The Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) has officially announced the launch of the Uganda Connect International Buyers’ Week, set to take place from November 25–28, 2025, at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort under the theme “Meet. Connect. Trade.”
The four-day event will position Uganda as a competitive and reliable source of high-quality products and services for global markets. It will bring together vetted international buyers, investors, and trade representatives for business-to-business engagements, factory visits, product sampling, and trade facilitation sessions.
His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, will be the Chief Guest, officially opening the Buyers’ Week. His attendance highlights the government’s ongoing commitment to export-led industrialization and sustainable global market access for Ugandan products and services.
This year’s edition introduces a major innovation — the Uganda Connect Marketplace, a live platform where Uganda’s top export-ready brands will showcase their products through demonstrations, buyer sampling, and consumer engagement. The Marketplace will feature digital elements such as QR codes on products, allowing international buyers to instantly access supplier information, initiate contact, and schedule meetings.
Speaking at the launching event that took place at Sheraton Hotel, PACEID Chairman Odrek Rwabwogo underscored the strategic importance of directly connecting Uganda’s exporters to international buyers.
“Our goal is simple: to eliminate blind trade and build structured, reliable markets for Ugandan goods and services,” Rwabwogo said. “The Uganda Connect Buyers’ Week allows global buyers to experience our products, meet our exporters, and see our value chains in action. This is how we turn goodwill into tangible trade deals and lasting partnerships.”
Rwabwogo emphasized that the event supports Uganda’s wider agenda of establishing Trade Hubs and Representative Offices in key global markets — including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the United States, and Asia — to deepen export linkages and address non-tariff barriers.
He outlined three primary objectives for the event:
Position Ugandan exporters as professional and competitive players in global trade.
Demonstrate Uganda’s capacity to scale up supply and achieve the national goal of generating USD 1 billion in export contracts.
Address and reduce non-tariff barriers regionally and internationally.
Rwabwogo further revealed plans for a digital trade facilitation platform to streamline certification, documentation, and exporter support processes. “We want to ensure that paperwork delays and information gaps become a thing of the past,” he noted.
Uganda’s Export Growth and Global Presence
Ms. Brenda Katarikawe Opus, Director of Marketing and Communications at PACEID, highlighted Uganda’s export performance trajectory and the significance of the upcoming Buyers’ Week.
“Our export revenues grew from USD 4.8 billion in 2023 to USD 9.4 billion in 2025, and our target is to reach USD 12 billion. Events like this are critical in maintaining that momentum,” she said.
PACEID aims to bring together over 100 Ugandan suppliers and international buyers from nine active trade markets where Uganda has established Trade Representatives — including the DRC, Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, the UK, China, and the USA.
The event will feature over 50 value-added products, spanning agriculture, manufacturing, services, and technology sectors. Exporters will have opportunities to engage directly with buyers through structured Deal Rooms, categorized by market region, and participate in factory visits designed to demonstrate Uganda’s production capacity and reliability.
The Uganda Connect International Buyers’ Week is part of the broader Uganda Connect model, an initiative led by PACEID to; Promote Uganda’s exports and enhance market access. Attract foreign direct investment. Build long-term buyer confidence through traceability, transparency, and branding excellence.
PACEID’s long-term vision is to establish Uganda Connect Trade Hubs across emerging and established markets — including Morocco, Egypt, India, Turkey, UAE, Japan, and Greece — to ensure continuous visibility and accessibility of Ugandan products abroad.
“When international buyers choose our products, they’re not just buying goods,” Rwabwogo concluded. “They’re buying into Uganda — our people, our standards, and our story of transformation.”
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