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Interviews

Enhancing Customer Experience

Mizinga-Melu

Exclusive interview with Absa Bank Zambia PLC Managing Director, Mizinga Melu

Absa Bank Zambia PLC is part of Absa Group Limited, an African financial services group that aims to be the pride of the continent. Formerly known as Barclays Bank Zambia PLC, the Bank has operated in Zambia for over 102 years. The Bank rebranded to Absa on 10 February 2020. Absa is a truly African brand, inspired by the people it serves and determined to always be brave, passionate and ready so that the Bank can make the African continent proud and bring possibilities of its people to life.

Absa Zambia Mutaba Branch, Cairo Road, Lusaka – a state of the art flagship branch

Absa Zambia Mutaba Branch, Cairo Road, Lusaka – a state of the art flagship branch

How is Absa Bank Zambia PLC working towards becoming the pride of the continent? 

Absa Bank Zambia PLC is an award-winning commercial bank that has been serving the financial needs of the Zambian population since June 1918. The Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Absa Group Limited (AGL), a well-capitalised banking group listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

Mizinga Melu – Absa Bank Zambia PLC Managing Director

Mizinga Melu – Absa Bank Zambia PLC Managing Director

With a strong heritage anchored on local, pan- African and international knowledge as well as a legacy of providing innovative banking solutions with a number of industry firsts, Absa is well positioned to be the Bank of choice of the continent as it aims to provide revolutionary products and services that stem from its wide success of previous accomplishments such as  being the first bank to distribute the newly independent Zambian currency at its Ndola Branch in 1964 following the country’s independence. The Bank also launched the first Debit Card and ATMs in Zambia in 1996 and thereafter the first cash accepting ATMs in 2010. In addition, the Bank launched the country’s first Kwacha Credit Card and subsequently the first mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) in the country in 2016 revolutionizing convenient banking. In 2018, the Bank was first to provide online insurance premiums.

Following the announcement of a change in operating name from Barclays to Absa by June 2020, the Bank also adopted a new strategy focused on being a digitally-led organisation.Over the last three years, Absa Zambia have invested over ZMW 100 million in technology to enhance the banking experience of its customers. This has resulted in the Bank having the largest network of intelligent ATMs with deposit-taking, bill payment and funds transfer capabilities. Through a strategic partnership with mobile network operator MTN Zambia and Fintech company Jumo, the Bank introduced the award-winning KONGOLA, a lending product and KASAKA, a savings product that allows customers to borrow and save funds respectively on their mobile wallets.

As a key player in the growth of the economy, the Bank has invested in excess of USD 7 billion in key sectors that drive growth in the economy and continue to look for opportunities to be a key growth partner. Notable projects comprise of  infrastructure development financing which include the Eurobonds arrangement and Public sector financing, Agricultural support particularly with the Zambia Sugar (Illovo) expansion project and support to the energy sector through the Maamba Coal Mine project adding 300 MW of power to the national grid. The Bank also extends support to Small and Medium Enterprises through its Business Banking proposition as it understands that this sector fuels the economy.

Absa Zambia has continued to be a key partner in addressing societal challenges by playing a shaping role in society and has invested more than K15 million in the last three years. Some notable projects include donation of the country’s first Dexa machineto the leading public hospital in the Country, University Teaching Hospital. This machine is critical for the diagnosis and treatment of bone-related illness; sponsorship of Zambia’s biggest football tournament which was rebranded from Barclays to Absa Cup giving local players an international platform to showcase their skills; financial literacy for SMEs and adolescents to spur entrepreneurship and money skills among others.

The transition from Barclays to Absa reiterates the Bank’s commitment to continue operating in Zambia and the continent at large, further according it with an opportunity to enhance its services by offering home-grown banking solutions for the thriving African continent.

How widespread is your presence throughout the region?

Absa Group Limited, Absa Bank Zambia PLC’s parent company, has a presence in 12 countries in Africa, with approximately 42 000 employees. Across the continent, the Group has over 1,000 branches and about 10,000 ATMs.

The Group’s registered head office is in Johannesburg, South Africa, and it owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa (Absa Bank), Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia.  The Group also has representative offices in Namibia and Nigeria, as well as insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

In addition, the Group also has representative offices in London and New York.

Absa Group Limited offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance.

What type of local challenges do you help your clients overcome and how do these solutions add value?

The biggest challenge most clients face in the market is the lack of access to capital. Absa Zambia is currently the biggest lender in the country among financial institutions providing support to key sectors of the economy.

Absa Zambia realises that the biggest challenge most clients face in the market is lack of access to capital to finance growth projects.  Lending to SMEs in Africa is also difficult using traditional credit scorecards because of lack of data and insufficient collateral/security. In informal funding markets, rates can range between 20 – 50%, which is not sustainable for the SMEs. The Bank has therefore taken time to understand our corporate and SME businesses, including the entire sector so that it can support their financing needs adequately. Some of the initiatives the Bank has done include tailoring its lending criteria to the SME sector and collateral provision.

Other initiatives include:

  • the introduction of Business Internet Banking which allows 24/7 convenient banking
  • the SME tool kit, an initiative to assist our customers develop financial statements and business plans in an easier and structured manner
  • Supporting value chains that the African continent relies on for growth through conferences like the Africa Procurement Summit.
  • Linkages to intentional suppliers of goods and services through SME trips to China

The Bank continues to be a key financier of projects that positively impact the economy like the Zambia Sugar expansion project, the infrastructure projects resulting in the building of various malls in the country and the energy sector where the Bank supported the coal-fired electricity plan in Maamba.

Most recently, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Absa Zambia became the first Bank in the country to announce a Loan Payment Relief Programme in response to the financial impact on a number of economic activities.The Relief Package is a comprehensive solution that applies to the Bank’s credit products, including home loans, vehicle finance, personal loans, as well as commercial asset finance and mortgage-backed business loans. These solutions cut across Corporate, Business and Retail Banking customers to ensure that customers receive adequate support.

With the Zambian society mainly driven by formal employment,Absa understands the growing need to drive an agenda of a more diverse skillset and entrepreneurship. The Bank realises this challenge and has taken deliberate steps to work with different partners to encourage entrepreneurship. Absa Zambia has worked with organisations like the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) to provide business clinics that offer financing advice including generation of business plans through to unlocking access to finance opportunities.

The Bank offers financial literacy education as part of our support to communities it operates in line with the corporate social responsibility agenda. As part of Absa Group Limited, the Bank has identified playing a shaping role in society as a key enabler and remain committed to being a force for good in society.

With Financial inclusion being a topical issue in Africa, what is Absa Bank doing to improve access to financial services?

The Bank has been a major supporter of Government initiatives that encourage financial inclusion. Absa Zambia works closely with the Bank of Zambia to develop and roll-out programmes that are targeted at the underprivileged, unbanked and rural population with limited access to banking facilities.

The bank has partnered with the country’s Mobile Network Operators to allow the public to access and move money from the bank to the mobile phones through the bank-to-wallet and wallet-to-bank services.

The Bank has collaborated with MTN Zambia to ensure that members of the public with mobile phones access banking solutions without using data.

Through the Financial Inclusion pillar, the Bank has developed banking solutions that are market relevant speaking into our customers’ needs. The Bank has developed products like the Ignition Student Account especially tailored for the youth with features such as no minimum balance and free ATM withdrawals to encourage youths to use and have access to banking facilities.

Furthermore, the Bank has the CashSend facility which is a mobile banking platform function allowing customers to send cash transfers to any mobile number in Zambia and the recipient can withdraw from any Absa ATM using the Bank’s cardless services. The recipient does not need to be a Bank customer or have a bank account. Customers can also pay bills and check account status through mobile banking.

In addition, the Bank has collaborated with MTN and Jumo to offer the award-winning wallet services KONGOLA and KASAKA that allows customers to borrow and save on their mobile phones. More than 27 million loans have been disbursed to customers since the product was introduced on the market over a year ago.

What range of financial management solutions do you provide?

Serving about 200,000 customers, Absa Zambia has a network of 34 branches in all 10 Provinces across the country. The Bank has a network of 124 ATMs with cash accepting capabilities and over 2,000 active Point-of-sale terminals. The Bank is one of the largest employers in Zambia’s financial services sector employing over 800 people across its operations.

Absa Zambia offers a diverse range of banking services for individuals, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as larger corporates. The Bank continues to be a strong foreign exchange business focused ondelivering a unique product portfolio to support customers’ investment plans. In addition, Absa Zambia has robust digital banking offering transactions easier and convenient.

The Bank’s offering can be categorised as follows:

  • Cash Management
    • Operational and Investment accounts
    • Foreign currency solutions
    • Payments, Collections and Channels solutions
  • Trade Finance
    • Documentary trade that includes Letters of Credit, Bank Guarantees and Documentary collections
    • Working capital solutions to include Invoice Discounting, Trade Loans and Supplier Finance
  • Financing
    • Debt and Capital Markets as well as Vehicle and Asset Finance
  • Treasury
    • Sales & Trading, Treasury Services, Wholesale Deposit and Investment Banking
    • Africa Access online platform allowing FX spot, forwards and swaps as well as real time execution in local and major currency pairs up to one year forward

What makes Absa bank stand out from other banks?

Our agenda transcends just meeting the financial scorecard. It is about being a force for good in society. We want to bring possibilities to life. As a Bank that has been in Zambia for over 100 years, we have a deep knowledge of the market and are able to tailor solutions suited to this environment.

Absa Zambia is a forward thinking Bank that has exciting propositions to offer customers in Zambia and across the continent. As part of its new brand identity, the Bank has committed to being a digitally-led organisation making extensive investment in technology to meet the ever changing needs of its diverse customer base.

The Bank prides itself in being a pioneer in technological advancements that have revolutionised the Zambian banking landscape. Its long history in the country gives the Bank an advantage based on the heritage and local knowledge of trends. Absa Zambia is a model investor committed to being part of the solution to a number of societal challenges.

Going forward, the Bank remains committed to offering unique business propositions that are relevant to various customer segments so that it truly is a financial partner to help customers achieve their financial needs.

Absa Zambia is committed to complement Government efforts in fuelling sustainable growth in the economy by supporting key sectors that include Mining, Agriculture, Public Sectors, Energy, Manufacturing, Telecoms, Financial Services, Wholesale and Trading.

Financial inclusion remains one of the Bank’s key focus areas so that financial services are delivered to different customer segments in the country through strategic synergies.

As a new brand in Zambia that is customer obsessed, the Bank endeavours to offer an enhanced customer experience.

*For more about Absa Bank Zambia PLC, its products and services, visit www.absa.co.zm

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