The Stanbic Business Incubator recently had the pleasant opportunity to engage in a powerful conversation hosted by CGAP, which works with stakeholders in the development sector to advance financial inclusion for the poor. The Incubator Business Manager, Sheila Agaba, joined a panel of thought leaders to explore the gaps and promising interventions in supporting women-led businesses in Uganda and across Africa.
At the Stanbic Business Incubator, they believe financial inclusion goes beyond access to credit. It’s about equipping women entrepreneurs with the tools, networks, and knowledge to build resilient, thriving businesses.
The Incubator’s contribution, includes:
🔹 Access to Financing: Through Stanbic Bank’s ‘Stanbic for Her’ offering, the Incubator connects women to tailored financial solutions—such as unsecured credit and sector-specific, longer-term loans—designed to break traditional lending barriers.
🔹 Capacity Building & Business Advisory: Additionally, they support women with more than just money. Their programmes provide hands-on mentorship, targeted workshops, and mindset coaching—all aimed at building confidence and capacity to engage with formal financing systems.
🔹 On-Site Business Support: They deliver customized business advisory services right at the entrepreneurs’ premises, helping to address structural barriers such as limited financial literacy, lack of collateral, and unfamiliarity with formal business processes.
The session, moderated by Alexander Sotiriou from CGAP, challenged all to rethink how financial products are designed, how risk is measured, and how solutions like community-based lending and digital credit can be reimagined to work for women—especially those at the base of the pyramid.
What’s enduring commitment?
This engagement aligns strongly with their purpose of driving Uganda’s growth, with a particular focus on creating opportunities for women, youth, and farmers. They are building platforms—not silos—for women entrepreneurs.
By co-designing interventions, co-investing in ecosystems, and co-owning outcomes with their partners, the incubator is making sure impact happens not just in boardrooms, but in real businesses, real lives, and real communities.
At Stanbic Business Incubator, they walk the journey with women entrepreneurs—intentionally and consistently.