dfcu Bank, MTN Expand Women Enterprise Programme to Unlock Growth Opportunities

dfcu Bank and MTN Uganda have launched the second phase of the Advancing Women Entrepreneurs (AWE 2.0) programme to accelerate women-owned businesses into scalable, corporate-ready enterprises across Uganda.

The enhanced programme builds on the success of the inaugural AWE cohort launched in March 2024 and reflects a shared commitment by dfcu Bank, MTN Uganda, and ecosystem partners to strengthen women entrepreneurship through access to finance, markets, business training, digital adoption, mentorship, and procurement opportunities.

AWE 2.0 seeks to bridge one of the most persistent challenges facing women entrepreneurs in Uganda: the transition from informal business operations into structured, investment-ready enterprises capable of participating competitively in formal supply chains and high-value corporate procurement ecosystems.

Speaking at the launch, Margaret Karume, the Executive Director & Chief Credit Officer at dfcu Bank reaffirmed the bank’s longstanding commitment to advancing women entrepreneurship as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth.

She said, “At dfcu Bank, we strongly believe that when women grow their businesses, economies grow. More importantly, societies become more resilient, households become more stable, and opportunities multiply for future generations’’.

The launch marks a significant milestone in dfcu Bank’s broader Women in Business agenda, which has consistently focused on equipping women entrepreneurs with not only financing, but also the practical business capabilities required for sustainable growth.

Drawing from more than three decades of banking experience across East Africa, Margaret Karume highlighted the resilience and determination of women entrepreneurs operating across sectors such as agribusiness, logistics, manufacturing, technology, retail, and professional services.

“What many women entrepreneurs often lack is not ambition, but access to markets, structured business knowledge, networks, financing, and confidence-building ecosystems that enable businesses to scale sustainably,” She added.

The first phase of AWE demonstrated the transformative potential of collaboration.

Participants benefited from structured training and mentorship delivered by partners including MTN Uganda, American Tower Corporation (ATC), UN Women, Innovation Village, Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), dfcu Bank, and dfcu Foundation under dfcu’s Women in Business Programme.

To further strengthen enterprise growth and procurement readiness, dfcu Bank committed UGX 30 billion in financing the programme’s three-year implementation period. To date, the Bank has already disbursed UGX 2 billion in contract financing to 19 women-led enterprises, enabling them to execute business opportunities secured not only within MTN Uganda’s supply chain, but also across partner organisations participating in the initiative.

The programme has already recorded significant impact, including:

• 19 contract financing loans disbursed worth UGX 2 billion

• Over 118 female entrepreneurs trained

• UGX 5 billion in deposits mobilized

• 76 enterprises enrolled into the Accelerator Programme

• Letters of credit facilitated worth over USD 500,000 for participating businesses

According to Margaret Karume, these milestones validate the importance of AWE 2.0 and the growing need to intentionally support women-owned businesses through integrated enterprise development models.

She further emphasized that many entrepreneurs begin with passion and determination, but sustainable growth increasingly requires operational structure, financial discipline, governance systems, digital tools, compliance readiness, and procurement capabilities.

Operating under the theme “She Means Business,” AWE 2.0 introduces a more structured incubator and accelerator approach focused on financial management, ESG integration, digital transformation, investor readiness, customer management, mentorship, market visibility, and business networking.

The programme also aligns with MTN Uganda’s broader commitment to digital and financial inclusion while strengthening local supplier participation within Uganda’s evolving economy.

According to MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Mulinge, the initiative is already demonstrating measurable progress in supplier inclusion and enterprise growth.

‘’Since inception, the programme has contributed to significant supplier inclusion growth within MTN Uganda’s ecosystem, with women owned business participation increasing from 0.3% to 15%. Additionally, more than 15 women owned enterprises have collectively secured contracts worth over UGX 62 billion through the initiative’’, She added.

Over the course of 2026, AWE 2.0 will roll out accelerator trainings, mentorship engagements, investor pitch sessions, supplier development activities, and demo days aimed at positioning women-led enterprises for long term competitiveness and sustainability.

Through AWE 2.0, dfcu Bank, MTN Uganda, and ecosystem partners continue to position women entrepreneurship not simply as a social inclusion agenda, but as a strategic driver of economic resilience, innovation, and sustainable national development.