Vision Group, Enterprise Uganda sign Pakasa partnership

KAMPALA - Vision Group and Enterprise Uganda have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly organise this year’s Pakasa Forum/Conference, 2025, an event which will bring together hundreds of local entrepreneurs.

Don Wanyama, the Vision Group CEO, signed on behalf of his organization, while Charles Ocici, the Director General of Enterprise Uganda signed on its behalf. 

The event happened today (Tuesday) in the meeting at the Vision Group head offices in Kampala.

Vision Group chief executive officer, Don Wanyama (L) and the Enterprise Uganda director general, Charles Ocici sign memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship training and provide micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with better access to information and opportunities for growth. This was at Vision Group headquarters in Kampala on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. (Credit: Miriam Najjingo)

As a result of the partnership, the Pakasa Forum, which is organised annually and is meant to empower Uganda’s business community, especially the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), through sharing with them valuable information, opportunities, will be held at the newly constructed multibillion Enterprise Uganda headquarters at Butabika opposite Butabika Hospital.

The 2025 Pakasa Forum will take place on November 22, 20225 as the climax of the celebrations for the Global Entrepreneurship Week which usually take place in the third week of November of every year.

The theme for the 2025 Pakasa Forum is: "Opportunities and Ideas for Growing Businesses."

Wanyama said that Vision Group Pakasa product, which is featured both in New Vision and on Bukedde TV, is mainly premised on promoting entrepreneurship and growth of businesses.

Wanyama and Ocici, after signing a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship training and providing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with better access to information and opportunities for growth.

“This is done through sharing inspirational business success stories, best practices, opportunities, and ideas which guide Ugandans in starting and growing businesses,” he said during the signing of the MOU, which took place today (Tuesday) at the Vision Group offices.

He further noted that Uganda’s Global Entrepreneurship Week theme of Together We Build: Fuelling Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, which Enterprise Uganda has come up with, is very timely since as a country, Uganda has just embarked on implementing that ambitious development strategy of driving its economy from the current $61b to more than $500b in the next 15 years. 

“Harvard University has predicted that Uganda will in the next five years experience unprecedented economic boom and that by 2030 Uganda’s economy will be the fastest growing economy after reaping from investments which will be made out of proceeds from oil production,” he said, adding that even before oil production, Uganda’s economy is among the seven fastest growing economies in the world.

Wanyama explained that their focus will be on equipping Uganda’s business community with valuable information, opportunities, and ideas which can enable businesses to grow or start new businesses.(Credit: Miriam Najjingo)

“All these reports, which are mainly based on the fact that Uganda is exceptionally naturally endowed with enormous potential in agriculture, fisheries, oil, and minerals, imply there are increasingly enormous economic opportunities which Uganda’s MSME’s need to be empowered to utilise,” he said.

Wanyama further noted that Vision Group, together with Enterprise Uganda have planned to have a Pakasa Forum/Conference of free entry.

“Our focus will be on equipping Uganda’s business community with valuable information, opportunities, and ideas which can enable their businesses to grow or start new businesses,” Wanyama explained.

The 2025 Pakasa Forum will involve sharing of vital information on Government’s key priority sectors and interventions in the tenfold growth strategy.

“It will also feature what successful entrepreneurs share in common, most rewarding business opportunities in Uganda’s economy, importance of formalising businesses, financing opportunities for SMEs, tax incentives SMEs need to utilise, and inspiring stories from successful entrepreneurs,” Wanyama explained.

Charles Ocici, the Director General of Enterprise Uganda remarks. (Credit: Miriam Najjingo)

Empowering youth

Barbara Kaija, Vision Group’s Editor-in-Chief, said that Uganda’s young population needs to be armed with information and skills to enable them to earn a living.

“The only way we can get this young population to earn a living is through entrepreneurship. Many of our youth are redundant and lack jobs,” said Kaija.

She said that the Vision Group team got the idea of establishing the Pakasa Forum as a tool through which they could get Ugandans to work, after realizing the ruthless nature of the youth and joblessness situation.

“Ugandans are hardworking people, who need direction, skills and role models to inspire them. Pakasa is the forum that tells the stories of these outstanding people,” she said.

Entrepreneurship week

Mary Odongo, the head of the Global Entrepreneurship Network in Uganda, said they are glad to join hands with Vision Group in celebration of entrepreneurship in Uganda.

“This will be a celebration of innovation, empowerment of local businesses and connecting entrepreneurs. The Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025 will highlight not only local success stories but sound the drum that every Ugandan can be an entrepreneur,” she said.

Mary Odongo, the head of the Global Entrepreneurship Network in Uganda, said they are glad to join hands with Vision Group in celebration of entrepreneurship in Uganda. (Credit: Miriam Najjingo)

Charles Ocici, the Director General, Enterprise Uganda, said that entrepreneurship should be at the centre of efforts for the economic transformation of Uganda.

“I am extremely happy to be signing an instrument that should illustrate the mutuality of our aspirations as entities whose focus is on providing customised communication and business solutions, as well as enterprise development,” he stated.

He said that the two centres of excellence are coming together to say, let's communicate what we've been doing and let the country wake up and tap into opportunities that have arisen.

He noted that the Pakasa Forum has a beautiful way of putting success stories across to inspire others to learn best practices and success ideas.

“The Pakasa platform is such a premium platform in this nation because it's where you communicate concrete stories of Uganda’s entrepreneurial journey. These stories come from experienced journalists who dig deep into issues and ask questions that matter,” he said.