BRAC Uganda Bank

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.

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

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

• Microfinance services
• Retail banking
• Savings accounts
• Agricultural lending
• Mobile banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• 60 DecibelssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Social 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 InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010BRAC 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 UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006BRAC 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 UgandacoreOthers
• Deposit Protection Fund of UgandasupportingOthers
• Telecom Partners (Airtel and MTN)supportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/brac_bank
• Facebookfacebook.com/BRACUgandaBank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brac-uganda-bank-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BRAC Uganda Bank