A Ugandan startup that turns plastic waste into sewing thread and fabric has won the 2026 Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) Uganda pitching competition and will represent the country at the GEC+Africa conference in Cape Town, South Africa later this year.
The startup emerged as the winner out of 10 finalists selected from over 100 applications received for the competition, which was organized by the Global Entrepreneurship Network Uganda in partnership with Enterprise Uganda.
The company received Shs 2 million and will be attending the continental conference on September 16 and 17. Kyuka Ventures Innovation Hub, which operates in the energy sector, emerged as the first runner-up and received Shs 1.5 million, while health-tech startup Dada Innovation (Simply Hers) was the second runner-up and received Shs 1 million.
Speaking at the event, General Uganda Managing Director Mary Odongo said the objective of the competition was to provide entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their ideas and connect with mentors, investors and other stakeholders.
He said the initiative also seeks to strengthen Uganda's entrepreneurship ecosystem through networking, mentorship and business support opportunities.
Managing Director Carmen Rudd, representing General South Africa, said the GEC+ Africa conference provides a platform for entrepreneurs from across the continent to share experiences and explore growth opportunities.
He said, “The importance of this Congress lies in the knowledge economy and how entrepreneurs can learn from someone else's experiences to grow and scale their businesses.”
According to Rudd, discussions at this year's conference will focus on sustainable and inclusive growth, climate innovation, digital transformation, access to finance and policy development.
Participating investors will also engage in matchmaking sessions, exhibitions, networking forums and policy discussions.
The finalists also included Paytota Universal Payment Gateway, which is developing solutions aimed at addressing interoperability challenges in Africa's digital payments ecosystem.
Its chief executive officer, Erasmus Okurut, said fragmented payments systems were hampering e-commerce growth and cross-border transactions across the continent.
“Africa is ready for digital payments. We are focused on building solutions that move money seamlessly across borders while helping businesses reach larger markets,” he said.
Ronald Mukasa Senkubuge, Chief Operating Officer of Enterprise Uganda, said the competition is part of wider efforts to support entrepreneurs through business development services, mentorship and market access.
“We want to celebrate young entrepreneurs who are innovative, making an impact in their communities and creating jobs. This competition gives them an audience and a platform to showcase their business ideas,” he said.
Founder of the winning startup, Helen Munyasa, said the opportunity will expose the business to entrepreneurs, investors and potential partners from across Africa.
The conference is expected to bring together participants from several countries including Botswana, Namibia, Algeria and Egypt.