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Uganda

SACCO software for Uganda

SaccoMonitor is built with Ugandan SACCOs in mind — shillings, local phone numbers, mobile money, SMS to members, and accounts that are ready for the annual general meeting and the auditors.

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How SACCOs in Uganda are organised

Most SACCOs in Uganda are registered as cooperative societies under the Cooperative Societies Act with the Registrar of Cooperatives. SACCOs that take members’ savings are also Tier 4 institutions under the Tier 4 Microfinance Institutions and Money Lenders Act, 2016, supervised by the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA). Alongside long-established community and staff SACCOs, government programmes have created many new ones — Emyooga SACCOs organised by enterprise group, and SACCOs formed under the Parish Development Model.

Requirements change over time. This page is general information, not legal advice; confirm licensing and reporting duties with UMRA and the Registrar of Cooperatives.

What Ugandan SACCOs need from a system

NeedHow SaccoMonitor handles it
Uganda shillingsAmounts in UGX throughout, with column headings marked “(UGX)” in reports.
Local phone numbers0772 123 456 and +256 772 123 456 are recognised as the same member; members sign in with their phone number.
Mobile moneyDeposits and repayments by mobile money record the transaction reference and post to a mobile money float account.
SMS to membersAutomatic receipts and loan reminders through Africa’s Talking, paid from the SACCO’s prepaid SMS credit.
Group-based SACCOsMember groups for Emyooga enterprise groups, PDM enterprise groups or solidarity groups.
Branches in several townsStaff limited to their branch; consolidated or per-branch reports.
AGM and auditIncome statement, balance sheet, loan portfolio and share register in Excel or PDF.

Savings, loans and accounts the way Ugandan SACCOs run them

  • Compulsory and voluntary savings as separate products, with interest paid at the frequency your bye-laws set — see savings management.
  • Share capital in whole shares with a minimum shareholding, and a share register for the AGM.
  • Loans with guarantors from among members, approval by the credit committee and manager in levels — see loan management.
  • Monthly or weekly repayments, penalties after a grace period, and SMS reminders before due dates.
  • Double-entry accounts produced automatically, so the treasurer does not rebuild the books at year end — see SACCO accounting.

Going digital in a Ugandan SACCO

Practical tip

Start with the member register. Clean up names and phone numbers in Excel, agree the opening savings and share balances with the treasurer, then import them in one go so the first trial balance matches the last paper balance.

Our step-by-step guide covers staff roles, opening balances, the first week and the first month: how to digitize SACCO operations.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. It uses Uganda shillings by default, understands local phone numbers (07… is stored as +256…), records mobile money payments with their transaction reference, and sends SMS through Africa’s Talking.

Yes. Any SACCO that keeps member savings, shares and loans can use it, including Emyooga and PDM SACCOs. Group members can be organised into member groups, and savings, loans and repayments are tracked per member.

Not at the moment. Mobile money deposits and repayments are recorded by staff with the mobile money reference, and they post to a dedicated mobile money float account in the books.

SaccoMonitor produces the underlying reports — financial statements, loan portfolio and arrears, savings and share balances — in Excel. It does not file returns with UMRA or any authority for you; check the current reporting formats with the regulator.

Related pages

SACCO software overview

Modules and who they are for.

Digitize your SACCO

Move from registers and spreadsheets step by step.

SACCO software in Africa

Using SaccoMonitor outside Uganda.

Run your SACCO on clear, balanced books

Register your SACCO, import your members from Excel and post your first deposit the same day.

Get startedRegister your SACCO