By Mulengera Reporters
The truth is sustainable business growth depends on empowering entire ecosystems, from suppliers to distributors and employees.
In Mbale on Tuesday, Equity Bank Uganda’s Executive Director for Commercial Banking, Mr. Claver Serumaga, struck a powerful chord with entrepreneurs in Eastern Uganda, reminding them that “a single hand can’t tie a bundle” when it comes to business growth.
Speaking at the regional rollout of the 2025 Tupange Business ne Equity forums, Serumaga welcomed participants from across Eastern region, thanking them for their time and commitment to charting new growth paths with the bank. He was accompanied by the Eastern regional team, and senior executives from Kampala.
Serumaga said his role at the bank is not only about offering financial products but also about walking side by side with customers to transform their businesses.
“Our commercial banking mission is to grow with our clients. Their success is our success, and that is why we focus on strengthening entire ecosystems rather than isolated businesses,” he explained.
Serumaga also described SMEs as the engine of economic growth both globally and locally, noting that they create the majority of jobs and sustain communities. However, he stressed that true sustainability will only come if SMEs are integrated into value chains where suppliers, distributors, employees, and consumers are all empowered.
Themed, “Financing Integrated Value Chains and SME Growth,” this year’s Tupange echoes his philosophy. By supporting the entire business ecosystem, the Bank hopes to help SMEs scale faster, access wider markets, and improve cash flow.
At the national launch last week, Serumaga highlighted innovations such as unsecured supplier financing of up to UGX 1.5 billion, bulk salary processing, and real-time payments as examples of tools designed to ease business growth, also pointing to the soon-to-be-launched “Pay with Equity” platform, which will allow even small enterprises to transact seamlessly.
But in Mbale, his message went beyond technology and financing, stretching to mindset. “An SME does not thrive in isolation. Like a chain, every link matters. If we strengthen suppliers, workers, distributors, and customers, then businesses will not just grow; they will endure,” he said.
The Mbale forum was part of a countrywide rollout that will cover Arua, Fort Portal, and Hoima in the coming weeks, reaching over 1,000 SMEs. Equity Bank says the programme is also tied to its Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan and aligns with Uganda’s 2025/26 development priorities in agriculture, industrialisation, and digital transformation.
For many in attendance, Serumaga’s remarks offered reassurance that the bank is more than a financier, but a long-term partner, with his emphasis on ecosystems reflecting the realities many SMEs face, that their fortunes are tied not only to their own effort but also to the strength of those they do business with. As he put it: “When we empower the entire ecosystem, we create sustainable growth for everyone.”
