Victoria Sugar Bags PAP’s 2026 African Development Entrepreneur Award

By Swift Reporter

Victoria Sugar Ltd was on weekend recognised with the 2026 African Development Entrepreneur (Industrialist) Award by the Pan-African Pyramid (PAP) for its contribution to industrialisation, job creation, value addition, tax generation and economic development in Uganda.

The award was presented at the 2026 Pan-African Pyramid Awards held at Speke Resort Munyonyo where PAP recognised individuals, businesses and organisations contributing to Africa’s development through practical action and investment.

According to PAP, Victoria Sugar, the flagship of the Victoria Group of Companies, represents a model of African enterprise, industrial resilience and self-determined development.

The group was established in 2018 and has since invested more than US$200 million (approximately Shs710 billion) in Uganda, while contributing more than Shs225 billion in taxes between 2018 and 2024, according to the award citation.

Victoria Sugar has developed into a major sugar manufacturer, with a 17,000-acre estate in Luweero, strategically located within one of Uganda’s major sugarcane-growing regions.

The company also works with thousands of out-grower farmers who supply sugarcane to its factory, creating an extended economic chain that links agricultural production to industrial processing.

According to PAP, the factory has the capacity to crush approximately 3,000 tonnes of sugarcane per day and produces about 36,000 tonnes of sugar annually.

The organisation said the company’s operations demonstrate the importance of transforming locally produced raw materials into finished products within Africa.

Beyond sugar production, Victoria Sugar has also invested in energy generation by converting bagasse, a by-product of sugarcane processing, into electricity.

The company generates approximately 15 megawatts of electricity, with about 10MW supplied to the national grid, according to PAP.

The organisation said plans to further harness biogas demonstrate Victoria Sugar’s commitment to sustainable industrialisation and the efficient utilisation of industrial waste.

PAP also highlighted Victoria Group’s wider investments across several sectors of the economy.

The group’s businesses include Victoria Sugar, Yogi Steels, Victoria Nile Plastics, Millennium Tiles, Gold Star Batteries, Total Cables, Mayuge Stone Quarry, Tembo Aluminium, Simba Creation, Delta, Shakti Sugar and Victoria Tyres, among others.

According to the award citation, the diversification has enabled the group to create employment opportunities, support local production and expand Uganda’s tax base.

Across its various businesses, Victoria Group employs more than 10,000 people directly and about 5,000 indirectly, supporting thousands of households and dependants.

PAP said the group’s contribution therefore extends beyond individual businesses, describing it as an engine of value addition, employment, taxation, energy generation and industrialisation.

In its citation, PAP said Victoria Sugar’s approach reflects the broader ideals of Pan-Africanism by demonstrating how African resources, labour, entrepreneurship and industrial capacity can be used to create wealth and prosperity on the continent.

The organisation particularly praised the company’s focus on value addition, arguing that African economies stand to benefit more when locally produced raw materials are processed into finished products rather than exported for processing elsewhere.

PAP also linked Victoria Sugar’s industrial approach to President Yoweri Museveni’s repeated calls for Uganda and other African countries to increase the production and export of finished goods instead of relying heavily on the export of raw materials.

“Victoria Sugar’s top leadership attended President Museveni’s repeated classroom lectures on the need for Uganda and Africa to export finished products rather than raw materials,” PAP said in its award citation.

The organisation said Victoria Sugar’s investments demonstrate that Pan-Africanism can be translated from an ideological concept into practical economic activity through industrialisation, job creation, local production and investment.

The recognition places Victoria Sugar among businesses honoured by PAP for contributing to Africa’s development through entrepreneurship, industrial production and economic empowerment.

For PAP, Victoria Sugar’s story represents the potential of African-owned and Africa-based enterprises to drive industrialisation while creating employment, generating government revenue, supporting farmers and contributing to national energy security.