Uganda

29% of Ugandans use the internet, with a population equivalency of 58% mobile connectivity.

The Bank of Uganda has a financial inclusion policy, as well as a National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022 with an aim to reduce the issue by 5% by 2022 (website visited in 2022) as well as an aim to build digital infrastructure. Uganda points to its low median age of 17.2 (as of 2022), having a strain on infrastructure as a reason for slow development. In particular, a person has to be 18 in order to open a bank account; therefore, the National Financial Inclusion Strategy suggested amending legislation to allow younger people, aged 15-17, to open saving accounts. Mobile money services now mean that 40% of citizens have active financial accounts, typically used for instant money payments. In 2016 a digital credit service, MoKash was launched, offering, amongst other services, microloans. In three months, it had over a million customers.  The Financial Institutions (Amendment) Act of 2016 included agency banking which has been shown to reduce unbanked levels.

Uganda ranked 100th out of 134 countries in Wiley’s Digital Skills Global Index 2021.