How Financial Discipline Helped Nankya Build a Multi-Million Hardware in a Few Years

Hajjati Rehema Nankya, the brain behind Fortress Hardware in Maya. She started with a small shop with capital worth UGX1.5M.

Fortress Hardware, located in Maya Trading Centre along the Kampala–Masaka Highway, isn’t an ordinary enterprise. There’s a unique and inspiring story behind it.

In our series She Powers Uganda’s Economy, a storytelling platform by dfcu Bank, we bring you Hajjati Rehema Nankya, who has built a multi-million hardware business, having started with a small shop in Bwaise, Kampala, with capital worth UGX 1.5 million in 2012. She has achieved this milestone through financial discipline, hope, and resilience.

Through its Women in Business Programme, dfcu Bank has supported more than 80,000women entrepreneurs across Uganda with financing, advisory services, and market access. Initiatives such as dfcu Rising Woman, the Women Business Advisory Centre, and targeted financing under the GROW framework extend this support—backing women not only when businesses are established, but also when potential still outweighs proof.

Nankya’s success story would not have become a reality without the support of dfcu Bank.

Humble beginnings: spotting an opportunity

Nankya, a mother, wife, and entrepreneur, is a trained secondary school teacher, having attained a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the Islamic University in Uganda. However, she did not practice her profession after getting married immediately after graduation, choosing instead to focus on her family.

In 2009, after her last-born started school, she got employed as a front desk officer (sales personnel) at Steel & Tube Industries. A few years later, in 2012, she was promoted to a managerial position when the company opened a branch in Bwaise, Kampala.

Fortress Hardware is the biggest in Maya

However, the company mainly sold in bulk quantities, yet some customers wanted to buy in smaller amounts.

“There were no shops selling nails in kilograms or binding wire in small quantities. I got an idea to start a small retail shop to serve such customers. I began with a bag of nails, two rolls of binding wire, and other small items. Inclusive of rent, a weighing scale, and stock, I started the shop with about UGX 1.5 million,” Nankya recalls, adding that she was inspired by the gap that existed in the area at the time.

‘Miracle money’

Growing and sustaining a business requires reliable and supportive people. Nankya says she had a friend who consistently gave her interest-free soft loans.

“These friendly loans sustained my business,” she says, noting that her turning point came in 2015. A friend informed her of an opportunity to buy a eucalyptus forest in Mityana. She inspected it and bought it for UGX 5 million, money she borrowed from a friend.

“The seller was facing financial challenges. It turned out to be my turning point. I later sold the forest at a good price to a Chinese businessman dealing in plywood. It felt like miracle money,” she says.

By this time, she had resigned from Steel & Tube, but maintained contact with her clients.

She used the profit from the forest to buy an acre of land in Maya, where Fortress Hardware stands today.

“I first paid 50% and cleared the balance in installments,” she says, adding that her Bwaise shop was also expanding at the time.

She continued working with former clients who trusted her.

“They would send me orders and money to procure items from Steel & Tube. I would make a small profit. I operated like that until I opened this place,” she explains.

Nankya infront of her hardware

She used part of the money to construct the building that now houses Fortress Hardware in Maya. However, the funds were not enough to complete the first floor, so she continued trading in eucalyptus forests.

“The Chinese businessman trusted me and would give me millions to buy forests on his behalf. I would earn a small profit. That money helped me a lot during construction,” she says.

dfcu comes in

After completing the ground and first floor of the building, Nankya closed her Bwaise shop and relocated to Maya. She also exited the forest business because it was too demanding.

However, she lacked capital to stock the hardware and was hesitant to take loans due to her Islamic faith, which discourages interest-bearing borrowing.

“When I opened this place in November 2022, it was almost empty. I had invested all my money in construction and had no stock. I was stuck and even considered renting out the building,” she reveals.

After deep reflection, she decided to take a loan—and the only bank she considered was dfcu.

Nankya has been a dfcu customer for 17 years, having opened her account in 2009.

“dfcu is the only bank I’ve known. My salary and transactions have always gone through them,” she says, adding that the bank quickly approved a UGX 300 million loan in 2023.

Nankya used the dfcu loan to stock the hardware

Along the way, she received additional funding under the GROW project.

“It’s challenging, but I’m repaying well and hope to complete the loan next year,” she says. “I used the money properly—I never diverted it. I bought two vehicles for the business, and the rest went into stocking the hardware.”

Cement is stored on the ground floor

Empowering other women

Nankya employs two permanent staff, both women—a manager and her assistant. Other workers, including two drivers and two off-loaders, are paid per task.

She says she has empowered her team to make decisions, including purchasing from suppliers, only contacting her when necessary.

Nankya with some of her staff

On balancing business and family life, she says it comes naturally, especially since she sometimes works remotely.

“The most important thing is receiving daily sales reports to track stock levels,” she explains.

Her faith keeps her grounded.

“I strongly believe in Allah. Even when things are good, I know challenges can come. But where there is hardship, there is ease. That keeps me going,” she says.

Achievements

Nankya has since expanded into farming. She currently owns six acres of coffee in Mpigi and plans to plant 10 acres of cocoa.

“Coffee farming is demanding but rewarding,” she says. “I’ll first test the soil for cocoa. If it’s not suitable, I’ll plant more coffee.”

Challenges

Her biggest challenge has been dealing with untrustworthy customers—small hardware owners and contractors who take goods on credit and fail to pay.

Nankya no longer gives goods on credit

“To succeed in business, you must close loopholes and move forward. I’ve stopped giving goods on credit to such customers. It’s now strictly cash,” she says, adding that dishonesty is becoming more common.

Message to women entrepreneurs

She encourages women entrepreneurs to remain hopeful and solution-oriented.

“Trust in God, regardless of your religion. For us Muslims, work is part of worship. You pray briefly, then go out and work. God won’t send you manna—you must act,” she says.

She also emphasizes partnership in marriage:

“You don’t need to depend entirely on a man—you should support each other. Behind every successful man is a woman, and vice versa.”

Nankya further advises women to separate business from personal relationships.

“I learned a lot from the owners of Steel & Tube. Even their daughters were treated like any other employees. That discipline shaped me,” she says.

Future plans

Nankya plans to open another branch within the next five years, either in Lwengo (her home area) or Sembabule District.

She also aims to complete her storied building in Maya and establish a large electronics shop on the second floor.