Stanbic East Africa Business Summit brings together 400 investors

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The Stanbic East Africa Business Summit, which opened in Kampala yesterday, is looking at how cross-border collaboration can accelerate sustainable growth across one of Africa’s most dynamic regions.

The 3rd, a premier platform focused on unlocking East Africa’s full economic potential through trade, investment, and collaboration, the summit has brought together over 400 business leaders, policymakers, investors, and regional integration experts.

Held under the theme “Connected & Resilient: Scaling East Africa’s Regional Advantage,” the two-day summit, hosted by Stanbic Bank Uganda and the Standard Bank Group, will explore how deeper regional integration, infrastructure development, and financial innovation.

This year’s event marks the first hosted in Uganda, coinciding with the transition of regional leadership as Dr Joshua Oigara assumes the role of Regional Chief Executive for East Africa, replacing Patrick Mweheire.



Speaking at the opening of the summit on Tuesday, Oryem Okello, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs), urged the participants to engage in strategic conversations that will lead to the total removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers in the East African region.

Mumba Kalifungwa, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Uganda, said that Uganda, once considered landlocked, is fast transforming into a land-linked economy — investing in infrastructure, trade facilitation, and connectivity that allow goods, services, and opportunities to move seamlessly across borders.

"As the region integrates, Stanbic’s role is to ensure that when businesses bank with us in Uganda, they are banking across East Africa — with the support and reach to grow into new markets.”

Patrick Mweheire, the outgoing Regional Chief Executive for East Africa, Standard Bank Group, said that the summit comes at a defining moment for the region.

“East Africa is on the cusp of extraordinary growth. With a young population, vast natural resources, fertile soils, and deepening integration, this region has all the ingredients to become a global growth engine,” he said.

He, however, added that growth will not happen by accident. “It will require collaborative leadership, deliberate investment, and bold action to navigate challenges like youth unemployment, access to affordable credit, and climate change.”

Launched in 2023, the Stanbic East Africa Business Summit has grown threefold in scale and influence, with previous editions held in Kenya and Tanzania.

Over the next two days, delegates will exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and shape a shared vision for an integrated, resilient, and prosperous East Africa.