Blog

Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank (ZICB) partnered with Thy Word Network (TWN) in donatingChristmas hampers and various other items to mothers at the Neonatal ward of the University TeachingHospital (UTH) in Lusaka. The partnership has seen the bank providing K20,000 funding for the purchase of the assorted items,which in included diapers, baby milk, baby soap, baby oil, baby wipes, and washing detergents. Speaking during the event ZICB Corporate Affairs Manager, Luke Njovu said that the bank is happy topartner with TWN in making the donation and supporting the mothers at UTH. “ZICB recognizes that there are people in our communities that need to be supported as they facevarious challenges in their lives. ZICB appreciates that Christmas a season for celebrating the birth ofJesus and we have taken this occasion to give back to the community through this donation. Our hope isthat this will help our mothers in experiencing the love of God.” Mr. Njovu added that the donation to UTH is part of ZICB’s CSR program that is premised on the fact thatthere are underprivileged people in our society who needs the support of anyone who can lend a helpinghand. “Though ZICB is a relatively young bank, it has been supporting several causes and programs since itsinception. The bank currently supports WONS orphanage in Chunga in Lusaka and has recentlysponsored clinic outreach by Bethel Christian Centre to Mulungwe chiefdom in Mkushi rural. Speaking at the same event, Pastor Anthony Katongo of TWN said that the TWN Ministry delighted to beproviding support to mothers of babies under neonatal care through the Making a Child Smileprogramme . “This Christmas TWN has decided to bring a smile to these mothers who will be spending the festiveseason here to care for their little ones. We extend our love to them and pray that may God continue togive them strength as they go through period.” “ We would also commend ZICB for partnering with TWN in the Making a Child Smile Christmasprogram,” he added.

The Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank (ZICB) has continued to play its role as a responsible corporate citizen through its active, effective and efficient engagement in community activities. In one of our recent engagement, ZICB facilitated the sponsorship to procure various medical supplies and medicines worth K97,150, to Bethel Christian Centre outreach programme in Mulungwe Chiefdom, Mkushi rural area, Central Province. The Bethel Christian Centre, through its missions and outreach programme, sets up a monthly medical clinic, in Mulungwe Chiefdom, to provide medical services, health talks and counselling sessions to promote health living to the community that has a population of over 30,000 people. Speaking during the handover ceremony held on 21st October, 2022, ZICB’s acting CEO and Chief Financial Officer, Louis Kabula, commended Bethel church for their work of taking healthcare services closer to rural communities and pledged the bank’s commitment to partnering with the church to complete projects in Mulungwe Chiefdom area. “We are fully alive to the fact that a more permanent solution to the limited access to healthcare services in Mulungwe will be the completion of the health centre that Bethel Christian centre is constructing in the chiefdom, it is therefore our hope that the partnership we are consummating today will allow us to further collaborate in actualising the completion of the health centre project.” Meanwhile, Bethel Christian Centre’s Director of Missions, Pastor Mwansa Mulamasa said that the partnership between the church and ZICB, is a prayer answered by God. “We are grateful for your contribution and the difference this sponsorship will make towards purchasing medicines, upkeep of medical personnels and volunteers in the next clinic and contingency funds for the trip.” This is the first corporate social responsibility (CSR) project that ZICB has facilitated outside Lusaka province, since it officially started operating on 2018,

As part of our continued partnership with the Zed Kidprenuer, we are happy to be the official bank partner of the 2022 Sunga Coin challenge. The Sunga Coin challenge is a savings competition for children below the age of 15 that is aimed at developing a savings culture in the future generation leading up to World Savings Day, which falls on 31st October 2022. Over 20 children have entered the competition and have since opened savings accounts with ZICB. The children have been allocated Saturday as their official Bank Day where a special counter is setup for them to come and deposit their savings. A Relationship manager has also been assigned to the children to provide financial literacy and investment advice at their convenience. A special event has been organized to reward the most consistent children in saving. This will be held after the close of the 2022 Sunga Coin challenge. ZICB Corporate Affairs Manager Luke Njovu says the Bank will continue to be part of projects and that are focused on improving financial literacy in the country. “As you may be aware, our tagline is making tomorrow possible. This project echoes our brand promise because it focuses on building a financially literate future generation. This project will not only benefit the children but also the future of our country”.

As the Bank with with most SME-friendly banking proposition in Zambia, ZICB is proud to have partnered with INFRATEL to make their MSME Open Day a great success. With a mandate to provide an enabling environment for digital transformation by accelerating the adoption of digital services and products in Zambia, INFRATEL organized the MSME Open Day to awareness of their digital services and increase the adoption rate of ICT services by MSMEs. In this era of Covid-19, ZICB believes that digital preparedness not only creates better opportunities for ease of doing business but also allows MSMEs to compete favourably with other businesses. The MSME Open Day attracted over 150 MSMEs from across the country and was graced by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Technology & Science, Dr. Haabenzu. Lusaka, Zambia – 3 rd December 2021: About ZICBZambia Industrial Commercial Bank Limited (ZICB) was incorporated on the 31st of August Contact:Luke Njovu, Luke.Njovu@zicb.co.zm, +260 211 428 700, Ext : 2008

Lusaka, Zambia – 12 th October 2021: In continuing with its programme of supporting the growth of local micro, small and medium enterprises, the Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank (ZICB) Limited has announced a partnership with the DLN Entrepreneurship Institute through the Bank’s K100,000 sponsorship of the “Africa Must Think” Conference. According to the DLN Entrepreneurship Institute, the “Africa Must Think” Conference is the largest gathering of entrepreneurs on the African continent that aims to provoke and motivate young people into becoming successful business owners and leaders. The Conference will feature various speakers, including Mr. Vusi Tembekwayo; a Public Speaker, Author and the Managing Partner of Watermark Capital Partners from South Africa; Ms. Audrey Mwala, the CEO of Sycamori Consult from Malawi; and Mr. Chibamba Kanyama, the Founder and CEO of Bridges Limited from Zambia. Speaking at the unveiling of the partnership, ZICB CEO, Ignatius Mwanza, said that the Bank is excited to be supporting Zambian entrepreneurs through the sponsorship of the “Africa Must Think” Conference. “This is the second sponsorship under the “Africa Must Think” series that Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank is sponsoring having again been partners with the DLN Entrepreneurship Institute last year. We are sponsoring the “Africa Must Think” Conference because it speaks directly to what ZICB stands for, which is empowerment of local entrepreneurs and SMEs. Our mission is to support local wealth creation and growth that will lead to the commercialisation and industrialisation of the Zambian economy. It is through this deliberate support to local businesses that our economy will grow,” Mr. Mwanza said. And speaking at the same event, the DNL Entrepreneurship Institute CEO, Dumisani Ncube, said that his organisation is pleased to have ZICB on the list of sponsors for the Conference. Mr. Ncube, whose organisation is the brainchild and host of the “Africa Must Think” Conference, is convinced that the development of business and leadership skills will drive the transformational change that is needed for local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. The “Africa Must Think” Conference will be held at the National Heroes stadium on the 31 st of October 2021 under the theme “Experience Greatness”. Apart from imparting business knowledge on participants, the Conference will also recognise successful entrepreneurs through the awarding of the Zambia Entrepreneurship Awards to deserving recipients.

President Edgar Lungu has appealed to the private sector to partner with government in order to finance infrastructure development in the country. President Lungu said partnerships between government and the private sector can help create jobs and wealth, as well as cement national development. The Head of State said this today when he commissioned the K1.2 billion state of the art Edgar Chagwa Lungu Business Park in Kitwe on the Copperbelt Province. Construction of the Edgar Chagwa Lungu Mall was financed by The National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) and has been built within schedule and cost. The business park consists of a hotel, conference facilities, shops, automotive centres, cinema and a gymnasium among other structures. President Lungu who described the business park as a great investment and national asset, has said that, he feels greatly honoured that the facility has been named after him especially while he is still alive. He said government will continue to create an enabling environment for local and foreign investments in the economy. He said government will continue to transform the country through the 7NDP blue print. And President Lungu has noted that government will continue to undertake business reforms in order to reduce the cost of doing business. He said there is need to scale up production capacities and business linkages to support micro and small businesses in the country. The Head of State has further urged NAPSA to offer small traders and businesses, trading places at the ECL Business Park to benefit from the development. He said government will continue to encourage parastatals and the private sector to pool resources to invest in productive sectors of the economy. President Lungu said he was happy that NAPSA has also played a role in financing the construction of the Chingola – Solwezi road. And NAPSA Board Chairperson Marian Munyinda has assured President Lungu that the authority will put to good use member funds in its investment ventures. Ms Munyinda disclosed that NAPSA has since grown its assets from K23 billion to K48 billion.

Lusaka, 23 October 2018: The Minister of Finance, Hon. Margaret Mwanakatwe, MP, has officially launched the Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank Limited (ZICB) at an event held in Lusaka today. Speaking at the event, Hon. Mwanakatwe stated that the launch of the new bank holds a lot of promise for Zambian entrepreneurs and the local business community. The Minister said that government has heard and is aware of the challenges that local entrepreneurs face in accessing financing that is structured for the primary purpose of stimulating the growth of SMEs and local businesses. Mrs. Mwanakatwe noted that according to the World Bank’s 2013 Enterprise Survey, the number one barrier to growth for firms in Zambia is access to credit with 27.5 percent of firms listing it as the most important barrier, followed at 22.5 percent by practices such as inadequate and poor record keeping and poor corporate governance of the informal sector. And commenting on the high collateral requirements by commercial banks, the Minister of Finance said: “Collateral requirements have generally focused on immovable property such as land and buildings, as financial services providers are generally reluctant to provide credit secured by movable property. Many SMEs do not own immovable property, thus presenting them with financing challenges. These challenges of lack of affordable and long-term access to financing, among others, have been cited by our SME’s as the major reason for their low participation in the major economic activities of our country. As government, we want to see enhanced growth of local businesses, and hence local productivity, because it is only this that will lead to sustainable wealth creation and hence poverty alleviation among our people. It is for this reason that Government recently enacted the Movable Property Security Interest Act (MPSI) to make the business environment attractive for lenders to accept movable property as collateral.” The Minister of Finance stated that the launch of Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank Limited is part of government’s commitment to partnering with the private sector in finding solutions to the challenges being faced by Zambians, particularly those in the SME sector. She stated that it is the expectation of government that the launch of Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank Limited will herald a new chapter in the banking sector in Zambia, and that Zambian local businesses will seize the opportunity presented by the opening of the new bank to grow their businesses and increase their contribution to the GDP of the country. And speaking at the same event, ZICB Board Chairman, Mr. Charles Sichangwa, stated that ZICB’s mandate is to play a pivotal role in the commercialisation and industrialisation of Zambian businesses by offering deliberate support to local SMEs and corporate clients for the purpose of enhancing their participation in Zambia’s economic activities. Mr Sichangwa further said: “Through our contribution, we see a future where an increasing number of the goods and services consumed in our country will be locally made or locally produced. This is a bold undertaking that we, as ZICB, cannot accomplish alone and will therefore require the support of various stakeholders, including State-owned enterprises, government statutory bodies and government project accounts.” ZICB Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ignatius Mwanza, stated that the bank started operating on 1st August 2018 with two branches – one at Central Park in Lusaka, and the other in Kitwe at Mukuba Pension House, which will soon be re-located to the new ECL Mall. Mr. Mwanza stated that the demand by customers and other stakeholders to have the bank launched had been phenomenal, and that ZICB is now looking forward to being of service to both individual customers and business houses.

The Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank Limited(ZICB), a newly established local bank, has pledged to contribute to economic growth by supporting the local industry. ZICB opened doors to the public for business on August 1, 2018 through it is currently providing basic cash and account opening services. The bank is owned by the Industrial Development Corporation Limited (IDC), National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), Madison Financial Services Plc and Workers Compensation Fund Control Board. ZICB Chief Executive Officer, Ignatius Mwanza, said it was on track to fully implement new core banking system by December 31, this year and would provide innovative banking solutions to customers. The primary mandate, he said, was to be the financial catalyst that would enable the commercialisation and industrialisation of local Small and Medium Enterprises and Corporate customers. He was speaking in an interview in Lusaka last week. Mr. Mwanza said over the past seven months, the team had literally build a whole new institution from the bottom-up with the implementation of a new core banking system. ‘’It has been a long process and we are glad to finally be at point where we can open our doors to the public,’’ he said. Mr. Mwanza said that the bank would introduce more capabilities and services over the next six weeks. He explained that the bank would then start a long journey to change the face of the Zambian banking sector for the benefit of customers and stakeholders. He said this would lead to meaningful participation of locally owned businesses in economic activities of the country for the purpose of job and wealth creation and ultimately poverty reduction. ‘’In line with the government’s agenda as outlined in the Seventh National Development Plan, ZICB, which in majority owned by IDC, believes that the development and growth of the Zambian economy was key to the creation and equitable distribution of wealth for benefit of the whole economy,’’ Mr. Mwanza said.

Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank (ZICB) has won the Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award at the 2024 Zambia Institute of Public Relations and Communication (ZIPRC) Awards. The award, presented on March 21, 2025, in Livingstone, recognizes ZICB’s 1×3 Classroom Block Initiative at Nakabu Primary School in Mumbwa District, a project aimed at improving access to quality education for rural children. The initiative, which provided a safe and conducive learning environment for pupils, was acknowledged as a significant contribution to education and community development. With this recognition, ZICB reaffirms its commitment to corporate citizenship, sustainability, and social impact. The ZIPRC Awards celebrate excellence in public relations, communication, and CSR across industries in Zambia. Winning the Best CSR Project Award reinforces ZICB’s role as a responsible corporate entity working towards a better future for all Zambians. ZICB remains committed to supporting education, sustainability, and community development, ensuring that its CSR efforts continue to drive meaningful change. To learn more about our initiative, follow the link: https://youtu.be/KpIxsbZ1np8

Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank (ZICB) proudly took part in the official launch of the new series of banknotes and coins, hosted by the Bank of Zambia today at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka. ZICB was represented by Board Chair Mr. Danny Luswili, CEO Mr. Ngenda Nyambe, and Corporate Affairs Manager Mr. Luke Njovu at this landmark event, which marks a significant step in strengthening Zambia’s currency. The Guest of Honour, Minister of Finance and National Planning, Hon. Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, highlighted the importance of this development in enhancing security features, preserving national heritage, and promoting tourism through the currency’s unique designs. As part of the transition, ZICB will facilitate the exchange of old currency for the newly issued banknotes and coins. Customers are encouraged to visit any ZICB branch or call 7000 for more details. At ZICB, we remain committed to serving our customers and supporting national initiatives that drive financial security and economic growth.