Uganda’s fiscal policymakers and financial institutions must intensify efforts to anchor long-term inflation if the country is to sustain its appeal to both domestic and foreign capital, according to market experts at the inaugural SBG Securities Investor Day in Kampala.
The call underscores a broader institutional push to transition Ugandan wealth away from traditional, illiquid assets like real estate and direct entrepreneurship into structured financial market instruments.
Grace Ssemakula, the Chief Executive Officer of SBG Securities, emphasised that a stable macroeconomic environment characterised by robust monetary policy and price stability is a prerequisite for corporate expansion and job creation.
Ssemakula noted that while inflation risk remains an inherent challenge across African markets, Uganda has managed price pressures relatively well compared to its regional peers. In 2025, for instance, local fixed-income assets like government bonds yielded average returns of roughly 13%.
When measured against an average inflation rate of 4% during the same period, investors locked in a real wealth expansion of approximately 7%, illustrating the capacity of financial instruments to hedge against purchasing power erosion.
The elite investment forum was established to demystify the domestic capital markets, which many local retail and institutional investors traditionally perceive as overly complex or capital-intensive.
Ssemakula challenged the prevailing misconception that financial market participation is reserved for the wealthy, pointing out that entry-level thresholds for products like unit trusts are positioned as low as Shs 100,000.
This accessibility has already triggered a structural shift in domestic savings behaviour; data from the past year alone reveals an 82% surge in local investment activities, driven by a growing appetite for regulated wealth-generation avenues.
For decades, East Africa’s sub-regimes have seen a high volume of startup enterprises that struggle with long-term sustainability and generational wealth transfer.
SBG Securities is urging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and high-net-worth individuals to de-risk their portfolios by moving away from 100% exposure in single-operator businesses or stagnant property holdings.
Financial instrument diversification provides immediate liquidity during commercial emergencies, allowing capital to compound passively while boosting the broader economy.
As regional and global market dynamics become increasingly volatile, regular investor platforms will prove critical in bridging the financial literacy gap.
SBG Securities plans to hold successive forums focusing on emerging regional trends and global market linkages to integrate Ugandan savers into modern asset management frameworks.
The overarching message to the market remains clear: transition from informal or static traditional investments toward dynamic, regulated portfolios to secure sustainable, long-term economic growth.