Issued by: WMC Africa
On 27 June 2025, Stanbic Bank and the German development agency GIZ entered into a new regional partnership in Nairobi, Kenya, called the ‘Promoting Green Businesses and Jobs for the Green Transformation’ project. This project aims to support women’s economic development and advance environmental sustainability in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The collaboration will strengthen green innovation across East Africa by supporting women-led enterprises creating business solutions with a positive environmental impact.
Building on the efforts of the Women Entrepreneurs for Green Transformation in Africa (WE4D) programme, the partnership supports women-led green businesses committed to sustainable development. It will foster the growth of green and greening women-led micro and small enterprises in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda by providing business training and coaching, and by giving them access to finance. This will enable them to drive meaningful change in the green economy.
A key objective of the Stanbic/GIZ partnership is to increase training opportunities for women and businesses contributing to the region’s green transformation.
Another intended outcome is to open up more employment opportunities for women in green supply chains, for example in renewable energy, the circular economy, waste management, the blue economy, ecotourism and sustainable agriculture.
The two-year programme is being implemented through three Stanbic business incubators, one in each of the three countries, and will involve four cohorts. This will entail classroom training, workshops, business visits and coaching.
The announcement of the new programme coincided with the launch of Stanbic Kenya Holdings’ 2024 sustainability report, titled ‘Deepening Impact: Building a Sustainable Future”.
Lee Kinyanjui, the Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, officiated at the event, which showcased Stanbic’s impact over the past year. Those present included Stanbic Bank management and employees, partners driving impact, Kenyan government officials, and other private sector players.
Mr Kinyanjui thanked Stanbic Bank for its contribution to economic growth and environmental conservation through its support for the construction of the Nairobi Expressway.
He also emphasised the importance of supporting SMEs through financial inclusion as a means of uplifting Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Quoting from The Economist, he said that ‘Africa has too many businesses but too little business’, and emphasised the need for financial institutions and other stakeholders to play their part in shaping the future of business in Africa.
He then commended the work of Stanbic Foundation and its impact-driven partners, including GIZ, Microsoft, ATC and the United States African Development Fund.
In Uganda, the WE4D programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the European Union and the Government of Norway.
Through the WE4D programme, GIZ Uganda will collaborate with Stanbic Business Incubator Limited (SBIL) and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLD). SBIL is the Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited subsidiary responsible for enterprise development and capacity building.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Sheila Agaba, Business Manager at the Stanbic Business Incubator in Uganda, said: “The targeted districts in Uganda are Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono where the eligible participating women will benefit from the provision of business training, business coaching and access to finance.”
“The program intends to attract green female led businesses that have a financing need to scale their green businesses. The initiative will also support these women SMEs prepare for loan uptake at a subsidized rate providing tangible solutions to the hurdles faced to acquire credit in the past. Business owners will receive a personal touch by an expert in the form of coaching for a three month period in addition to group training done in line with green entrepreneurship,” Agaba added.
She said that the programme would unlock the potential of green businesses, particularly those led by women, to become key players in the sustainable economic transformation of East Africa. She called this an investment in both the future of green industries and the empowerment of women entrepreneurs.
In order to qualify for participation, SMEs must meet the following criteria:
- Female-owned and -led enterprises or businesses that employ a majority of women
- Must be legally registered and operational in Uganda for a minimum of two years, with evidence of historical performance at any stage of the value chain
- Have an annual turnover of at least UGX 70 million over the past two years
- Financial records must be available. Verified bank statement for the last 12 months
- Companies must operate in one of the following sectors of: Sustainable agriculture, Agro-processing, renewable energy, circular economy and waste management
- Must be seeking investment to drive business transformation and growth
- At least two full-time members of staff.
Call to action:
This two-year programme will be implemented in four cohorts, involving classroom training, workshops, business visits and coaching, local and regional market integration, business financing support, and graduation. Business owners who meet the criteria can apply to join the programme via the following link: https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/QWESws
