Nile Breweries launches drive to train 1,500 retailers in business and financial skills

June 5, 2026 in Companies, Trade & Industry by Editor

Nkanyiso Mncwabe (L), Managing Director, Nile Breweries Limited, and Patrick Ayota (C), Managing Director, National Social Security Fund, hand over a certificate to one of the participants during the Growing Retailers Innovatively Together (GRIT) training in Makindye Division.

Nile Breweries Limited has rolled out a nationwide programme to train 1,500 retailers in financial management, digital payments and business planning, while partnering with NSSF and MTN MoMo to deepen financial inclusion and strengthen small business resilience.

Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) has launched a nationwide initiative to equip more than 1,500 retailers with business, financial and digital skills, in a move aimed at strengthening Uganda’s retail sector and expanding financial inclusion among small business owners.

The programme, dubbed Growing Retailers Innovatively Together (GRIT), will provide training to bar owners, managers and stockists across the country, focusing on financial management, stock control, sales and marketing, responsible retailing, digital adoption and long-term business planning.

The first training session, held in Kampala’s Makindye Division, attracted more than 300 retailers, marking the start of a nationwide rollout that NBL says is designed to help small businesses become more resilient and sustainable.

Speaking at the launch, NBL Managing Director, Nkanyiso Mncwabe, said retailers remain a critical link in both the company’s value chain and Uganda’s broader economy.

“Retailers are a critical part of our business and of Uganda’s wider economy. Our goal is to ensure that the retailers we work with are not only selling more, but building stronger, more sustainable businesses,” Mncwabe said.

“Through GRIT, we are empowering them with practical skills that help them manage money better, control stock, improve sales, trade responsibly and plan for growth to run their business successfully.”

The 2026 programme builds on earlier editions that trained more than 1,560 retailers in 2024 and 2025. This year’s initiative introduces a stronger financial inclusion component through a partnership with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), integrating the Fund’s SmartLife Flexi voluntary savings product into the training.

The arrangement will expose retailers to social security and long-term savings opportunities while providing support to register and begin contributing to the flexible savings scheme.

NSSF Managing Director Patrick Ayota said the partnership represents an important opportunity to extend social protection to workers and entrepreneurs operating outside formal employment structures.

“Many small business owners and entrepreneurs contribute significantly to Uganda’s economy, yet they often operate without structured social security or long-term savings support,” Ayota said.

“NSSF SmartLife Flexi was created to give such individuals a flexible way to save for the future. By integrating this solution into the GRIT programme, we are making social security more accessible to retailers and helping them build financial resilience beyond day-to-day business income.”

Ayota revealed that in the 13 months since SmartLife Flexi was launched, more than 81,000 Ugandans have enrolled in the scheme and accumulated savings exceeding Shs126 billion.

He also urged business owners to embrace consistent saving habits, noting that small contributions made regularly can grow significantly over time through compound interest.

The programme has also partnered with MTN MoMo to encourage digital adoption and cashless transactions among retailers, enabling them to access mobile money solutions that improve efficiency and reduce risks associated with handling cash.

According to John Isabirye, Corporate Sales Manager at MTN MoMo, digital financial services are increasingly becoming essential tools for small business growth.

“Through MTN MoMo, retailers can receive payments, make transactions, reduce cash-handling risks and improve visibility in their business operations,” Isabirye said.

“We are proud to support the GRIT programme because it gives retailers not only the knowledge to grow, but also the tools to participate more confidently in Uganda’s digital economy.”

The initiative comes at a time when small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continue to play a dominant role in Uganda’s economy. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, SMEs account for approximately 90 percent of businesses in the country, employ more than 2.5 million people and contribute about 20 percent of Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product.

For many participants, the programme offers practical solutions to everyday business challenges such as managing cash flow, keeping proper records, tracking inventory and separating business finances from personal expenditure.

One retailer who attended a previous GRIT training said the programme transformed how they manage their business.

“The training helped me understand how to separate business money from personal money, track my stock and plan better for my business. These are things we deal with every day, but many of us had never received formal training on how to manage them properly,” the retailer said.

Mncwabe said the initiative reflects NBL’s long-term commitment to retailer development rather than a one-off training exercise.

“We want our retailers to grow with us, to become more resilient, more digitally enabled and more financially secure,” he said.

“As we scale the programme in 2026, we are also strengthening partnerships that bring real value to retailers beyond training, including access to digital payment solutions and social security through NSSF SmartLife Flexi.”

He added that responsible retailing goes beyond sales and includes fostering a culture of saving, investing and reinvesting in businesses to improve long-term sustainability.

Through GRIT, NBL is positioning retailer empowerment as a central pillar of its sustainability agenda while demonstrating how private-sector partnerships can advance entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and business resilience across Uganda.