More than a hundred of Lusaka’s most influential women joined Stanbic this week for the launch of its Anakazi banking solution, a new banking proposition that seeks to equip Zambian women with the skills they need to succeed in business.
Minister in the Vice President’s Office, Sylvia Chalikosa, was part of the glamorous female who’s who list at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel, as she implored Zambian women to take advantage of business solutions that sought to uplift their well-being.
The women at the launch included company executives, government officials, business women as well as representatives of industries such as arts and music.
Mrs Chalikosa said Anakazi Banking was complementing several government efforts aimed at uplifting the welfare of women.
“Stanbic has done well to recognise the simple woman; the woman who breaks her back to look after her family; the woman who’s educating her family and who’s selling fruits and vegetables to support her family,” she said.
“The government welcomes all co-operating partners who have similar initiatives to join in as we look at women’s issues collectively. We will support programmes of this nature.”
The launch was preceded by an alluring catwalk fashion show that showcased trendy fashion designs for ‘real women’ as well as a parade of women representing all walks of life who Stanbic’s new banking proposition seeks to target.
Anakazi Banking focuses on both increased access to finance and capacity building activities for women entrepreneurs. These platforms include training, mentorship and networking events to build knowledge in business management and access to markets, as well as assistance in business formalisation.
It is Stanbic’s bold move to boost Zambian women’s involvement in business and entrepreneurship since the bank became the first Zambian financial institution to join the Global Banking Alliance for Women, a global consortium of financial institutions dedicated to supporting banks as they capture the Women’s Market, in February.
Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor for Administration, Dr Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula congratulated Stanbic for coming up with the Anakazi Banking proposition, stating that the central bank could already see opportunities opening up for women to accelerate wealth creation, prosperity, peace and stability.
“This is exactly what the women of Zambia need to excel. Financial assistance from financial institutions can put women in a good position, considering that a majority of them do have business acumen that is not supported by funding,” Dr Kankasa-Mabula said.
She said Zambia had a large number of women who for years had been running stunted business ventures because they lack the knowledge, exposure and assistance to enable them succeed.
Stanbic Bank Chief Executive Officer Charles Mudiwa said although women made up the larger percentage of the Zambian population, few made use of banking services.
Mr Mudiwa urged women across Zambia to take advantage of the offer for increased access to financial services to succeed in business.
Real women??? Ama wig yeka yeka. Ifi ma Brazilian wig all over!!! Where are the beautiful Zambian hairstyles that make a Zambian woman a real woman???
This amazing… is this the cream of Zambia’s influential women who look like villagers?
Our Zambian village women in Kaoma and Nyima look prettier than those ladies. They have nice natural hairstyles.
Indeed, what has become of the women African hair styles like; mukule, bendeka etc? This just shows that our women are ‘brain washed’ and mentally colonised especially when it comes to appearance. They will do anything to look like a mudzungu, shame…
When most of our generation was growing up, we thought we would see a diverse array of hairstyles on our beautiful ladies’ heads for us to choose from. kikikikikiki Brazilian everywhere. I don’t even know what Brazilian is.
You are all stup1d chauv.inists up there with nothing positive to contribute towards this article highlighting positive steps encouraging women to stand up and be counted and contribute to society in a positive way. What’s wrong with taking care of oneself by wearing a weave? Why do you shave your beards yourselves? Why don’t you keep that hair on your face so we know you are real african men and have not been brainwashed by the west? This is the 21st century, not 19 fendelauko. Why should one keep kinky hair which takes 2 hours to comb every morning because it touched steam when bathing? You are all very silly. Don’t pretend to love kinky hair on women. Everyone is free to do as they wish. Dumb misogynists.
Interesting
Hule!
Were women of all walks of life represented? Were the ‘ordinary’ women who break their backs eking a living on small patches of land, selling all sorts of wares to make ends meet and struggling with small businesses present at this launch? Will they be part of the ‘access to finance and capacity building activities?’
Congratulations you great looking Zambian women. I could not be more proud than you all from your tantalizingly magnificent beauty to your inspiring composition of earthly dress colours , your engaging cum a pence gap teeth smiles, which enarmour the full girth of your voluptious ,curvy womanhood only a Zambian can boast of. The degenerates whose vision and taste are seriously compromised require mental evaluation. Yuo are stoic and your mission is a noble one. These women are representative of our female folk. We have to appreciate them and encourage the sweet sixteens to follow the steps. Thank you, you leave me hungry!
This is a name these women have stolen from an existing organization owned bu a Zambian. She started it from scratch and meant to empower women all across Africa. These women just took the name of a hard working Zambian who started her organisation by her own initiative. Now that she is doing well, these o called ladies take her name. This is wrong!! This is nothing to mile about! Taking away from one woman’s initiative. These ladies at this Static Bank need to get a life! Anakazi Center for African Women Empowerment is on Facebook and exists from years ago. This is a copy-write infringement and Stanbic Anakazi Banking Solution should be sued! There is nothing about “Leading Women” to cry about but thieving women! They are thieves!!!
Read mlre into it than fashion. To access the benefits you have to havevan account, that account attracts monthly fees, ZRA wants money for each transaction, then thes hardworking ladies in the informal economy ekeing out a living just to lut food on the table will now be targeted bt ZRA for tax through the toin number.
Bank wins through increased income from fees, government wins thru taxe
Hardworking women LOSE.
How will the hardworking women access loans without security, how will they pay the enirmous interest rates.
Keep putting ypur money in your bra