Understand the common challenges limiting business growth.
Learn the workflows that power profitable SMEs.
On-demand lessons and live workshops on POS, inventory, credit control, payroll, and finance, built for African store floors and back offices.
One-month SME accelerator
A complete growth programme for entrepreneurs who want stronger systems, better records, and deeper banking relationships.
The Academy equips entrepreneurs with the practical knowledge, digital tools, and financial resources needed to build profitable, resilient, and scalable businesses.
Rather than simply promoting products, the programme positions Uzapoint and the banking partner as trusted long-term growth partners for SMEs.
What the Academy helps SMEs do
The programme combines business education, digital transformation, financial literacy, marketing, taxation, leadership and access to financial services into one integrated curriculum.
Improve business management and operational efficiency.
Digitize operations using Uzapoint.
Strengthen financial management and business discipline.
Improve tax compliance and record keeping.
Learn practical marketing strategies.
Build stronger teams and leadership capabilities.
Understand how to become finance-ready.
Access banking products designed for growing businesses.
Join a wider ecosystem of business support services.
Programme structure
A monthly cohort model that does not pull owners away from the business for too long
The document recommends weekly physical workshops plus a mid-week online support clinic so participants keep momentum between sessions.
Weekly physical workshops
Four Saturdays or another consistent weekday
- One session every week
- 3.5-4 hours per session
- 50-100 SMEs per cohort
- Designed to minimize disruption to business operations
Weekly online support clinic
Mid-week, 60-90 minutes
- Participant Q&A
- Live Uzapoint demonstrations
- Product support
- Bank product clinic
- Partner Q&A
Monthly programme calendar
Four weeks from business foundations to finance-ready growth
The curriculum keeps the original weekly flow from the Academy document, including partner-led marketing, tax, wealth, people, and banking sessions.
Week 1
Building Strong Business Foundations
01
Academy facilitators
Understanding the SME Journey
- Why SMEs succeed or fail
- The cost of manual operations
- Growth bottlenecks
- Business maturity stages
- Introduction to business systems
Participants identify the biggest constraints affecting their businesses and understand how systems and structured management address those challenges.
02
Delivered by Uzapoint
Introduction to Uzapoint
- The modern digitally enabled SME
- Why digitization matters
- Overview of the Uzapoint ecosystem
- Sales, inventory, accounting, purchasing, reporting, and AI-powered insights
- Customer success stories
Participants understand how digitization improves visibility, efficiency, and profitability.
Week 2
Running Efficient Businesses
03
Delivered by Uzapoint
Uzapoint Live Demonstration
- Sales, inventory, purchasing, expenses, and customer management
- Accounting, reports, dashboards, and AI recommendations
- Mobile applications
- Practical business scenarios
Participants interact with the platform and see how daily operations can move from manual work to connected workflows.
04
Delivered by Uzapoint and partners
Growing Through the Uzapoint Ecosystem
- Payment solutions and merchant acquiring
- Accounting services, payroll, insurance, and lending
- Tax integrations, business intelligence, AI assistants, and integrations
Participants understand how one connected ecosystem can simplify business management.
Week 3
Growing Profitable Businesses
05
Social Media with Moe
Marketing for SME Growth
- Building a recognizable brand
- Social media strategy and content planning
- WhatsApp Business, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
- Paid advertising, customer retention, and AI tools for marketing
Each SME develops a simple monthly marketing plan.
06
DigiTax
Tax Made Simple
- Tax obligations
- eTIMS, VAT, and PAYE
- Record keeping
- Common tax mistakes
- Compliance best practices
Participants understand how to remain compliant while avoiding unnecessary penalties.
07
Abojani
Building Wealth Beyond the Business
- Separating business and personal finances
- Saving consistently
- Investing for the future
- Retirement planning
- Financial resilience
Participants learn habits that protect both the business and the owner.
Week 4
Scaling with People and Finance
08
Komini
Building Teams That Scale Businesses
- Hiring the right people
- Delegation and leadership
- Building culture
- Performance management and staff motivation
- Creating systems that reduce founder dependency
Participants learn how people, roles, and systems make the business less dependent on the founder.
09
Banking partner
Becoming Finance Ready
- Financial statements
- Cash flow management and working capital
- Credit readiness
- Understanding lending decisions
- Preparing for investment
Participants understand what banks look for when evaluating SMEs.
10
Banking partner
Banking Solutions for SMEs
- Business accounts and digital banking
- Collections, merchant services, and business cards
- Asset finance, working capital finance, trade finance, and FX services
- Payroll solutions and cash management
Participants discover financial products tailored to different stages of business growth.
11
Delivered jointly by Uzapoint and the bank
Onboarding Clinic
- Uzapoint product setup, data migration, configuration, user training, and subscription activation
- Business account opening
- Merchant onboarding and digital banking activation
- Loan consultations and relationship manager introductions
Participants leave with a clearer implementation path across both technology and banking.
12
Uzapoint, banking partner, and ecosystem partners
Graduation and SME Networking
- Graduation ceremony and certificates
- Success stories
- SME networking
- Business exhibitions
- Partner showcases
- Future learning opportunities
Graduates join a wider ecosystem of business support services.
Weekly Schedule
Workshop and clinic rhythm
The schedule table is preserved from the curriculum document.
| Week | Day | Time | Module |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Saturday | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Modules 1 & 2 |
| Week 1 | Wednesday (Online) | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Q&A and Support Clinic |
| Week 2 | Saturday | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Modules 3 & 4 |
| Week 2 | Wednesday (Online) | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Demo & Technical Support |
| Week 3 | Saturday | 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM | Modules 5, 6 & 7 |
| Week 3 | Wednesday (Online) | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Expert Q&A |
| Week 4 | Saturday | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Modules 8-12 & Graduation |
Programme Deliverables
Each participant receives practical materials and post-training support
The deliverables are designed to help owners continue implementation after graduation: diagnostics, checklists, recordings, community access, and onboarding support.
- Training handbook
- Business diagnostic assessment
- Practical implementation checklists
- Digital learning resources
- Access to recorded sessions
- Certificate of completion
- Invitation to the Uzapoint SME Community
- Dedicated onboarding support from Uzapoint and the banking partner
Responsibilities
A joint programme with clear roles for Uzapoint and the banking partner
Uzapoint responsibilities
- Design and manage the Academy programme
- Develop and update the curriculum
- Facilitate core business and technology modules
- Coordinate ecosystem partners and guest facilitators
- Deliver Uzapoint demonstrations and onboarding
- Provide participant support and post-training engagement
- Measure programme impact and share reports with the banking partner
Banking partner responsibilities
1. Marketing and SME Recruitment
- Co-brand the Academy and all promotional materials
- Promote the programme through email, SMS, social media and branch networks
- Mobilize SMEs through relationship managers and customer databases
- Support media engagement and public relations
2. Programme Funding and Logistics
- Provide suitable training venues
- Cater refreshments and networking breaks
- Support event logistics, registration and attendee management
- Provide audiovisual equipment and venue branding
- Cover trainer facilitation fees and guest speaker honoraria where applicable
3. Subject Matter Expertise
- Deliver financial literacy and banking sessions
- Participate in expert panels and business clinics
- Offer one-on-one advisory services during onboarding clinics
4. SME Onboarding
- Open business accounts on-site
- Enroll participants onto merchant acquiring and digital banking services
- Conduct loan readiness assessments and financing consultations
- Assign relationship managers for ongoing support
5. Programme Impact Measurement
- SMEs trained
- Uzapoint subscriptions activated
- Business accounts opened
- Merchant solutions deployed
- Loans and financing approved
- Deposits mobilized
- Payment volumes processed
- Participant satisfaction
- Business growth outcomes
Expected outcomes
The Academy is built to report measurable monthly and annual impact
The KPI tables are preserved from the curriculum document.
Expected Monthly Outcomes (Per Cohort)
| KPI | Target |
|---|---|
| SMEs Trained | 100 |
| Uzapoint Implementations | 30-40 |
| New Business Accounts | 40-60 |
| Merchant Services Activated | 20-30 |
| Loan Readiness Assessments | 30+ |
| Financing Applications | 15-20 |
| Tax Compliance Consultations | 30+ |
| Participant Satisfaction | 90%+ |
Annual Programme Impact (12 Cohorts)
| KPI | Annual Target |
|---|---|
| SMEs Trained | 1,200 |
| Uzapoint Implementations | 360-480 |
| New Business Accounts | 480-720 |
| Merchant Services Activated | 240-360 |
| Financing Applications | 180-240 |
| Tax & Compliance Consultations | 360+ |
| Active Alumni Community | 1,200+ |
Programme Value Proposition
The Uzapoint Academy is more than a training programme. It is a recurring SME growth platform that integrates business education, digital transformation, and financial inclusion. By bringing together practical entrepreneurship training, technology adoption, and banking solutions, Uzapoint and its banking partners create a seamless journey that helps businesses become more organized, more bankable, and better positioned for sustainable growth.
Stronger SMEs advance sustainable development
Africa's progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals depends significantly on the strength of its small and medium-sized businesses.
By helping SMEs digitise operations, improve profitability, access financial services, create jobs, develop skills, and participate in the digital economy, Uzapoint contributes to a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Our strongest alignment is with SDGs 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 17. Across these goals, our technology, programmes, partnerships, and financial ecosystem help African entrepreneurs build enterprises that endure, grow, and create lasting impact.
SDG 1 · No PovertyEnding poverty through sustainable enterprise growth
We help entrepreneurs build stronger, more profitable, and more resilient businesses that protect livelihoods and create employment.
Long-term impactWhen an SME becomes more sustainable, the benefits extend to employees, suppliers, customers, and dependants, creating a wider economic ripple effect.
How Uzapoint contributes
- Improve profitability and business sustainability
- Support income generation for owners, employees, agents, and resellers
- Create pathways to self-employment and entrepreneurship
- Connect businesses to financing, insurance, and growth opportunities
- Strengthen enterprises that support families and communities
SDG 4 · Quality EducationEquipping entrepreneurs and young professionals with practical skills
Uzapoint combines technology with business education through the Academy, Graduate Trainee Program, reseller training, onboarding, workshops, and financial literacy partnerships.
Long-term impactThese programmes close the gap between formal education and practical workplace or entrepreneurial skills, improving employability and business success.
How Uzapoint contributes
- Train SME owners in business, finance, marketing, tax, technology, and leadership
- Provide practical digital skills for entrepreneurs
- Offer graduate trainees structured workplace experience and mentorship
- Equip resellers and agents with implementation and customer-support skills
- Deliver specialised training with ecosystem partners
SDG 5 · Gender EqualityExpanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs
We help women entrepreneurs formalise and grow through better access to technology, financial records, training, payments, and financing opportunities.
Long-term impactDigitally empowered women can grow their incomes, create jobs, strengthen household financial security, and contribute more fully to local economies.
How Uzapoint contributes
- Support women-owned and women-led SMEs
- Improve access to digital business tools
- Build reliable financial records that strengthen financing applications
- Provide training, mentorship, and ecosystem opportunities
- Create employment and reseller opportunities for women
SDG 8 · Decent Work and Economic GrowthPowering SME growth and employment creation
This goal is most directly connected to our mission. We equip SMEs with the infrastructure to operate efficiently, grow sustainably, and create jobs.
Long-term impactStronger SMEs create stable employment, increase local economic activity, strengthen supply chains, and contribute to inclusive growth.
How Uzapoint contributes
- Increase productivity and operational efficiency
- Support business formalisation and professional management
- Create direct and indirect employment
- Create income through reseller and agent programmes
- Prepare young people through the Graduate Trainee Program
- Expand access to working capital and financial services
SDG 9 · Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureBuilding digital infrastructure for African SMEs
Our platform integrates business management, payments, tax compliance, artificial intelligence, analytics, and financial services in one ecosystem.
Long-term impactAccessible, sophisticated technology narrows the digital divide between SMEs and larger enterprises.
How Uzapoint contributes
- Digitise core business operations
- Provide cloud-based infrastructure to SMEs
- Turn business data into actionable AI recommendations
- Integrate banks, payments, tax systems, and digital services
- Enable multi-branch and multi-country operations
- Generate alternative data that supports financial inclusion
SDG 10 · Reduced InequalitiesExpanding access to technology and financial opportunities
We make enterprise-grade tools and opportunities more accessible to informal traders, young entrepreneurs, and businesses outside major commercial centres.
Long-term impactUzapoint levels the playing field by widening access to tools, data, markets, and financial services.
How Uzapoint contributes
- Make enterprise technology accessible to SMEs
- Support underserved and emerging markets
- Offer flexible packages for different growth stages
- Help SMEs build credible business profiles
- Connect businesses to lenders, insurers, and payment providers
- Reduce the cost of digitisation through partnerships
SDG 12 · Responsible Consumption and ProductionHelping businesses reduce waste and use resources efficiently
Inventory, procurement, production, expiry, batch, and reporting capabilities show businesses how resources move through their operations.
Long-term impactBetter visibility helps SMEs reduce waste, control costs, and operate more responsibly while improving profitability.
How Uzapoint contributes
- Reduce overstocking and unnecessary purchasing
- Identify slow-moving and obsolete inventory
- Support batch and expiry-date management
- Reduce spoilage and product wastage
- Improve production planning and material use
- Reduce paper dependence through digital records
SDG 17 · Partnerships for the GoalsScaling impact through strategic collaboration
Our impact model connects banks, payment providers, technology companies, development organisations, educators, governments, and professional-service providers.
Long-term impactPartnerships let us deliver more comprehensive support than technology alone while expanding reach and measurable development outcomes.
How Uzapoint contributes
- Deliver SME workshops, financing, payments, and digital banking with banks
- Expand digital commerce with payment networks and fintechs
- Connect tax, insurance, HR, logistics, and accounting services
- Scale youth programmes with development partners
- Support the Graduate Trainee Program with GDI
- Build entrepreneurial capability with education partners
Official goal icons are used in accordance with the United Nations SDG communications guidelines. The content of this page has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations, its officials, or its Member States.