Beyond Payments: Expanding Digital Finance in Uganda for an Inclusive and Thriving Financial Future

To build a truly inclusive and thriving financial future, financial inclusion efforts must shift beyond payments to other financial services. The potential of digital finance lies in leveraging data from digital transactions to unlock deeper financial engagement. By addressing systemic barriers, we can open pathways for underserved populations to access credit, savings, insurance, and investment opportunities—enabling them to grow, innovate, and thrive.

This publication captures the key takeaways from a series of roundtable discussions organized by UNCDF and the Bank of Uganda between April 2023 and April 2024. These discussions focused on the expansion of digital financial services (DFS) beyond payments, exploring the potential for DFS to facilitate access to credit, savings, investment, and insurance. The sessions brought together stakeholders from across the financial ecosystem to identify challenges and chart a path forward for deeper financial inclusion.