Interswitch Uganda and Tropical Bank Limited have announced a strategic partnership that will extend formal banking services to over 3 million Ugandans who currently lack easy access to a traditional bank branch.
Under the agreement, all 21,000 Quickteller agent locations nationwide, spanning shops, pharmacies, and markets from Kampala taxi parks to rural trading centers, will now serve as Tropical Bank service points. Customers can deposit and withdraw cash, transfer funds, and pay bills at the same neighborhood outlets they already use for airtime and mobile money top-ups. Existing Tropical Bank customers require no additional registration to begin using the service, which is live immediately.
The partnership directly addresses one of Uganda’s most persistent development challenges. Bank of Uganda data shows that only 38% of adults hold a bank account, with rural communities consistently citing distance and cost as the primary barriers. By integrating with Interswitch’s Quickteller infrastructure, Tropical Bank effectively expands its physical footprint 300-fold without the capital expense of building new branches.
“We are pleased to partner with Tropical Bank Uganda in our shared commitment to making financial services more accessible to all Ugandans,” said Moris Seguya, Country General Manager of Interswitch Uganda. “At Interswitch, we believe that everyday transactions should be simple, convenient, and within reach for everyone. Through this partnership and the wide footprint of the Quickteller agent network, we are bringing banking services closer to communities and helping more people participate in the formal financial ecosystem.”
Tropical Bank framed the deal as a natural extension of its customer-centric mandate. “This partnership with Interswitch allows us to extend our reach beyond traditional banking halls and bring our services closer to our customers,” said Abdulaziz M.A. Mansur of Tropical Bank Limited. “We are pleased to collaborate with Interswitch to offer secure, reliable, and convenient banking services through the Quickteller agent network across Uganda.”
The timing aligns with the Bank of Uganda’s broader push toward a cash-lite economy. Analysts note that agent banking is one of the most effective mechanisms for onboarding smallholder farmers, SMEs, and gig workers segments that operate largely in cash but lack secure infrastructure for storing or moving money. Access to deposit accounts and digital payment rails at agent locations also helps small businesses reduce the risk of theft and build transaction histories that can eventually qualify them for credit.
Interswitch, which has operated in Uganda since 2002, built the Quickteller platform as a digital infrastructure layer for payments and collections across Africa. Its stated mission is to make payments “a seamless part of everyday life in Africa.” Tropical Bank, a licensed commercial bank serving individuals, SMEs, and corporates, continues to deepen its role in supporting tailored financial solutions for Ugandans across the income spectrum.
The collaboration is described as one of the largest single expansions of bank agent points in Uganda this year, and marks a significant milestone in the country’s ongoing effort to bring the unbanked into the formal financial system.
