Good values, not miracles, drive real success, says Aga Sekalala

KAMPALA - “Success is not a miracle, it is when good timing and good fortunes meet good values,” says Aga Sekalala Junior.

The Uganda Manufacturers Association chairperson, who also the CEO Ugachick Poultry Breeders, was speaking at the Pakasa Forum hosted by Vision Group and Enterprise Uganda.

He urged young entrepreneurs to stop waiting for perfect conditions and start building with what they already have. The economy, he said, is full of openings for those brave enough to act.

Sekalala reminded the audience that Uganda is poised for what he called a tenfold growth moment. (Credit: Maria Wamala)

“One of the things that drive success in a business is knowing that there are people who are better than you. Today, all of you who have come to this forum accept that and that you are willing to learn more,” he said.

Sekalala reminded the audience that Uganda is poised for what he called a tenfold growth moment. Preparedness, he said, is what separates those who seize an opening from those who watch it pass.

Audiences react to experts' presentations. (Credit: Maria Wamala)

Sekalala drew from his own journey in a family business, explaining that the most powerful tools he has ever used are not machines or capital but principles. Values, he said, are the quiet workhorses of any enterprise.

“Integrity is the first step. If someone sells sugar and a kilo is not a kilo, trust is gone before the business has even begun. Budgeting comes next, because anyone who does not track how their own money flows, from taxes to licensing, is already running blind. And then humility, the one that requires swallowing pride. It means accepting that someone else knows more than you and that learning never really stops,” he said.

Don Wanyama, the CEO at Vision Group, said the Pakasa platform seeks to show the available economic opportunities to Ugandans.