News

• The initiative by EIB Global and Moza Banco, as part of the Global Gateway Strategy, will offer financing to small and medium-sized businesses in Mozambique, with a special focus on businesses owned or run by women.
• Women are less likely to be able to access adequate financing for their businesses and the EIB-Moza Banco instrument will bridge this financing gap.
• The project will support economic growth, prosperity and gender equality.

Access to finance for women entrepreneurs in Mozambique will increase thanks to a 10-million-euro loan signed today by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The funding will allow Moza Banco to make available a new 20-million-euro instrument for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

The instrument will offer loans with favourable terms, aimed at companies that are owned or led by women, that employ a significant number of women or that offer specific services for women. Funding will be available in various sectors, including manufacturing, transport, agriculture, health and services.

The African continent has one of the highest percentages of female entrepreneurs in the world. In Mozambique, more than three-quarters of the working population derives its livelihood from a small or medium-sized business, and two-thirds of the workers in such businesses are women.

"The economic empowerment of women is essential for a country's development," said Thomas Östros, EIB Vice-President responsible for diversity and inclusion and operations in African countries. "By investing in small businesses run by women in Mozambique, the EIB is helping them to access economic opportunities, create livelihoods and gain financial independence. Investing in these businesses is not only an investment in women, but also in the education and health of their families, as well as in employment. Women's prosperity benefits society and the economy as a whole."

The CEO of Moza Banco, Manuel Soares, said that "Moza Banco firmly believes in the transformative power of financing projects that strengthen the role of women in society, recognising that this not only boosts economic development, but also promotes the financial independence of this important social group. In Mozambique, and also on the continent, we see a growing determination on the part of women to take the lead and become protagonists of their own trajectories. We have a strong desire to boost the potential of these women, creating facilities for obtaining resources and opportunities that not only elevate the position of Mozambican women in the economy, but also foster the construction of a more inclusive and equitable society."

The European Union's ambassador to Mozambique, Antonino Maggiore, said that "the Global Gateway Strategy in Mozambique aims to encourage public and private investment to generate sustainable growth and jobs for the country's growing youth population. Therefore, one of its priorities is to ensure that SMEs, especially those led by women, have greater access to finance. The European Union has high hopes that, as a result of this financing instrument, the potential of the Mozambican private sector will be fully utilised."

Small businesses are a key driver of economic growth and development, providing goods, services, jobs and income to local communities. To thrive, especially in a context of climate change and an adverse global economy, they need adequate funding. However, statistics show that, worldwide, women are less likely to access the finance they need. The EIB-Moza Banco facility will bridge this financing gap with financial mechanisms and products geared towards the needs of women entrepreneurs.

Moza Banco, in the shape of its collective of volunteers, Clube Moza, this Saturday joined just over a hundred employees, friends and partners, to combat erosion on Xefina Island, in the municipal district of Kamavota, Maputo. The group planted more than 200 trees on the coastal there, where climate change is visibly devastating local vegetation.

In addition to planting trees, the volunteers donated clothes and non-perishable food to the 45 inhabitants of Xefina Island who live in precarious conditions on the isolated piece of land, whose erosion is diminishing it little by little.

According to the residents of Xefina, the donated goods respond to some of the community’s needs, but it “doesn’t have schools, hospitals, piped water or other essential services”, they complain.

The bank hopes the “Let’s Plant Trees” initiative will minimise soil erosion caused by the rising water levels affecting more than 60% of Mozambican coastal regions, according to official data. The project, which covers the whole country, should make it possible to plant hundreds of mangrove seedlings and other plants that help soils resist erosion.

According to environmentalist Rui Silva, the attitude of the Bank’s volunteers is part of global efforts to combat the effects of climate change, which put the survival of all humanity at risk.

“The effects of climate change are a global concern. As we can witness here, there are houses that were once on land and were inhabited in the past, but are now in the sea. We, as a country, are very vulnerable to rising ocean waters, so more and more collective awareness is needed to minimise these situations, particularly with regard to erosion,” the environmentalist stressed.

For the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Moza Banco, Manuel Soares, the “Let’s Plant Trees” project is an initiative that will create natural barriers that will help preserve coastal vegetation, contributing to the reinforcement of local biodiversity and guaranteeing a healthy environment for future generations.

“By making the “Let’s Plant Trees” project happen, we plant not only tree seedlings, but also the seeds of hope for a better future. We are united in our purpose of preserving the environment and ensuring the protection of our precious biodiversity,” Manuel Soares said.

The implementation of this initiative was possible with the support of the Municipal Council of Maputo City, the Maritime Club, the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) and the Xefina community leaders who received the team of volunteers.

With yet one more project, Moza “makes it happen” through concrete actions that demonstrate its commitment to social responsibility and environmental preservation. Moza Bank believes that only by joining forces and working together can a sustainable future be guaranteed for all.

Moza Banco has been awarded the "Local Content Bank", in recognition of the impact its products and services have had on communities across the country. Moza is the bank that, under the government's "One District, One Bank" programme, has opened the most branches in rural regions of Mozambique.

The prize was awarded by Mozambique Energy Intelligence Limitada (MEI), as part of the 1st edition of the "Enermina Awards", also known as the Local Content Award. The initiative aims to identify, publicise, and recognise actions of constructive impact carried out by the various Local Content agents in the energy, mining, agriculture and environment sectors in Mozambique.

The award was presented recently in Maputo to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Moza Banco, Manuel Soares, by representatives of the awarding organisation, in the presence of several the bank's employees and other numerous guests.  

MEI's Director, Mr Momade Mucanheia, on the occasion, addressed words of encouragement to Moza Banco, calling for it to constantly maintain the quality of its products and services and the focus on the expansion of its network.

"With over 1600 points accumulated as part of its impact in social and industrial responsibility actions, Moza has shown commitment and interest in supporting constructive actions at the service of the comm  unity. We simply ask that it maintains this spirit and inspire other institutions," Momade Mucanheia added. 

Moza Banco’s CEO said that the merit belongs to all employees. "It is only thanks to the individual and collective dedication of all our employees that we continue to grow and reaffirm our presence in the market, as a genuinely Mozambican bank. We want our DNA to be mirrored in the desire to be ever closer to the communities and to each Mozambican family. In general, we always want to Make It Happen", he said.

The recognition by Mozambique Energy Intelligence boosts Moza's ambition to continue to develop and reach more and more of the Mozambican population, thus becoming the main driver of the process of financial inclusion in Mozambique.

Moza Banco launches, this Monday (July 3), on all media platforms, its new institutional campaign attached to the slogan "Make it Happen". This campaign represents a reaffirmation of Moza as the only bank that belongs to Mozambicans and that is therefore an active participant in the people’s history of resilience, work, and pride.

By recognizing, valuing, and relating to the Mozambican dream, Moza seeks to inspire and motivate citizens to pursue their goals, after all, they "Make It Happen" in all areas of activity, driving national development and nurturing local production and value creation. 

The main objective of this campaign is to strengthen the relationship that Moza has not only with its customers, but also with each and every Mozambican who knows how to "Make it Happen". The aim is to ensure that all citizens are aware that whenever they need a banking partner who, like them, Makes It Happen, they can count on Moza.

According to the Chairman of Moza's Board of Directors, João Figueiredo, "the bank works every day to ensure that its financial products and services are appropriate to the reality of all citizens and 'Make Happen' the real changes in their lives".

And, to "Make it Happen", Moza began a transformative journey, in which the bank, continuing to focus on the customer has maintained its commitment to the quality and diversity of its technological solutions.

This transformation that Moza has been experiencing is already visible from the outside with the bank recently recognised as "one of the best institutions to work for in Mozambique".        

Meanwhile, Moza continues to "Make it Happen" in its actions to improve the customer experience, investing even more in the expansion of its commercial activities, offering personalised solutions.

For Moza's Chief Executive Officer, Manuel Soares, the bank seeks permanently to "take up its own space, contributing to the sustainable growth of the country based on knowledge, strategic vision, financial solidity and social responsibility".

Moza's new institutional campaign is directly associated with the 15^th anniversary celebrations for a bank that has adopted a positive and proactive stance, priding itself on being an entity that has in its origins the reflection of a Mozambican spirit that "does not wait for things to happen, they always invent a new way of doing something, they always overcome any obstacle that appears in front of them, always facing every adversity with optimism and "Make it happen".

This is how the Bank invites each and every Mozambican to join Moza in this journey of success which "Makes it Happen".

Moza Banco Executive Committee Member and CFO, Devan Manmoandas, will participate on 24^th May at the World Financial Innovation Series, a meeting that brings together over 350 heads of technology and business areas from several banks, microfinance institutions and insurance companies.

The two-day conference (24^th-25^th May) will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, a choice justified by the fact that this is one of the African countries that has most embraced the digitalisation of banking processes, and which has over 94% of its population using mobile wallets to transact their money.

Based on his experience and expertise, Devan Manmoandas, will present and discuss the topic of "Everything is Data & Opportunities for African Banks", analysing the importance of data information for decision-making processes, risk mitigation and the improvement of products and services delivered to the customer.

Moza's CFO will also discuss the potential of emerging technologies, with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence and the automated use of machines in the African banking sector.

Devan Manmoandas will also share his vision on the relevance of digital and innovative solutions in promoting financial inclusion, highlighting, in particular, the key role of Management and Boards of Directors in leading the processes.

“This is an excellent opportunity for us to contribute with our knowledge to the improvement of banking processes on the continent. It is also an opportunity to learn from other players and bring this know-how to Mozambique and particularly to make our Moza Banco more efficient in delivering products and services to its customers", Devan Manmoandas points out.

Likewise, abroad and this time invited by the Corinium Intelligence Group, Executive Committee Member, Devan Manmoandas, will join Director of Information Management, Camilo Amarcy, to discuss "Strategies for Implementation of a Data Team and Structuring a Career in the Data Industry", between 29^th and 31^st May, in Cape Town, South Africa.

At the event, known as DataCon, Moza's representatives will present to over 200 guests, on the topic of "Sensing, Responding and Acting: Prioritising Sustainable Data Strategies for a Changing World".

For Moza Banco, joining these two events reaffirms the bank’s commitment to innovation and digital transformation, always seeking to improve its practices, with the provision of quality products and services to its customers. Thereby, Moza is also complying with its macro-objective of contributing to the sustainable development of Africa, as a whole.