By Mulengera Reporters
Uganda’s growing manufacturing capacity and its potential to serve regional markets have come into sharp focus after more than 150 investors from 10 countries toured RZ Innovations Limited and its parent company, Royikems Industries Limited, as part of Equity Group’s 2026 Uganda Trade and Investment Roadshow.
The factory visit gave the investors a firsthand look at the scale of Uganda’s local manufacturing, while opening discussions around regional markets, investment, financing, technology, renewable energy and commercial partnerships.
The visit followed the launch of the trade and investment roadshow at the Marriott Hotel in Kampala on September 14, an initiative by Equity Group aimed at connecting businesses and investors across the African markets where the financial group operates.
Irene Irungu, Senior Manager of Trade Relations at Equity Group, said the roadshow was driven by growing demand from businesses looking beyond their domestic markets for new customers, suppliers and investment opportunities.
“The journey started because of overwhelming demand from our customers who wanted to explore different parts of Africa. It was about regional integration, directly matching our producers with buyers across our subsidiary markets so they could conduct direct trade rather than struggling to find new markets on their own,” Irungu said.
For the visiting investors, the tour offered a glimpse into how Ugandan manufacturers are increasingly moving beyond the domestic market to compete across East Africa and neighbouring countries.
RZ Innovations, whose roots stretch back to a motorcycle spare-parts trading business established in 2005, began manufacturing operations under Royikems Industries in 2013 before RZ Innovations was launched in 2021 to produce motorcycle brake shoes.
The company has since expanded its product range to include motorcycle inner tubes and tyres and now employs about 650 people.
Its current monthly production capacity stands at approximately 900,000 brake shoes, 600,000 inner tubes and 150,000 motorcycle tyres.
Its products are already finding markets across the region, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The wider group has also diversified into other areas of manufacturing, producing consumer packaging through Five Star Plastics and polyurethane mattresses under the Goose Foam brand.
Mark Ssempijja, General Manager of RZ Innovations, said the company was increasingly investing in local production and recycling as it seeks to improve efficiency, reduce waste and strengthen its manufacturing base.
The company collects scrap aluminium, melts it and reuses it in the manufacture of brake-shoe components. Recycled rubber is also incorporated into production, while plans are underway to establish a dedicated rubber recycling plant.
But the factory’s expansion ambitions are being tested by some of the same challenges confronting manufacturers across Uganda.
Unreliable electricity supply remains a major concern, with management telling the visiting investors that power interruptions can disrupt production and increase operating costs.
RZ Innovations is investing in an additional power connection while also exploring commercial solar solutions to improve energy reliability.
Other challenges highlighted during the engagement included foreign-exchange fluctuations, transport infrastructure constraints and rising costs of imported raw materials and logistics.
Dr. Ishaka Buya, a Kenyan investor and member of the trade mission, said renewable energy could provide manufacturers with an important tool for reducing the impact of power interruptions and high electricity costs.
“Integrating commercial solar is a game-changer for high-demand manufacturers like RZ Innovations to stabilise factory operations and reduce overhead costs,” Buya said.
He said combining solar power with the national grid and backup systems could enable manufacturers to maintain production even when grid supply is interrupted.
Beyond energy, the discussions underscored the need for stronger financing and commercial partnerships if Ugandan manufacturers are to expand production and compete more effectively in regional markets.
For RZ Innovations, regional distribution is already a key part of its growth strategy. The company has an established distribution network in Kenya and supplies products to several East African and neighbouring markets.
Management said it is looking for partnerships that can support further investment in manufacturing capacity, renewable energy and distribution.
That ambition fits directly into the broader objective of the Equity trade mission — linking businesses and investors across markets, while helping companies access capital, technology, suppliers and new customers.
For Uganda, the significance of the engagement goes beyond one factory.
The visit highlighted the opportunity for local manufacturers to move further up the value chain, replace some imported finished products with locally manufactured goods and use Uganda as a production base for the wider East African market.
As regional integration opens more opportunities for cross-border trade, manufacturers such as RZ Innovations are positioning themselves to supply markets beyond Uganda’s borders.
The company says its next phase of growth will depend on continued investment in production capacity, reliable energy, recycling and regional distribution.
And with Equity Group using its regional network to bring investors and manufacturers together, Uganda’s manufacturing sector is increasingly getting the opportunity to put its products — and its industrial potential — in front of a much larger African market.
