KAMPALA,UGANDA; Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) has unveiled a nationwide initiative aimed at equipping more than 1,500 retailers with critical business, financial and digital skills to help them build stronger and more sustainable enterprises.
The programme, dubbed GRIT (Growing Retailers Innovatively Together), seeks to enhance the capacity of bar owners, stockists and retail managers by providing practical training in financial management, stock control, sales and marketing, responsible retailing, digital adoption and long-term business planning.
The initiative was officially launched in Makindye Division, where the first cohort of more than 300 retailers underwent training.
Speaking at the launch, NBL Managing Director Nkanyiso Mncwabe said retailers play a vital role in both the company’s operations and Uganda’s broader economy, making their growth and sustainability a key priority.
“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.
He added: “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 previous editions of GRIT, through which more than 1,560 retailers were trained in 2024 and 2025.
This year, the initiative has been expanded to include a stronger financial inclusion component through a partnership with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Under the arrangement, participating retailers will be introduced to NSSF SmartLife Flexi, a voluntary savings product designed for workers in the informal and semi-formal sectors.
The programme will provide training on social security, long-term savings and financial planning, while also supporting retailers to enroll and begin contributing to the scheme.
NSSF Managing Director Patrick Ayota said the partnership will help extend social security coverage to a segment of Ugandans that has traditionally remained outside formal retirement savings arrangements.
“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 within just 13 months of its launch, NSSF SmartLife Flexi has attracted more than 81,000 members who have collectively saved over Shs126 billion.
The initiative will also continue promoting digital financial services through a partnership with MTN MoMo, enabling retailers to access mobile money solutions that support safer and more efficient transactions.
MTN MoMo Corporate Sales Manager John Isabirye said digital tools are increasingly becoming essential for the growth and sustainability of small businesses.
“Digital financial services are essential 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.”
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, small and medium-sized enterprises account for about 90 percent of Uganda’s business sector, employ more than 2.5 million people and contribute approximately 20 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
For many retailers, the training provides practical skills that can immediately be applied in their day-to-day operations, including managing cash flow, tracking inventory, improving customer service, separating business and personal finances, and planning for future expansion.
One retailer who participated in an earlier GRIT training programme said the initiative 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 programme is intended to be a long-term investment in retailer development rather than a one-off intervention.
“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 encouraging a culture of saving and investment is central to responsible retailing and long-term business sustainability.
Through GRIT, NBL says it is reinforcing its commitment to retailer empowerment while demonstrating how partnerships between the private sector and development stakeholders can advance entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and community resilience across Uganda.
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