Revealed: The businesses where tycoon Jack Pemba mints his money

Many know Jackson Akim Pemba commonly known as Jack Pemba as a socialite and for his philanthropy, but not much is known of the moneybags’ businesses.

Pemba is the founder and CEO Pemba group of companies, a company with big plans to transform East Africa through investment and development. He is passionate about his work; constantly researching and developing business concepts that would appeal to his target markets, open new avenues and also give back to the community. He takes great pride in the quality of work he does and is determined to attain heights.

Pemba has operations in Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, USA, and his business interests span mining, security, coffee, general trading, freight services, sports management, fashion and more.

Mining

Optima mines and minerals is a pioneer in the Ugandan mineral and commodities industry. With the directors having over 10 years in minerals, mining, exploration, and development of both industrial and metallic minerals, Optima is the leading consultancy company in the country with a vast experience in exploration, feasibility studies, mine development, environmental appraisals, monitoring, protection and decommissioning, community engagement, mineral, and materials trade and logistic handling among others.

Currently, the company owns a Kaolin quarry (mineral and surface rights) at Kasunganyanja in Bunyangabu District and working hand in hand with Spectrum Logistics to supply Kaolin to Hima Cement a leading cement producer in Uganda.

Coffee

Pemba’s Kabango Coffee Uganda Ltd is a leading Ugandan coffee-growing provider. Kabango coffee is currently working with the Uganda Coffee Development Authority, Kamwenge District Local Government, NAADS, and Balton Uganda Limited. Kabango’s mission is to enhance coffee production in the region through quality and quantity improvement, good agricultural practices and obtain market access for participating groups.

Sports promotion

Perhaps what brings Jack Pemba to the fore of the Ugandan society is his Pemba Sports Africa group that is actively involved in promoting the sport.

“I am a self-motivated and enthusiastic professional sports agent and philanthropist with over 15 years' solid experience in sports management and the passion for continuing the sports legacy of my father Mr. Cuthbert Pemba who served as the General Secretary of Simba Sports Club in Dar es salaam, Tanzania,” Pemba says.

“My formative years in sports involved playing for the football teams of both my primary and secondary schools, after which I moved to Europe and made two attempts as an academy player under trials for Carlyle United and New Castle United Academy,” he recounts.

He made invaluable connections with players like the late Sir Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer, Louis Ferdinand, Kevin Keegan, Warren Burton, Robert Lee, John Barnes, and Stuart John Hall. It is such contacts that he uses to propel local sports.

Pemba Sports Africa teams include; Pemba Warriors basketball team, Omutima Rally, Body Building, Pemba football team, and the Sickle cell awareness Foundation Football team.

“Our goal is to transform and empower the sports industry in Uganda by providing key strategic services to professional sports clubs, National Federations, individuals, and companies with an interest in sports,” Pemba says.

Pemba is also president of WFM, an international company that takes kickboxers to play international matches around the world.

Security

Pemba is also into the provision of security services under Baka Security, a company that gives protection and security services to residential areas such as private housing, sites, student dormitories. They also provide security to facilities where all kinds of sports competitions happen, plus areas where concerts, meetings, workshops, science, culture and arts activities take place.

Baka also provides security for factories, factories, organized industrial zones, mines and pipelines, vehicles used in domestic and international travel, transportation activities and the locations and stations of these vehicles, places such as airports, terminals, ports, stations, in which passenger and freight transportation take place.

They also provide security to educational institutions like classrooms, schools, campuses and public places such as hotels, holiday resorts, hospitals, business centers, plazas, banks, recreation places and all kinds of official and private institutions and organizations.

They also set up security systems at those places and develop and operate established security systems in the conditions prescribed by the legislation. They also provide private investigations and security consulting.

Fashion

Pemba is also into fashion under the SKP brand. SKP is a clothing line that makes hand made hot couture, ball gowns, wedding dresses, and all the pieces are hand beaded with exquisite beads got from all over the world.

“SKP is our love letter to the elegant and luxurious part of each one of us. It majors in hot couture, wedding gowns, well known for its luxurious kaftans. We do a couple of runway showcases and dress many household names,” Pemba says.

Freight, shipping, clearing, and forwarding

Pemba runs SAFF is a shipping company that transports goods across borders and JPL, a logistics company that carries out clearing and forwarding of goods and services.

Corporate social responsibility

Pemba is passionate about giving back to society. As part Pemba Group’s CSR, they brought Robert Lee, ex England Midfielder and ex-Arsenal youth coach, Mark Ellis to Uganda to support the Little Hands Go Green initiative and subsequently carried out football clinics in Schools such as Ntinda Primary, City High School, Kabira International School, and Rainbow International School. Pemba Sports Africa made a donation towards the initiative.

Pemba Sports Africa has supported various sports for change projects through CSR like setting up regional football camps for street children and homeless youth in Wankulukuku.

Pemba Group of companies has made lots of donations including; providing footballs and jerseys to Rainbow International School, providing footballs to Universal Primary Education (UPE) local schools across Uganda, donations to Afri Aid, an NGO supporting refugees in South Sudan and Congo, the Uganda Sickle Cell Foundation, Miracle Centre Cathedral, the Catholic Church in Munyonyo towards preparations for welcoming the Pope to Uganda, the Muslim Community across three mosques in Kampala, and a donation towards feeding needy families in Kifumbira slum in Kampala under the bucket project.

The group also supports health initiatives and In collaboration with Fused Vision, Ministry of Health, Aids Control Programme, Taso and Malaria Consortium they have brought free medical care to the people on Kalangala Island. They have also provided financial assistance in support of the Red Women Foundation Uganda for Breast Cancer as well as supporting the Mulago National Referral Hospital cancer ward.

Also, in support of a stable growing economy, Pemba Group of Companies supported the ruling party with a donation of Ugx.100,000,000 for President Museveni to carry-out his electoral campaigns for him to stay in power and keep growing and stabilizing Uganda’s economy.

“Success in business is about positioning yourself. Learn to position yourself in the path of growth. Position yourself away from those who are STILL. Next year they’ll STILL be doing the same thing they were doing when you positioned yourself better. STILL gossiping, STILL telling the same story of who they used to be. Cut them off and remind them, you positioned yourself in the middle of a storm and you are a storm chaser so you can’t stay STILL,” Pemba sums up with a nugget of business wisdom.