The African retail landscape has experienced significant restructuring over the last decade. Historically, South Africa’s retailers, spurred by slowing domestic growth, spearheaded expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the market dynamics in 2025 and 2026 have shifted. While pioneers like Shoprite originally led the charge, recent years have seen strategic realignments, with many South African giants consolidating their focus on the SADC region. Conversely, international mega-retailers—most notably French retailer Carrefour (operated regionally by Majid Al Futtaim)—have aggressively captured market share across East and North Africa.

Uganda is making rapid strides to emerge as the premier regional business and logistics hub for the East African Community (EAC). In a concentrated effort to promote regional and international trade, the government has launched several aggressive initiatives to modernize its telecommunications and transport infrastructure. At the forefront of this economic strategy is the massive, multi-phase upgrade and expansion of Entebbe International Airport, designed to transform the facility into a world-class gateway for global passenger and cargo aircraft.

Uganda is making rapid strides to emerge as one of the leading commercial and logistics centers in East Africa. Realising the importance of Uganda as one of the most progressive and dynamic economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, foreign direct investment and international trade partnerships are surging. This was highly evident at the recent Uganda International Trade Fair held in Kampala, where hundreds of participants from over 35 countries—including a massive contingent from the Middle East—gathered to promote their products in this lucrative frontier market.

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