FNB Zambia and British International Investment Seal $20 Million MSME Financing Deal

FNB Zambia has announced a landmark USD 20 million financing partnership with British International Investment (BII), the UK's development finance institution, in a move set to transform access to capital for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.

The partnership, formalised at a ceremony attended by FNB Zambia CEO Ms. Kapumpe Chola, British High Commission Chargée d'Affaires Ms. Berni Smith, BII Managing Director and Head of Africa Chris Chijiutomi, and BII Coverage Director for South Central Africa Dirk Holshausen, underscores the growing confidence of international partners in Zambia's private sector potential.

Central to the agreement is a commitment that a minimum of 30% of the funding will be directed towards women-owned and women-led businesses, a provision that directly strengthens FNB Zambia's Helping Everywoman Rise (H.E.R) Banking proposition. The significance of this was brought to life by Ms. Chomba Bowa, Owner of Meraki Centro Limited, who spoke at the event about how FNB Zambia's support had enabled her business to grow with confidence.

For Zambia, this partnership represents far more than a financing facility. MSMEs are the backbone of the national economy, employing the majority of the working population and driving grassroots economic activity in communities across all ten provinces. By combining capital with a deliberate focus on women's economic inclusion, the FNB-BII partnership directly supports the kind of broad-based, sustainable growth that Zambia needs as it builds on its improving economic fundamentals.