Across Uganda, micro-entrepreneurs—many of them women, youth and refugees—are quietly driving the country’s agrifood economy. Yet for years, most of these informal and family-run enterprises have remained invisible to the formal financial system, lacking the records and data needed to prove their performance to lenders.

That is now beginning to change, as simple digital tools and targeted support help small agribusinesses build financial footprints, unlock credit and transition from survival activities into sustainable enterprises.

Making the Invisible Visible

Uganda’s micro-entrepreneurs form the backbone of local food supply chains, but without reliable records of sales, expenses and customers, banks and fintechs have struggled to assess their creditworthiness. This challenge is particularly acute for small agribusinesses, which often operate on thin margins and are highly exposed to climate and market shocks.

A growing number of entrepreneurs are now adopting basic digital solutions—such as mobile payments and simple record-keeping apps—to document their operations. Each transaction leaves a digital trace, gradually creating the data lenders need to understand business performance, cash flow and repayment capacity.

Building Digital Footprints Through Partnership

A multi-stakeholder initiative led by the United Nations Capital Development Fund and the World Food Programme is helping unlock this transformation. Operating in 15 districts, including refugee-hosting communities and Uganda’s Karamoja subregion, the partnership focuses on agribusinesses run by women, youth and refugees.

Through the Agriculture Market Support (AMS) programme—supported by the Mastercard Foundation—entrepreneurs receive business development services, access to digital tools, seed grants and working capital loans. Local partners, including Safe Plan Uganda, the Innovation Village, Quest Digital Finance and Asigma, are helping micro-entrepreneurs digitise operations and become visible to financial service providers.

From Records to Credit

As businesses shift to digital payment channels and mobile money, transaction histories begin to tell a powerful story. Alternative credit-scoring models can analyse this data to estimate repayment capacity—something traditional lenders have long struggled to do at the micro-enterprise level.

This data-driven approach is laying the foundation for formal lending, enabling entrepreneurs not only to withstand future shocks but also to invest, expand and create jobs within their communities.

From Survival to Enterprise

In the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, the impact is already visible. Jane Sadia, a former teacher forced to flee South Sudan, now runs a small agribusiness and helps lead a youth group producing vegetables and livestock for local markets.

After completing WFP-led skills training, Sadia’s group learned how to improve production, storage and marketing—turning farming into a structured business. UNCDF then supported the group to formalise operations, strengthen record-keeping and become investment-ready.

Between July and August 2025 alone, more than 5,000 entrepreneurs participated in intensive bootcamps covering loan readiness, business modelling, market analysis, cash-flow management and digital payments. Many developed their first bankable business plans across agrifood, transport and green enterprises.

“We used to write things in exercise books and sometimes forget,” Sadia explains. “Now, with simple digital tools, I feel more confident speaking to financial institutions.”

Data Lenders Can Trust

To further bridge the financing gap, fintech partner Quest Digital Finance is customising its QBcore platform with support from UNCDF. The system allows agribusinesses to register, keep digital records, receive payments and eventually apply for loans using basic mobile phones.

Pilot testing in Kiryandongo showed strong uptake, though limited smartphone access remains a challenge. Group-based business models and shared devices are helping overcome this barrier, ensuring data can still be generated and trusted by lenders.

Driving System-Wide Change

Beyond individual enterprises, the initiative aims to reshape Uganda’s broader agrifinance ecosystem. Insights from the field are informing policy discussions on digital inclusion, gender-responsive finance and alternative data for credit scoring. At the same time, fintech pilots are designed to outlive the project cycle and become embedded in local markets.

With a target of supporting up to 20,000 agribusiness entrepreneurs by November 2026, the programme is demonstrating how digital finance—when combined with skills training and local partnerships—can empower women, youth and refugees to build resilient agribusinesses and more secure futures.

For AgriFocus Africa, Uganda’s experience offers a compelling blueprint for how data, technology and inclusive finance can transform small-scale agriculture across the continent.