Absa Bank Uganda has launched a campaign offering Shs66 million in total cash prizes to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to use Business Debit Cards for digital payments. The three-month initiative runs from October 15, 2026, to January 15, 2027, with one customer winning Shs22 million each month. Existing and prospective business customers can enter the monthly draws by opening an active Absa Business Account and signing up for a Business Debit Card, or by spending at least Shs500,000 per month using the card at point-of-sale terminals or online.
Moses Rutahigwa, Absa Bank Uganda's Personal, Private and Business Banking Director, said the bank wants to help SMEs adopt safer and more efficient payment methods. "Uganda's businesses are operating in an increasingly digital economy, and that shift also needs to extend to how businesses manage their everyday expenditure," he said. David Luyima, the bank's Head of Cards and Payments, added that Business Debit Cards help SMEs manage routine expenditure more conveniently while creating transaction records for easier tracking.
SMEs remain crucial to Uganda's economy, according to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, which reports the country has more than 1.8 million micro, small and medium enterprises in the informal sector. These businesses contribute 54.5 per cent of the country's gross domestic product and account for 92 per cent of employment. The Bank of Uganda reported that electronic-money transaction volumes grew by 17.3 per cent in the year to December 2025, with transaction values increasing by 28 per cent. At Absa, Business Debit Card transaction values have grown by 18 per cent over the past 12 months.