Stanbic National Schools Championship Season 11 Crowns Its Winners

The journey of the Stanbic National Schools Championship Season 11 reached its finale on 28 August 2026, bringing together Uganda’s young innovators and entrepreneurs for a celebration of ideas, innovation and possibility. 

Taking the top honour was Sedes Sapientiae Academiae from the Western Region with their innovation, Xtend Creative Home Workshop, an agro-processing machine designed to help poultry farmers produce animal feed at a lower cost. The school was awarded UGX 20 million and the team also receives a fully funded trip to South Africa as part of their prize.  

Celebrating Young Innovators and Entrepreneurs

The Grand Finale was more than a celebration of the winning team. It recognised the creativity, determination and entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated by all the finalists who made it through the various stages of Season 11. 

Speaking at the Grand Finale, Diana Ondoga, Manager, Corporate Social Investment, Stanbic Bank Uganda, highlighted the wider purpose of the grand finale: 

“This is a celebration of young people who are creating solutions to real challenges in their communities while developing an entrepreneurial mindset that will help shape Uganda’s future.” 

The winners represented different regions and areas of innovation, tackling challenges ranging from agriculture and food waste to environmental sustainability, education, advertising and skincare. 

Iganga Secondary School from the Eastern Region emerged as first runner-up with Iga Bank Cooler, an innovation addressing post-harvest losses and food waste. The school was awarded UGX 10 million.  

The second runner-up, St. Kizito High School, Namugongo, represented the Central Region with Tunza Organics, which focuses on transforming fruits and vegetables into value-added products while reducing food waste. 

Aga Khan High School, from the Central Region, took the third runner-up position with Renewablock Interlocking Blocks, an innovation that transforms plastic waste and sand into construction blocks. 

In the Business Fellowship category, Cardify Pro emerged as the Season 11 winner, earning a UGX 10 million prize for its competency-based learning flashcards designed to make revision easier and support deeper understanding for students. 

Matatu Ads took the first runner-up position, earning a UGX 6 million prize for its innovative out-of-home advertising service, while Digital Harvest UG was named second runner-up, earning a UGX 3 million prize for its digital agricultural extension services and access to farming inputs. 

Shay Naturals Ltd completed the top four as third runner-up, earning a UGX 1 million prize for its work in natural skincare and cosmetics, alongside practical training in product formulation. 

Building More Than Businesses

The Stanbic National Schools Championship is part of Stanbic Bank Uganda’s Corporate Social Investment programs, aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among young people in secondary and vocational schools across Uganda through comprehensive mentorship and training programs. 

The championship gives participants an opportunity to develop practical skills, test their ideas, engage with mentors and gain exposure to the realities of building and growing a venture. 

Reflecting on the vision behind the championship, Mumba Kalifungwa, Chief Executive, Stanbic Bank Uganda, said: 

“We set out to prove a new truth: that a young person should leave school not just with a piece of paper, but with a scalable business idea.” 

That vision was reflected throughout Season 11 as participants moved from identifying problems in their communities to developing solutions with the potential to become viable businesses. 

A Partnership Supporting Young Innovators 

As StartHub Africa, we are proud to have been the lead implementing partner of the Stanbic National Schools Championship for 3 years now, supporting the delivery of the programme and working alongside Stanbic Bank Uganda to create opportunities for young people to develop their entrepreneurial potential. 

Season 11 demonstrated what can happen when young people are given the opportunity to identify challenges, develop solutions and build the confidence to take their ideas beyond the classroom.