Stanbic Bank marks 35 years in Uganda with Forward-looking “Keep Growing” Campaign

November 19, 2025 in Business, Companies, Financial Services by Editor

As Stanbic Bank Uganda marks 35 years of service, the lender is launching an ambitious 18-month brand campaign titled Keep Growing—a forward-looking call for national progress that celebrates Uganda’s resilience, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial spirit. Grounded in a legacy that stretches back to 1906, the campaign spotlights Ugandans who are shaping the country’s next chapter and reinforces the bank’s commitment to inclusive, innovation-led growth.

 

As Stanbic Bank Uganda turns 35, the country’s largest lender is using the moment not for nostalgia but to chart a renewed call for national progress through a new brand platform themed “Keep Growing.”

Unveiled on Monday, the 18-month campaign positions growth not as a celebration of past milestones but as an ongoing national project—driven by resilience, innovation and an ambition to keep moving forward.

“Growth is never accidental; it is the consequence of courage, adaptation, and belief,” said Mumba Kalifungwa, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Uganda. “Ugandans embody this every day. Keep Growing is our commitment to stand with them—especially women, youth, and farmers—as we invest in a future shaped by inclusion and positive impact.”

Although Stanbic’s modern story in Uganda dates back to 1991, the institution’s roots stretch to 1906, when the National Bank of India established operations in East Africa. Through mergers and transitions—including its evolution into Grindlays Bank—the institution played an early role in shaping Uganda’s commercial networks.

Standard Bank Group entered the Ugandan market in 1991 after acquiring Grindlays’ regional assets, introducing a philosophy that has since become part of the country’s financial vocabulary: Uganda is our home; we drive her growth.

A defining milestone came in 2002 with the privatisation of Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB). Standard Bank secured a majority stake, transforming Stanbic almost overnight into the country’s leading commercial bank and anchoring its role in enabling households, entrepreneurs and industries across Uganda.

What “Keep Growing” Represents

For Stanbic’s leadership, the new campaign serves both as a tribute to Uganda’s resilience and a challenge to keep pushing for transformative progress.

Sam Mwogeza, Executive Director and Head of Personal and Private Banking, said the message reflects the determination visible across the country: “Ugandans have never stopped pushing forward—through cycles, shocks and reinvention. Keep Growing honours that spirit and reinforces our commitment to solutions that help families move closer to prosperity.”

From a corporate and investment banking lens, Executive Director Paul Muganwa linked the campaign to Uganda’s rapidly evolving economy: “As Uganda becomes more sophisticated and regionally integrated, our role is to enable capital flows—from trade corridors to agro-industrial value chains and infrastructure. Keep Growing signals that readiness.”

Business and Commercial Banking Head Tunde Thorpe underlined the central role of enterprise: “Uganda’s growth story is fundamentally an SME story. Our role is to fuel that momentum—with affordable credit, advisory and partnerships that help businesses scale sustainably.”

Across the enterprise development pipeline, Stanbic Business Incubator CEO Catherine Poran framed the message around capability building: “When entrepreneurs grow, communities grow. By equipping SMEs with investment-ready skills, we help unlock long-term value for Uganda’s economy.”

Acting Head of Brand & Marketing, Diana Kahunde, described the campaign as more than advertising: “Keep Growing is a movement. It makes our purpose visible in communities across the country and celebrates the innovation and resilience of Ugandans everywhere.”

Running across media, community initiatives, enterprise hubs and digital channels, the campaign will spotlight Ugandans redefining progress—on farms, in factories, in markets, in homes and online.

“We want to hear—and help tell—the growth stories of Ugandans building something, changing something, daring something,” said Ken Agutamba, Country Manager for Corporate Communications. “If you have grown at any point along our journey together, this campaign is yours.”

From the banking outposts of 1906 to today’s ecosystem of digital platforms, capital markets, insurance and enterprise development services, Stanbic’s evolution mirrors Uganda’s own—resilient, adaptive and unfinished.