Uganda celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week

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Global Entrepreneurship Week Uganda 2025 unfolded in Butabika on Thursday, November 20, bringing together innovators, creators and business leaders to celebrate the resilient spirit that drives Uganda’s enterprise community.

The annual gathering offered a space to inspire, reconnect, engage and forge new partnerships, reaffirming its place as one of the country’s key platforms for entrepreneurial growth.

Enterprise Uganda has hosted the forum for 17 consecutive years, nurturing business-minded citizens and strengthening the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

According to Enterprise Uganda Managing Director Mary Odongo, this year’s edition is backed by 100 partners, each running physical or virtual activities across public and private institutions.

“These partners advance entrepreneurship within their spheres of influence, ensuring that no Ugandan with ambition is left behind,” Odongo said.

The celebration is part of a global movement replicated in over 200 countries, all working to dismantle barriers, promote collaboration and move away from isolated operations.

Officiating at the event, Minister of State for Investment and Privatisation, Evelyn Anite, delivered encouraging news for small-scale enterprises. She revealed that there is available space for SMEs in the 20 industrial parks distributed across the country.

“There are opportunities and incentives that you can tap into,” Anite told participants, urging them to formalise their businesses and prepare for expansion.

The exhibition area bustled with products from emerging and established entrepreneurs, including cosmetics, processed maize flour, honey, ghee, mukene fish, leather footwear and other locally made goods. The three-day gathering also features business-to-business (B2B) sessions designed to help enterprises secure partnerships, financing and market linkages.

Among the success stories spotlighted was that of Joseph Namwanja, a coffee farmer whose fortunes changed after enrolling in Enterprise Uganda programmes.

“I used to pick coffee at any stage, but I have now learned to harvest only when the cherries are ripe and red,” he said. “I also received a tarpaulin to prevent soil and stones from mixing with the beans. With the new techniques, I have increased yields per tree, built a permanent house, and my dream now is to start a nursery school in my village.”

The forum also showcased ongoing youth empowerment initiatives aimed at guiding young people to invest wisely, develop sustainable enterprises and shape Uganda’s next generation of business leaders.

Global Entrepreneurship Week Uganda 2025 continues to position itself as a launchpad for opportunity-where ideas are nurtured, networks expanded, and Uganda’s entrepreneurial spirit strengthened.

The week will climax with the annual Pakasa Forum, in partnership with Vision Group.