Nile Breweries primes retailers for brave new world

November 23, 2023 in Companies by Editor

Uganda’s preeminent brewer, Nile Breweries Limited, has introduced a program that will see it bring 14,000 of its retailers up to speed with modern retailing techniques including entrepreneurship, financial management and leveraging digital tools to stimulate business growth. The first cohort of 100 retailers completed the training that has been code-named GRIT – Growing Retailers Innovatively Together.

The brewer says upskilling the retailers is intended to help them grow their businesses by focusing on three key pillars – growth, education and inclusion. Trainees are taken through financial and stock management skills, marketing and sales skills, and responsible retailing.

NBL’s managing director Adu Rando, says the 3-day training program is intended to bridge the knowledge gap among retailers, a majority of whom learn on the job through improvisation.

“Most of the retailers have not had formal training on business management, they learn on the go, and this is the gap we are closing, we are empowering them with proper business, accounting, record keeping, cash flow skills for them to run their businesses effectively, said Adu.

“The retailers will have access to an ongoing coaching and mentoring programme to support their continuous development,” Adu said adding, “We believe that strengthening our retailers, in turn, strengthens the communities that they serve and ultimately works to grow businesses.”

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Small and Medium Enterprises remain Uganda’s engine of growth. The sector accounts for 90pcof the business sector in Uganda and employs over 2.5 million people, contributing approximately 20pc of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“I have learnt how to manage my money in a smart way – separate business from personal money- in order for my business to survive. I have also learnt how to manage my business, how to keep business records and operational costs for my business and how to do daily stocks” revealed Nathan Wanzala one of the beneficiaries of the training.

The training was held in partnership with MTN MoMo, who are providing the digital financing and payment tools that the retailers will use to facilitate cashless payments. John Ronald Isabirye the Corporate Sales Manager at MTN MoMo noted that the training will help the retailers to transform their business by reducing risk, increasing visibility and impacting lives and livelihoods.