Uganda’s youth stand to benefit from thousands of job opportunities at the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park. Spanning 620 acres near Mbale city, this key industrial hub fuels Uganda’s economic transformation.
State Minister for Investment and Privatization Evelyn Anite acknowledged Tian Tang Group’s pivotal role in driving Uganda’s industrial growth. Anite credited Chairman Paul Zhang’s strategic partnership, which brought Chinese investors to Uganda, for yielding substantial economic dividends.
The Tian Tang Group’s strategic partnerships have catalyzed Uganda’s industrial growth, drawing Chinese investment to the region. Notably, the industrial park has created over 5,000 job opportunities, predominantly for Ugandan youth, with a significant majority being women.
These female employees, comprising approximately 70% of the workforce, find employment opportunities mainly in the textile sector, contributing to Uganda’s economic development and empowerment of women.
“According to Anite, Tian Tang came in as a private entity to start as traders but later developed an interest in promoting industrialisation and identified fast-moving products.
“Later, they went to China, bought machines and approached the Government for an industrial park. The land that was given out by the Government accommodates more than 40 factories that produce quality and cheap products,” she said.
An official with Tian Tang Group says: “As a group, we offer free services to investors who agree to come to Uganda, including but not limited to business registration, certification, marketing, setup, importation clearance, tax compliance, and warehousing among others. We also maintain a professional working relationship with all government agencies in a bid to support Uganda attain its industrialization goals.”
Zhang Laurent, administration manager of the park, noted that the employees, mostly youth, were trained and equipped with the needed job skills by Chinese and local experts before starting work. “In this industrial park, 70% of youth employed are female and mostly work in the textile factory. Due to the challenge of the skills gap, the employees before starting to work officially, are trained and equipped with the needed job skills,” Laurent said.
The factories they have in the park, he said include those manufacturing and assembling smartphones, TVs, textiles, electronics and steel.
Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park, which sits on 620 acres, is one of the largest in the country.
Unisteel Investment Uganda Ltd, a $100 million steel manufacturing plant, is among the new factories expected to open in October, creating 500 jobs, mostly for locals. Xu Shicun, proprietor of the factory, attributed his investment decision to Tian Tang Group’s support.
“Tian Tang Group chairman, Zhang, attracted and supported me in all the business registration processes. He also negotiated with the government for a tax incentive,” Shicun said.
The factory which produces mostly steel products, is expected to employ 500 people with the majority being locals.
“We target to sell our products both locally and regionally. We tend to produce high-quality products and we have trained and equipped the local employees with skills to use modern technology during production. Our target is to produce and supply high-quality products,” he said.
CHINT Uganda Meter, established in 2022, has reported growing demand for its modern electricity meters. Johnniy Zhu, general manager of CHINT Uganda, expressed optimism about the market. “The market for modern electric meters increases every day, and we can supply to all customers with the help of the over 50 employees that we have here at the factory,” Zhu said.
Chinese investments in Uganda reached $131 million in 2023, creating thousands of local jobs through the Belt and Road Initiative. Industry State Minister David Bahati acknowledged China’s role as a key partner in Uganda’s industrialization.
“Chinese enterprises have helped to fast-track Uganda’s sustainable industrialization and address youth unemployment,” Bahati said.
Uganda Investment Authority spokesperson David Rupiny emphasized that the Government offers free land to investors in industrial parks, provided they meet certain requirements. “Once you are given an investor license, then you qualify for free land in an industrial park. It is one of the incentives that the Government of Uganda offers to attract high-quality and sustainable investments,” Rupiny said.
Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong praised Uganda’s progress in promoting industrialization. “The industrial parks have played a big role in providing employment opportunities and affordable prices of local products,” Lizhong said.
The Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park is one of the largest in the country, and its growth is a testament to the success of Uganda’s industrialization agenda. With more factories expected to open soon, the park is poised to create even more employment opportunities for Uganda’s youth.
