Service Cops and Cente Tech to accelerate digital financial inclusion

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In a move aimed at accelerating digital transformation and expanding access to impactful technology solutions in Uganda and across Africa, Service Cops and Centenary Technology Services (Cente Tech) have signed a strategic technology partnership.

The partnership is built on a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration, and technology-led progress, which is the two companies’ frontier.

Speaking during the announcement on Thursday in Kampala, the Executive Chairman of Service Cops, Joseph Ndiho Kizza, emphasised that the collaboration represents a new chapter in African-led technological innovation.

“Our partnership with Centenary Bank reflects a shared belief that African challenges are best solved through African-built digital solutions. By combining our technology capabilities with Centenary Bank’s deep financial inclusion expertise, we are laying a foundation for scalable, secure and transformative digital services across the continent,” he said.

The organisations have mutually agreed to collaborate in the co-development and commercialisation of digital solutions and services across key priority sectors.

The initial focus areas include education, health, insurance and financial services delivery, with the flexibility to jointly explore and expand into additional sectors and activities as opportunities arise in Uganda and across Africa.

Centenary Bank managing director Fabian Kasi described the partnership as a pivotal moment not only for the bank but for Uganda’s broader digital and financial ecosystem.

He further added that customer experience will also improve significantly across all channels, as the partnership will enhance onboarding processes, improve transaction processing speeds, boost system reliability and refine user interfaces on both mobile and web platforms.

“As a result, customers will enjoy more seamless, convenient, and accessible banking services that meet the needs of a digital-first generation while also supporting those transitioning from traditional banking,” Kasi said.

According to the 2024 FinScope Survey, Uganda’s financial inclusion has grown from 77% in 2018 to 81% in 2024, yet barriers such as rural infrastructure gaps, low digital literacy and gender disparities remain.

Centenary Bank has continued to play a leading role in bridging these gaps. Its extensive network of close to 9,000 agents surpasses the reach of traditional bank branches, while digital platforms such as CenteMobile enable millions of customers to transact anywhere, anytime.

This year alone, the bank’s financial literacy training has reached almost 17,000 individuals, 57% of whom were women. Additionally, over 500,000 people have benefitted from Centenary’s nationwide digital-safety and anti-fraud campaigns, reinforcing Centenary’s commitment to driving a safer, more inclusive and innovation-ready financial ecosystem for Uganda and the wider African region.

By leveraging Service Cops’ experience in large-scale public and enterprise systems, the bank will also be better positioned to serve rural and underserved communities, strengthen its extensive agent banking network and deepen integrations with national and sector-wide digital systems.

“By combining the bank’s deep customer insights and regulatory experience with Service Cops’ strong technical expertise, Centenary Bank will be able to introduce new digital services more quickly, upgrade existing platforms with greater efficiency and respond faster to customer needs. This will strengthen the bank’s competitiveness in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

The partnership, coordinated at the Group level through Centenary Technology Services (Cente-Tech), brings together Centenary Bank’s 40-year legacy of social-impact financial inclusion and Service Cops’ 16 years of expertise in enterprise technology, digital integrations, and large-scale systems deployment.