Digital Skills Programme Empowers Women Entrepreneurs in Pallisa

By Skika Reporter.

Hundreds of women and youth entrepreneurs in Pallisa District are benefiting from a digital business training programme aimed at improving financial literacy and strengthening small enterprises through technology.

More than 300 participants, most of them women, recently completed training in digital business management and financial skills under the ChapChap Shop initiative held at Kyoga Hotel in eastern Uganda.

The programme focused on helping entrepreneurs improve record keeping, financial management, market access and digital business operations to support the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The training was organised through the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) 10X programme in partnership with EzyAgric and attracted business owners from various sub-counties across Pallisa District.

The initiative introduced participants to the ChapChap Shop platform, a digital business management application developed by Ugandan financial technology company ChapChap Africa.

The platform allows traders to process payments, manage inventory and monitor sales using smartphones without the need for multiple SIM cards or expensive business infrastructure.

Speaking during the training, ChapChap sales manager and UNCDF10X trainer Mr Simon Peter Otebwa said the programme was introduced after studies showed high failure rates among women-owned businesses.

“We are here to digitize women in business, although the programme also includes men,” he said.

According to Mr Otebwa, many small businesses collapse because owners fail to maintain proper financial records and cannot clearly track profits, losses and daily expenses.

He explained that some entrepreneurs still rely on handwritten records, which often become disorganised and difficult to manage.

To address the challenge, the ChapChap Shop application was designed to help users digitally track transactions, sales, debts, revenues and expenses on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Mr Otebwa said the system also acts as a financial history tool that could improve entrepreneurs’ ability to access loans and other financial services.

“Many people in rural areas fail to get loans because they lack bank statements or proper records. With this platform, their transactions can serve as financial history,” he said.

The application also includes debt management features and automated reminders to help businesses follow up on unpaid balances and reduce financial losses.

Organisers said future updates will allow users to send and receive digital payments directly through the platform.

Federation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises coordinator Emmanuel Ekileng said the programme is expected to address long-standing barriers affecting entrepreneurs in rural communities.

“Our people have struggled with limited market access and lack of business knowledge. This initiative will help participants improve their businesses and access wider opportunities,” he said.

The ongoing three-month campaign, spearheaded by the Federation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and UNCDF, seeks to improve access to financing for MSMEs by promoting digital tools and alternative financing systems.

Organisers said the campaign is expected to directly benefit more than 60,000 women entrepreneurs, including young people and persons with disabilities aged between 18 and 35.