FIRST National Bank (FNB) Zambia is constantly innovating banking solutions to ensure that women-owned businesses are supported, thereby contributing to economic growth.
The financial institution has therefore partnered with a movement called ‘Wow Women’ which supports and elevates female businesses by encouraging entrepreneurship.
This initiative aligns with FNB Zambia’s focus to enhance entrepreneurial skills for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), according to the bank’s Head of Strategic Marketing and Communications, Kasali Kaingu.
“FNB Zambia acknowledges women as strategic partners for national development,” Ms Kaingu said yesterday in Lusaka at a media briefing announcing its involvement of the Wow Women Festival “WOWfest 2021 by Wood Kitchen Zambia.
Ms Kaingu said the bank whose staff comprises 52 percent female, was constantly innovating to ensure that it provided real help and relevant banking solutions, especially for women-owned businesses.
She also announced that FNB Zambia had contributed K65,000 towards the 2021 WOWFest 2021.
Wow Women and Wood kitchen, the organisers of the 2021 WOWfest yesterday announced FNB Zambia, coca cola Zambia Zambia , Rhodes Wuakity Headline and Foxfdalr Forest as platinum sponsors with Zambia Sugar and One Life as gold sponsors for the initiative.
The total investment in the initiative is K250,000.
WOWFest Director, Mutale Kapaso, said the commitment was to continue growing the network and empowering women to aspire for diverse challenges that were mostly male dominated.
“This is the fourth year running that the Wow Women and Wood Kitchen are organising a women only event that looks at empowering women through different skills.
“Each year, we vary the experience growing on the developmental feedback of previous events to ensure that we meet our target customer’s needs,” Ms Kapaso said.
And Wood Kitchen Co-Founder, Lulu Wood, said it was encouraging to see such initiatives that targeted women directly in Zambia and offered them a platform to share various experiences.
Ms Wood indiacted that she looked forward to more collaborations in future that showcased women and their invaluable contribution to the society.
Meanwhile, Coca Cola Marketing Manager, Patricia Mulenga, stressed that converting this dynamic entrepreneurial culture into a higher productivity, job creating engine of growth by addressing barriers to entrepreneurship and business opportunities was critical.
By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
