Our Sustainability
Message from our Managing Director
Patrick M. Ayota, Managing Director
"At the Fund, sustainability is not a parallel agenda, it is how we build Uganda’s future.
For 40 years, our members’ trust has powered our growth; today, that trust calls us to act responsibly, inclusively, and boldly so that prosperity is shared and generations are empowered."
Building shared value, together
Our Sustainability Report reflects our conviction that financial strength and social progress are inseparable. True sustainability is holistic, where environmental stewardship, social inclusion, and strong governance advance alongside financial performance.
Our purpose is clear: to make saving a way of life while creating long-term prosperity for our members, communities, and country. This is the essence of shared value.
We have continued to focus on integrating economic growth with environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Our investments in technology support resource efficiency, while our dedication to governance and ethical practices ensures transparency and trust in all stakeholder engagements.
Sustainability and ESG for the long term
Sustainability is not a slogan but the foundation of how we operate. We continue to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
These initiatives confirm that our sustainability commitments are not “tick-box” exercises, but essential to our strategy, resilience, and legacy.
Our approach is reflected in initiatives that are ongoing, planned, or already delivering scale:
Environmental stewardship through partnerships in land restoration, afforestation, and sustainable agribusiness
Social inclusion with the Borderless Education programme, in partnership with Vision Group and World Vision, which is set to deliver digital learning materials to 300 rural schools to bridge the education gap
Health access through the piloting of affordable healthcare products tailored for the informal sector, widening the scope of social protection
Entrepreneurship and jobs via the Hi-Innovator Programme, which since inception has supported 438 startups in agriculture, light manufacturing, health, the digital economy, and education. These enterprises have created 38,563 direct and 163,760 indirect jobs, demonstrating the catalytic role NSSF plays in empowering entrepreneurs
Financial inclusion with Smartlife, our voluntary savings product designed to meet the needs of informal workers. Already, members have saved UGX 17.2 billion, with deposits ranging from UGX 5,000 to regular contributions, evidence that inclusion scales when products are flexible and accessible
These initiatives confirm that our sustainability commitments are not “tick-box” exercises, but essential to our strategy, resilience, and legacy.
Sustainability integrated into strategy
Sustainability is deliberately embedded in our core strategy. From financial literacy and inclusion to job creation, climate-smart livelihoods, and impact partnerships, every initiative is designed.
We recognise that sustainability requires patience and persistence. That is why we are rethinking investment approaches to balance returns with long-term societal benefits. By prioritising initiatives that address local realities while contributing to global goals, we ensure that our growth is both responsible and enduring.
See Vision 2035: Strategy at a Glance for how ESG is integrated into our strategy.
The visual depiction of our strategy illustrates our approach to ESG and sustainability, which is premised on:
Creating value
Identifying commercial opportunities to address ESG challenges
Protecting value
Identifying and responding early to ESG-related risks
Enabling value
Leading broader change by using our influence through collaboration across the value chain
Furthermore, we have identified five sustainability drivers which are based on assigning value to the capital assets we depend on for our economy and society to flourish, as they are all interdependent. Our sustainability drivers are embedded in our strategy and are focused on ensuring sustainability for our business, our customers, communities, society, the economy and the environment.