BRAC Uganda Bank
BRAC Uganda Bank Ltd is a Bank of Uganda-regulated Tier 2 Credit Institution serving bottom-of-pyramid women micro-entrepreneurs, SMEs, and smallholder farmers across 162 branches in 84 Ugandan districts through savings, microfinance, and agri loans via mobile and SMS banking.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersKampala, Uganda
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BRAC Uganda Bank does
BRAC Uganda Bank Ltd is a Tier 2 Credit Institution regulated by Bank of Uganda and a subsidiary of BRAC International Holdings B.V. The institution traces its origin to 2006 as a microfinance programme under BRAC Uganda's social development initiatives and was converted into a regulated bank in 2019. It operates what it describes as the largest network of banking services in Uganda, with 162 branches spread across 84 districts and a workforce of 1,001-5,000 employees headquartered in Kampala.
The bank's product portfolio comprises six savings products (Wise Save, Flex, Safe Save, Fixed Deposit, Corporate, and Junior accounts) and three loan categories: collateral-free Microfinance Group Loans extended exclusively to women entrepreneurs through women's groups, Small Enterprise Programme Loans for SMEs, and Agri Finance Loans for the agricultural sector. Digital delivery is provided through bMobile (mobile banking on Android and iOS) and SMS Banking, with USSD integrations to Airtel (*185#) and MTN (*165#) for 24/7 transfers. The bank holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification and operates under Basel-II Pillar 3 Market Discipline Disclosures, with deposits protected by the Deposit Protection Fund of Uganda up to UGX 10 million.
BRAC Uganda Bank's commercial model is built on interest income from its microfinance, SME, and agricultural loan book, supplemented by transaction-based fees such as the UGX 1,500 monthly ledger fee on Flex Accounts. Customer concentration is heavily skewed toward the bottom of the pyramid: 94% of clients are women, with 89% reporting increased earnings after engaging with the bank per a 2022 Lean Data impact survey conducted with 60 Decibels. The bank's go-to-market combines physical branch presence, community-based group lending circles, and digital self-service channels to serve rural and underserved populations, supported by its affiliation with the BRAC International network operating in 10 countries across Africa and Asia.
BRAC Uganda Bank firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BRAC Uganda Bank
- Legal name
- BRAC Uganda Bank Ltd
- Website
- https://bracugandabankltd.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- BRAC Uganda Bank Ltd is a Bank of Uganda-regulated Tier 2 Credit Institution serving bottom-of-pyramid women micro-entrepreneurs, SMEs, and smallholder farmers across 162 branches in 84 Ugandan districts through savings, microfinance, and agri loans via mobile and SMS banking.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BRAC Uganda Bank industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Microfinance Banking
- NAICS
- Commercial Banking (522110)
- SIC
- Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC)
Keywords
Where BRAC Uganda Bank is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kampala
- HQ country
- Uganda
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
BRAC Uganda Bank business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Interest Income from Loans: Interest income from microfinance group loans, small enterprise programme loans, and agri finance loans. The bank earns interest spreads on lending activities targeting women entrepreneurs and small businesses at the bottom of the pyramid.
- Fee-based Banking Services: Monthly ledger fees, account maintenance charges, and transaction fees from various banking services. BRAC Flex Account charges UGX 1,500 monthly ledger fee.
- Savings Account Interest: Attractive tiered interest rates offered on savings accounts including Fixed Deposit, Wise Save, Flex, and Safe Save accounts, generating interest expense but attracting deposits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | BRAC Flex Account - Savings account with unlimited transactions |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | BRAC Flex Account minimum requirements |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | BRAC Wise Save Account - Savings for specific purposes |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | BRAC Fixed Deposit Account - Investment savings with attractive rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
BRAC Uganda Bank product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BRAC Uganda Bank provides a suite of deposit products (Wise Save, Flex, Safe Save, Fixed Deposit, Corporate, and Junior accounts), collateral-free microfinance group loans, small enterprise programme loans, and agricultural finance loans to individual clients, micro-entrepreneurs, smallholder farmers, and corporate customers in Uganda. These are delivered through 162 branches across 84 districts, supported by USSD mobile banking via Airtel and MTN, SMS banking, and an online fixed deposit channel.
Product overview
BRAC Uganda Bank offers a comprehensive suite of financial products and services through a network of 162 branches in 84 districts. The bank operates with a multi-product portfolio architecture consisting of six savings products (BRAC Wise Save, BRAC Flex, BRAC Safe Save, BRAC Fixed Deposit, BRAC Corporate, and BRAC Junior accounts) designed for different customer segments from micro-savers to corporations. The lending portfolio includes Microfinance Group Loans targeting women entrepreneurs through group structures, Small Enterprise Programme Loans for SMEs, and Agri Finance Loans for agricultural sector. Digital banking services comprise BRAC Mobile Banking (available on Android and iOS) and SMS Banking for transaction alerts. The bank leverages mobile money integrations with Airtel and MTN via USSD codes to enable 24/7 fund transfers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BRAC Wise Save Account
Quantifiable outcome
- 89% of clients earned more after engaging with BRAC Uganda Bank
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use BRAC Uganda Bank
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BRAC Uganda Bank technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
BRAC Uganda Bank partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.
- 60 DecibelssupportingSocial impact measurement partner that conducted the fourth impact survey in 2022 using Lean Data methodology to measure client-level outcomes including quality of life, financial resilience, women's economic empowerment, self-employment, and household welfare.
- BRAC InternationalcoreBRAC International Holdings B.V. established in 2010 operates in 10 countries across Africa and Asia. BRAC Uganda Bank operates under the BRAC International umbrella. BRAC International provides strategic guidance, social performance management frameworks, and the Universal Standards for Social Performance Management that BUBL adheres to.
- BRAC UgandacoreBRAC Uganda is the parent NGO organization that initiated microfinance operations in Uganda in 2006 as part of its social development programmes. The microfinance operations later transformed into BRAC Uganda Bank Ltd in 2019. BRAC Uganda continues to operate other social development programs including youth empowerment, agriculture, and livelihood programs that complement the bank's services.
- Bank of Ugandacore
- Deposit Protection Fund of Ugandasupporting
- Telecom Partners (Airtel and MTN)supportingPartnership with Airtel and MTN mobile networks to enable USSD-based mobile banking services. Customers can dial *185# for Airtel and *165# for MTN to access banking services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BRAC Uganda Bank competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Equity Bank Uganda: Subsidiary of Equity Group Holdings, one of East Africa's largest microfinance- and SME-focused commercial banks. Directly competes with BRAC Uganda Bank in microloans, SME banking, mobile banking, and rural financial inclusion across Uganda.
- Centenary Bank Uganda: Uganda's largest indigenous commercial bank with a strong microfinance and SME lending focus and an extensive rural branch network. Closely comparable to BRAC Uganda Bank on target customer (underserved populations), branch-led distribution, and deposit/loan product mix.
- PostBank Uganda: State-affiliated development bank providing savings and credit services across Uganda with a wide rural footprint. Comparable to BRAC Uganda Bank on financial inclusion mandate, SME lending, and government-linked deposit mobilization.
- Opportunity Bank Uganda: Ugandan microfinance bank (formerly Opportunity Uganda) offering savings, microloans, and SME finance to underserved populations. Direct competitor with overlapping microfinance and small enterprise loan products.
- Pride Microfinance Limited: Leading Ugandan microfinance institution providing group-based microloans and savings to women and rural entrepreneurs. Highly comparable on target segment (women's group lending) and microfinance product methodology.
- FINCA Uganda: Subsidiary of FINCA International, offering microfinance and small enterprise loans to low-income Ugandans, including women entrepreneurs. Closely comparable on group-based microfinance lending methodology and bottom-of-the-pyramid customer base.
- ProCredit Bank Uganda: Part of the ProCredit group, a European-backed development bank focused on SME and small-business banking in emerging markets. Comparable to BRAC Uganda Bank on transparent pricing, SME focus, and development-oriented banking model.
- dfcu Bank: Ugandan commercial bank with a strong SME and agricultural lending portfolio. Overlaps with BRAC Uganda Bank on Small Enterprise Programme Loans and Agri Finance Loans targeting Ugandan SMEs and farmers.
Emerging players
- Baobab Microfinance (Uganda operations): Pan-African digital microfinance platform serving SMEs and micro-entrepreneurs across multiple African markets including Uganda. Comparable on microloan product suite, but operates with a leaner digital-first model versus BRAC's branch-heavy approach.
Broad incumbents
- Bank of Africa Uganda: Subsidiary of Bank of Africa Group, offering full-service commercial and SME banking in Uganda. Comparable as a competing universal bank with SME and retail offerings, though broader in scope than BRAC's microfinance specialization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BRAC Uganda Bank social profiles
Digital presenceBRAC Uganda Bank compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
BRAC Uganda Bank financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BRAC Uganda Bank leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
BRAC Uganda Bank funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BRAC Uganda Bank M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BRAC Uganda Bank
What does BRAC Uganda Bank do?
BRAC Uganda Bank provides a suite of deposit products (Wise Save, Flex, Safe Save, Fixed Deposit, Corporate, and Junior accounts), collateral-free microfinance group loans, small enterprise programme loans, and agricultural finance loans to individual clients, micro-entrepreneurs, smallholder farmers, and corporate customers in Uganda. These are delivered through 162 branches across 84 districts, supported by USSD mobile banking via Airtel and MTN, SMS banking, and an online fixed deposit channel.
Is BRAC Uganda Bank a public or private company?
BRAC Uganda Bank is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was BRAC Uganda Bank founded?
BRAC Uganda Bank was founded in 2006. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is BRAC Uganda Bank based?
BRAC Uganda Bank is headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, in the Africa region.
How does BRAC Uganda Bank make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Interest Income from Loans are the primary driver. The others are fee-based Banking Services and savings Account Interest.
Who are BRAC Uganda Bank's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Equity Bank Uganda, Centenary Bank Uganda, PostBank Uganda, Opportunity Bank Uganda, Pride Microfinance Limited, FINCA Uganda, ProCredit Bank Uganda and dfcu Bank. Baobab Microfinance (Uganda operations) is listed as an emerging player. Bank of Africa Uganda is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does BRAC Uganda Bank have an API?
No public API is recorded for BRAC Uganda Bank.
What industry is BRAC Uganda Bank in?
BRAC Uganda Bank's product category is Microfinance Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAGAA, Microloans & Working Capital Loans, with a secondary code of FSABABAC, SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs). Its NAICS code is 522110 and its SIC code is 6153.