Uganda-China Coffee Investment, Trade and Destination Tour

The State Minister of Finance for investments and privatization Hon.Evelyn Anite on behalf of  Hon. Matia Kasaija the Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development received the delegation from China led by Uganda’s Ambassador Oliver Wonekha  to discuss investment opportunities and strengthen the long-time  co-operation between Uganda  and China. 

The China delegation was led by chairman Diao Chunhe - the Chief Advisor of China Enterprise Responsibility Alliance in Africa, and this visit is expected to pave way for new partnerships, joint ventures, and long-term investments that could accelerate Uganda’s economic transformation.

Anite said the  delegation  has already undertaken sector-specific engagements, including site visits within the tourism industry, and is now advancing negotiations in manufacturing across multiple value chains—signaling growing investor confidence and a shift toward long-term capital deployment. 

She noted that Uganda offers a significant advantage with a population exceeding 45.9 million, stable and secure environment for investors, backed by vast tracts of arable land and a youthful, energetic population ready to drive productivity. She said the country also maintains a liberalized economic regime that allows 100% profit repatriation, a key consideration for foreign investors.

"Uganda’s macroeconomic fundamentals continue to reinforce its attractiveness as an investment destination. The economy is currently valued at approximately US$68.3 billion, with projected growth of 6.8% in the 2024/25 financial year. Inflation remains contained below 5%, supporting a stable operating environment," said the Minister, adding that sustained investment in infrastructure, improvements in logistics, and continued macroeconomic stability are further strengthening Uganda’s positioning as a competitive investment hub in East Africa. 

In agriculture, the Minister said the country remains Africa’s leading exporter of Robusta coffee, with export earnings of US$1.5 billion in 2024, reflecting 60% year-on-year increase. She said this performance presents significant opportunities for value addition, particularly in agro-processing and export-oriented manufacturing.

Under the Minerals and mining sector, she said Uganda is positioning itself as a strategic supplier of critical resources, including gold, phosphates, iron ore, cobalt and rare earth elements, adding that the operational gold refinery in Entebbe and ongoing mining activities in Busia are reinforcing the sector’s investment case.

She also noted that the oil and gas industry, supported by flagship projects such as Tilenga, Kingfisher and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline are edging closer to commercial production, opening new avenues for upstream and downstream investment.

Speaking during the engagements, the Minister underscored Uganda’s ambitious Tenfold Growth Strategy, which aims to expand the country’s GDP to $500 billion by 2040. She called on the Chinese delegation to align their investments with this vision, particularly by channeling resources into the manufacturing sector—a cornerstone of Uganda’s industrialization agenda.

Hon. Evelyn Anite urged the Chinese investors to formalize their presence by registering their businesses in Uganda to fully benefit from government incentives, including tax breaks and streamlined operational frameworks that are designed to ease doing business.

Oliver Wonekha, Uganda’s Ambassador to China, said the delegation is undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the country’s investment environment, including policy incentives and regulatory frameworks and closely evaluating tax incentives, regulatory support mechanisms as well as guarantees for profit repatriation factors that remain critical in investment decision-making.

Ambassador Wonekha highlighted the role of strengthening economic and commercial diplomacy saying that, it has started yielding results. She thanked the Chinese delegation for taking interest to invest in the agro-industrialization.

Chairman Diao Chunhe, the head of delegation appreciated Uganda for the warm reception and the information shared regarding the available investment opportunities.