In a rapidly evolving financial landscape, Stanbic Bank is strengthening its role as a trusted companion for individuals and families seeking to build and preserve generational wealth.
According to Bernice Kamahunde Mvano, the Stanbic head of wealth and investment, the bank is committed to supporting Ugandans at every stage of their financial journey.
“Every client is on a journey. We are all growing in age, in our families, businesses, and personal lives. Therefore, it’s important for people to know that growth is constant, and our role as a leading financial institution is to walk with our clients and their families, helping them grow and preserve generational wealth. That is what we do,” Mvano says.
Through its ongoing brand campaign, Keep Growing, the bank is sharing a clear message: true wealth creation requires more than financial resources; it also requires a reliable partner.
Starting with the client’s destination
Stanbic Bank’s Wealth and Investment philosophy begins with a simple but often overlooked step: understanding the client’s destination.
“We always start by asking what one wants to achieve, because many people never pause to articulate their goals. Once we understand their aspirations, whether it’s their children’s education, expanding a business, or planning how to pass on their wealth, we can then build a tailored plan, solutioning for all their ambitions,” she says.
This approach is especially relevant as Uganda’s middle class grows and more people seek guidance on managing, growing, and safeguarding their wealth.
The bank offers a broad suite of solutions, including government securities, Eurobonds, unit trusts through SBG Securities, offshore investments, and specialised credit options.
However, product selection depends on a deep understanding of the client’s needs, family dynamics, and long-term vision.
“Success for us is not about selling a product. It is when a client feels we understand their journey and are walking with them,” Mvano says.
Safeguarding generational wealth
A key focus of the bank’s client relationship teams is ensuring that wealth outlives its creators, a challenge many families face.
“In our markets, we have continued to witness that when a patriarch passes on without a will or estate plan, decades of hard work can collapse in a short while. But a simple conversation about the future can help prevent that,” Mvano says.
To encourage responsible succession, Stanbic Bank runs annual financial wellness sessions for clients’ children, teaching them stewardship and the fundamentals of wealth management.
“If you are serious about generational wealth, you must prepare the next generation. A single conversation can determine whether a company thrives for decades or disappears,” she says.
Referring to younger generations, whom she calls “the Next Wealth Custodians,” Mvano notes that with more than 75% of Uganda’s population under 35 years, Stanbic recognises the importance of engaging them early.
The bank offers youth-focused products, investment starter packs, and financial literacy programmes designed to match the energy and curiosity of young Ugandans.
Stanbic’s Five-Year Scorecard: How Profit Growth, Deposits, Lending and Dividends Reshaped PerformanceBeyond individual clients, Stanbic also supports business owners to ensure continuity across generations, noting that many Ugandan companies collapse due to a lack of succession planning.
“We help business owners to map out how their companies can operate for generations. This protects jobs, strengthens the economy, and keeps family legacies alive,” she says.
The power of diversification
Spreading investments across different asset classes is a strong shield against uncertainty.
“Once the client’s goals are clear, designing the right mix of investments becomes straightforward. The ‘how’ is never complicated once the ‘why’ is clear,” Mvano says.
She stresses that wealth management is not only for the already wealthy.
“Wealth means different things to different people. For some, it is peace of mind — being able to educate their children or enjoy stability. For others, it is building a strong investment portfolio. We support people on all these journeys,” she says.
Her message to Ugandans: start where you are.
“It begins with a conversation. Just as a doctor must examine you before prescribing medicine, we must understand where you are now and where you want to go. Whatever wealth means to you, we want to help you achieve it,” she says.
A legacy of growth
As Stanbic approaches 35 years of service, the bank is choosing not to look back but to look ahead, focusing on long-term financial empowerment for individuals, families, and businesses.
Keep Growing draws key messaging from an institutional history that extends far beyond the Stanbic brand. Stanbic traces its roots to 1906, when the National Bank of India began operations in East Africa before evolving into Grindlays Bank, one of Uganda’s early commercial and trade partners.
In 1991, Standard Bank Group entered Uganda through the acquisition of Grindlays’ regional assets, bringing with it a philosophy now firmly embedded in the national consciousness: Uganda is our home; we drive her growth.
A pivotal transformation came in 2002, when the government of Uganda privatised Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB).
Standard Bank acquired a majority stake, making Stanbic Uganda’s largest commercial bank.
From that point, the bank shifted from simply serving Uganda to actively enabling the country’s households, farmers, entrepreneurs, and industries.
From the banking outposts of 1906 to today’s ecosystem of digital platforms, capital markets, insurance, and enterprise development, Stanbic Bank’s history reflects Uganda’s own resilient, adaptive, and continuously evolving growth.
