to divert to Kenge and the condition of the disused airfield, alongside technical and operational factors.

Further details on the occupants and the circumstances of the crash are expected as the Congolese authorities continue their investigation.

The post 13 Feared Killed as Tracep Aviation L-410 Crashes in DRC appeared first on 256 Business News.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is calling for a multi-layered approach to cargo safety, warning that security screening alone cannot adequately address the risks posed by undeclared or mis-declared dangerous goods entering the air transport system.

The industry body wants regulators, manufacturers, online marketplaces, shippers, freight forwarders, airlines, airports and ground handlers to play a more active role in identifying hazardous cargo earlier in the supply chain.

IATA’s warning, issued in Budapest on 24 September, comes amid discussions among aviation regulators over the role of existing security screening systems in detecting dangerous goods.

While screening remains an important safeguard, IATA says it was primarily designed to identify explosives and other aviation security threats and is not equipped to detect the full range of dangerous goods.

The scale of the problem is reflected in incident data where about 80pc of dangerous-goods incidents reported to IATA during the first half of 2025 involved undeclared or hidden dangerous goods. Lithium batteries were among the products commonly identified, alongside concealed e-cigarettes, aerosols and other hazardous commodities.

“Dangerous goods are transported safely by air every day. The risk comes when they enter the system undeclared or incorrectly declared,” said Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.

He said every participant in the cargo supply chain has a role to play in identifying and stopping dangerous goods before they reach aircraft.

IATA argues that the response should begin further upstream, rather than relying predominantly on airport screening. It is urging governments to strengthen oversight and enforcement, while manufacturers and online marketplaces should improve product identification, certification and the accuracy of product information.

Shippers, freight forwarders and postal operators are being encouraged to strengthen training and acceptance controls and make greater use of customer and shipment data to identify higher-risk consignments before they reach airports.

Airlines and ground handlers should reinforce pre-loading checks, while airports should improve coordination and information sharing among cargo stakeholders.

The issue is increasingly frontline as e-commerce expands and more consumer products containing lithium batteries and other regulated materials move through air cargo networks.

IATA’s position is outlined in its white paper, Safety and Security in the Cargo Supply Chain, which argues for treating dangerous-goods safety and aviation security as complementary layers of protection rather than relying on security screening as the primary means of detecting undeclared hazardous cargo.

The post IATA Warns Cargo Screening Alone Cannot Contain Undeclared Dangerous Goods Risk appeared first on 256 Business News.

Ugandan air cargo company Jet Fresh Cargo has been shortlisted for the General Sales and Service Agent (GSSA) of the Year award at the 2026 Air Cargo News Awards in London, putting an Entebbe-based cargo sales and service company into competition with established players from the international air freight industry.

Jet Fresh Cargo is one of six finalists in the category, alongside 4RCargo, ECS Group, FlyUs Aviation Group, Network Airline Services and Wexco Airfreight (UK). The winner will be announced on October 21 at the Royal Lancaster London hotel.

The shortlist places the Ugandan company in a competitive field that includes organisations with international operations and established positions in the global cargo agency market. The six GSSA finalists include organisations operating across broader international markets, making Jet Fresh’s appearance notable as an African company operating from a relatively small aviation market.

The category also has an established pedigree. In 2025, the GSSA of the Year award went to FlyUs Aviation Group, with Network Airline Services highly commended. Both are again among the 2026 finalists.

The awards organisers say the programme, now in its 42nd year, recognises achievements across the air cargo industry and uses an independent panel of industry experts in its judging process.

Jet Fresh’s the nomination follows a period in which Uganda’s air cargo proposition has increasingly been linked to the country’s efforts to expand exports of fresh produce, meat and other value-added agricultural products.

The company’s CEO, Wail Dagash, said the nomination reflected the support of its airline partners, customers, agents, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and ground-handling partners at Entebbe.

He also framed the nomination as recognition for Uganda’s participation in the wider African air cargo industry.

For Uganda’s air cargo sector, however, the significance of the nomination extends beyond the award itself. Jet Fresh’s presence on the shortlist provides an international reference point for a segment of Uganda’s aviation industry that operates largely behind the scenes but is increasingly important to the country’s ambitions to move higher-value and perishable products into export markets.

Jet Fresh specialises in cargo requiring controlled handling, including chilled and frozen meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, flowers, and other temperature-sensitive shipments.

The company has been acting as the Uganda GSSA for Flynas Cargo, whose direct Entebbe-Riyadh operation has opened a shorter air route into Saudi Arabia for Ugandan exporters.

That connection has already been used for fresh agricultural exports. In May 2026, a 2,500-kilogram consignment of chilled Ugandan meat was flown from Entebbe to Riyadh, with Jet Fresh facilitating the shipment. The company has also said more than half a million kilograms of Ugandan fresh produce had moved to Saudi Arabia through the Flynas route since its introduction.

The significance of such connections lies partly in the economics of perishables, where transit time directly affects shelf life and the commercial value of a shipment.

Jet Fresh says its cargo operation includes refrigerated collection from exporters, cargo screening and build-up at Entebbe, cold-room storage and temperature monitoring through the transport chain. It also works with destination handlers to facilitate delivery and uses cold-storage facilities at selected transit points. The company has also introduced cargo charter operations for time-sensitive freight.

The post Entebbe-Based Jet Fresh Cargo Takes Ugandan Air Freight into Global Awards Contest appeared first on 256 Business News.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has issued a USD29 million guarantee to support the expansion of the East African Community (EAC) Customs Bond, a digital customs guarantee system intended to ease the movement of goods across the region.

The guarantee, issued to BSMART Technology Ltd, is designed to strengthen the financial capacity behind the EAC Customs Bond and support its wider implementation and uptake among businesses and customs stakeholders.

The initiative is part of efforts to reduce the administrative burden associated with moving goods across multiple EAC member states, where traders and clearing agents have traditionally had to deal with customs documentation and guarantees at successive border points.

Under the digital bond system, eligible clearing and forwarding agents, guarantors and customs authorities can access and process customs guarantees through a common digital platform.

The system is intended to reduce reliance on physical bond documentation and eliminate the need for documents to be physically posted at individual border crossings as goods enter and leave countries along a transit route.

For businesses moving cargo through several EAC markets, the shift could reduce paperwork and the time associated with processing customs guarantees, although its effectiveness will depend on the extent to which customs authorities, financial institutions and traders across the region adopt and consistently use the system.

Afreximbank said the guarantee builds on its collaboration with the EAC Secretariat, which began with a pilot of the Customs Bond in Uganda in August 2025.

Rwanda and Burundi were subsequently brought into the system in January 2026, before the EAC Customs Bond was officially launched at the 25th EAC Heads of State Summit in March.

The facility is being supported through Afreximbank’s African Collaborative Transit Guarantee Scheme (AACTGS), which is intended to develop regional customs guarantee and digital solutions to facilitate intra-African trade.

Kanayo Awani, Afreximbank’s Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, said the facility was aimed at addressing some of the practical barriers that continue to affect cross-border trade.

“With the EAC Customs Bond, we are supporting the digitisation and simplification of access to customs guarantees for businesses moving goods across the region – cutting costs and improving the efficiency of customs procedures,” Awani said.

BSMART Technology Managing Director Stephen Teang said the facility would support the company’s expansion of the EAC Customs Bond.

The EAC Customs Bond forms part of a broader push within East Africa to integrate customs procedures and reduce friction along regional transport corridors.

The region’s dependence on road transport for much of its intra-regional trade means delays at border posts can have wider consequences for transport costs, inventory management and delivery times.

Digitising customs guarantees addresses one part of that process, but the practical gains will depend on interoperability between national customs systems and consistent procedures at border crossings.

The EAC initiative also fits into the wider continental drive to remove administrative barriers to trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Afreximbank said strengthening the financial and digital infrastructure supporting customs guarantees should help expand the capacity of the EAC Customs Bond while supporting greater digitisation of customs processes.

The bank’s involvement also reflects its broader role in developing trade-finance and payment infrastructure intended to support greater movement of goods and services between African markets.

The post Afreximbank Issues USD29m Guarantee to Expand EAC Customs Bond appeared first on 256 Business News.

The Government of Uganda is seeking to raise up to UGX1.4 trillion through the auction of four Treasury bonds with maturities ranging from two to 25 years, as the government continues to use the domestic debt market to finance its budget requirements.

The Bank of Uganda (BoU) has scheduled the auction for Wednesday, September 23, 2026, offering two re-opened bonds, one new issue and another re-opening across the maturity spectrum.

The largest offer is the 15-year bond, with a face value of UGX450 billion. The bond, which matures on September 5, 2041, is a new issue and does not carry a pre-set coupon, with the return to be determined through the auction process.

The 5-year re-opening has an offer of UGX350 billion and matures on May 20, 2032. It carries a coupon of 15 percent.

Another UGX350 billion is being offered through the 25-year re-opening, maturing on July 7, 2050, with a 16 percent coupon.

The shortest-dated security in the auction is the 2-year re-opening, with UGX250 billion on offer. It matures on November 16, 2028 and carries a 15.25 percent coupon.

The auction gives investors exposure to government securities across different investment horizons, while allowing the Treasury to mobilise domestic financing through the established government securities market.

The bonds are being issued under the Public Finance Management Act 2015, with settlement scheduled for Thursday, September 24.

According to the BoU notice, withholding tax on interest is 20 percent for the 2-year bond and 10 percent for the 5-year, 15-year and 25-year bonds.

Primary dealers and other commercial banks are required to submit bids electronically through the Central Securities Depository (CSD) by 10 a.m. on September 23.

Individual investors seeking to participate in government securities can do so by opening a CSD account through a commercial bank and placing bids through the bank.

The auction comes as Uganda continues to rely on domestic borrowing alongside other sources of financing to meet public expenditure and investment requirements. The longer maturities also provide the government with an avenue to lock in financing over extended periods, while investors gain access to securities offering fixed income over the respective terms.

The post Uganda puts UGX1.4tn Treasury Bonds on Auction appeared first on 256 Business News.

DHL Express has added a new weekly freighter service linking Bahrain and Johannesburg, increasing air cargo capacity between the Middle East and Southern Africa as trade routes and supply chains continue to diversify.

The first direct DHL flight from Bahrain arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on September 21, marking the start of the service operated with a Boeing 767 freighter.

The new route provides additional inbound and outbound cargo capacity for South Africa and neighbouring markets through DHL’s Johannesburg hub, while connecting the region to the company’s wider Middle East and global aviation network.

DHL said the service is intended to support growing trade flows between Africa, the Gulf and international markets, particularly as companies diversify sourcing, manufacturing and customer markets beyond established trade corridors.

Anthony Beckley, Vice President of Operations and Aviation for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, said demand was increasing across sectors including healthcare, technology, manufacturing and cross-border e-commerce.

“As global trade routes diversify and economic ties between Africa and the Middle East continue to strengthen, we are seeing new opportunities for businesses,” Beckley said.

The Bahrain-Johannesburg connection adds to DHL’s existing aviation network through Bahrain, which links Middle Eastern markets with major global gateways including Hong Kong, Leipzig and Cincinnati.

Richard Gale, Vice President of Aviation at DHL Express MENA, said Bahrain’s location provided a link between Africa and the Middle East, while the new Johannesburg service would provide a direct connection between the two markets.

The new lane comes as companies increasingly seek alternatives to traditional supply routes and as trade relationships between African markets and Gulf economies expand.

For South Africa and neighbouring countries, the service provides additional air freight capacity through Johannesburg, with onward connections into DHL’s broader international network.

The post DHL Launches Direct Bahrain-Johannesburg Freighter Service appeared first on 256 Business News.

Uganda will hold its first National Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Conference and Expo this week as businesses, financial institutions, government agencies and development partners confront growing pressure to demonstrate responsible environmental and social practices alongside financial performance.

The conference, scheduled for September 25, is being organised by the Ministry of Water and Environment in partnership with Envirosure Consulting under the theme “Driving Transformation through ESG: From Commitment to Action.”

Briefing the media at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, Minister for Water and Environment, said the conference would bring together government agencies, the private sector, civil society, development partners, academia, scientists and policymakers to exchange knowledge and experience on ESG.

Otafiire said ESG principles were increasingly becoming a defining feature of sustainable economic transformation globally, with implications extending beyond environmental protection to investment, financing, risk management and institutional governance.

He said the global business environment was shifting towards a model in which organisations are increasingly assessed not only on their financial performance but also on how they manage environmental impacts, treat communities and uphold governance standards.

Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, Commissioner, Water Resources Planning & Regulation Department, Ministry of Water and Environment, delivering Hon. Otafiire’s remarks at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday

According to Otafiire, banks are increasingly incorporating ESG considerations into lending decisions, while insurers are factoring climate risks into underwriting and institutional investors are giving greater attention to sustainable investment portfolios.

He also pointed to growing expectations from development partners, who increasingly link grants and technical assistance to ESG compliance, as well as changing consumer and market preferences for responsible business practices.

“ESG is not merely a compliance obligation but a strategic driver of competitiveness, resilience and institutional credibility,” Otafiire said.

For Ugandan businesses seeking investment, development finance or access to international markets, the shift could make the ability to demonstrate credible environmental, social and governance practices increasingly important.

Otafiire said Uganda was embracing the transition through existing national and international policy frameworks, including the National Development Plan IV, Vision 2040, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Africa Agenda 2063, the National Climate Change Act, Uganda’s Nationally Determined Contributions and the Green Growth Development Strategy.

He said the national conference would provide an interface for stakeholders to examine how ESG principles can be integrated across different sectors of the economy.

The conference is expected to focus on raising ESG awareness across government and the private sector, strengthening institutional capacity for ESG integration and sustainability reporting, and showcasing innovations aimed at supporting climate resilience and sustainable development.

Otafiire said the event would also promote climate finance and responsible investment while strengthening collaboration between government, investors and development partners.

A further objective, he said, was to encourage organisations to move from ESG commitments to practical implementation.

The emphasis on implementation reflects a broader shift in the ESG debate, as sustainability commitments increasingly face scrutiny over whether they translate into measurable changes in business operations, investment decisions and institutional practices.

Otafiire said the conference would also seek to position Uganda as a regional hub for ESG dialogue and sustainable investment.

The September 25 event is expected to bring together stakeholders from across the economy to discuss the environmental, social and governance challenges facing institutions and businesses and the opportunities presented by the transition towards more sustainable economic activity.

The discussion comes as Uganda seeks to mobilise investment for infrastructure, energy, agriculture and other productive sectors while responding to climate-related risks and meeting its commitments under national and international environmental frameworks.

Otafiire said the conference would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to share best practices and explore practical approaches to integrating ESG into institutional decision-making.

The minister thanked stakeholders and partners supporting the organisation of the inaugural conference, which is intended to establish a national platform for continued dialogue on ESG and sustainable investment.

The post Uganda Set for First National ESG Conference as Sustainable Finance Gains Ground appeared first on 256 Business News.