Got Shs500? Airtel Money, NSSF want you saving for your future

• Shs500 savings: Ugandans can start contributing to SmartLife with only Shs500 Airtel Money access: Customers can register and save using their mobile phones

• Shs199.3 billion assets: SmartLife Flexi has attracted more than 130,000 members.

• Financial inclusion: The plan targets formal workers, informal earners and Ugandans abroad.

Ugandans can now start building long-term savings with as little as Shs500 following a renewed partnership between Airtel Money and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

The deal will widen access to SmartLife, NSSF’s flexible savings plan for people in both formal and informal employment. It also covers Ugandans living abroad.

Customers can register and contribute through Airtel Money. Each transaction attracts a charge starting at Shs150.

The service targets traders, boda boda riders, farmers, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals whose incomes may not follow a fixed monthly schedule.

SmartLife Flexi had accumulated Shs199.3 billion in assets by August 28, 2026. More than 130,000 people had joined the scheme in less than two years.

Airtel Uganda has more than 20 million subscribers. NSSF hopes to use this reach to attract more people to voluntary social security savings.

Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda managing director Japhet Aritho said the partnership would make long-term saving easier.

“Whether you are a trader, boda rider, farmer, entrepreneur, or self-employed professional, SmartLife gives you an opportunity to save consistently and secure your future,” Aritho said.

He said Airtel Money wanted to connect customers to essential financial services through technology they already use.

NSSF deputy managing director Gerald Paul Kasaato said SmartLife was created for people in the formal and informal sectors as well as the diaspora.

“Our partnership with Airtel Money enables us to reach more people where they are, using a trusted digital platform that they interact with daily,” Kasaato said.

Airtel Money and NSSF will promote the service through social media, financial literacy programmes, community outreach and customer campaigns.

The partnership seeks to make saving a regular habit and extend social security coverage to more Ugandans.