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Moza Banco has provided the Empresa Municipal de Mobilidade e Estacionamento (EMME) with around 5 million dollars, equivalent to more than 330 million meticais, in credit, to materialise the project to build the Maputo City Council's multistorey carpark, adjacent to the Central Market.

The already completed infrastructure, inaugurated on Friday (26 January) by the city's mayor, Eneas Comiche, now guarantees a total of 420 parking spaces on 3 levels, considerably easing the pressure on the city's downtown area as far as car parking is concerned. Also under the project, 330 new stalls were added to Maputo's central market, with the aim of minimising the risk associated with informal vending on the city's pavements and roads, an activity that often results in road accidents and other ills.

According to Eneas Comiche, who was speaking at the ceremony to inaugurate the new multistorey carpark, the new building will help to resolve two issues of concern to the town council in one fell swoop, since it "increases the number of stalls in the market to absorb informal vendors, removing them from the pavements and other public spaces; while it also solves the problem of mobility and parking". 

On the same occasion, the authorities announced that residents will be able to access the car park for a symbolic fee of 20 meticais per hour, which is considerably lower than the fee charged by private companies in the same sector.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, Jaime Joaquim, a member of Moza's Executive Committee, expressed his satisfaction with the conclusion of the project and welcomed the strength of the partnership with EMME, which dates back to 2017.

"We are proud to know that, with our funding, we have helped to build such important infrastructure for this city. As well as being extremely necessary in the area where it is located (downtown Maputo), the infrastructure reflects how meritorious it can be for Mozambicans to join forces in favour of the common good," Jaime Joaquim said, adding that "as Moza, we commend and want to continue maintaining this partnership with EMME, materialising similar projects in other parts of the city with the same needs."

 By financing initiatives to implement pioneering and essential urban mobility projects, Moza is reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development in Mozambique.  

Moza's CFO, Devan Manmoandas, has argued that only by investing in human capital can institutions (especially those linked to the financial sector) succeed in their Digital Transformation processes. For Manmoandas, there is little point in investing in the acquisition of innovative machines, tools and technological systems while the mentality of their users remains reticent about the dynamics of change. 

The statements were made this Wednesday in Maputo during the presentation ceremony of the CFO Survey Mozambique, a study carried out by Ernst & Young that is focused on the financial leaders and employees of 37 institutions in the Banking and Insurance sectors in Mozambique.

To emphasise his point, Manmoandas used the analogy "You can buy the best juicer, but if the fruit isn't good, the juice won't be either", in a clear reference to the need to invest in the skills of employees in order to achieve success. 

The Financial Director also welcomed Mozambique's rapid evolution towards Digital Transformation, pointing to Covid-19 as one of the primary drivers in this irreversible process.

"At Moza, for example, today we don't need a room full of people to produce our reports. Through an integrated system, we are able to work independently and still achieve our goals successfully," he said.

In the same vein, Devan Manmoandas spoke about his work, pointing to the issue of organising, cataloguing and protecting financial data as fundamental to the success of what he does.

"I feel that there is increasing awareness of the need to put financial data issues at the centre of the Digital Transformation strategy. Only with assertive, up-to-date financial information can you ensure a return on investment," Moza's CFO added.  

Moza is proud to be a bank that shares ideas and strategic reflections on various topics, including those that refer to investment in the quality and skills of human capital. The Bank believes that all technology depends on people to make the best results happen. 

As in previous years, during 2023 Moza Banco stood out for its commitment to Social Responsibility, making a series of initiatives possible in various areas, with a particular focus on education, volunteering, sustainability, art and literature and sport.

In education, the Bank ensured that citizens in the districts of Derre (Zambézia), Memba and Murrupula (Nampula), Chimbunila and Majune (Niassa), in the central and northern regions, acquired essential knowledge for a better understanding of the need to save and invest, with the implementation of the radio programme on financial education called "Conta com o Moza" (Count on Moza). The message, broadcast in local languages, was mainly aimed at people in rural areas, including farmers, small traders, students, civil servants and state agents.

In the same period, Moza trained dozens of journalists in issues relating to the national financial market, with the aim of providing the press with tools to analyse the various reports and scenarios relating to the country's economy.

On the humanitarian front, Moza answered the call of the victims of the floods that hit the district of Boane in February last year, joining the efforts of the local authority by promoting campaigns to collect goods and basic necessities to alleviate the suffering of the affected communities. In addition to Boane, Moza's solidarity campaigns have also benefited other regions of the country, culminating in the Christmas solidarity lunch that took place last December in the Manjangue community in Chokwe, bringing together a group of the Bank's employees and more than 300 needy children. On the occasion, more than 200 kits of school supplies were donated as a way of encouraging the children not to drop out of school.   Similar initiatives took place in other parts of the country, specifically at the Gondola District Hospital in Manica and at the Criança Esperança Orphanage in Pemba, Cabo Delgado.  

Likewise on the solidarity side, as a bank interested in supporting the most vulnerable social groups, last year Moza employees travelled to Nampula, specifically to the Betel Religious Reception Centre, where they offered wheelchairs to children and elderly people with walking difficulties, to minimise the difficulties they face as a result of the physical condition imposed by their disability.

 And to empower women and girls, the Bank's social arm, Clube Moza, became a member of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), the largest global alliance for the promotion of women's, children's and adolescents' health, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

On the environmental front, the members of Clube Moza carried out various actions in favour of preserving ecosystems, with a particular focus on strengthening vegetation in various critical areas of the country threatened by climate change, especially erosion. The actions were part of the ambitious project called "Vamos Plantar Arvores" (Let's Plant Trees), the main aim of which is to encourage the Bank's employees and other friends and associates to plant one million trees in the most critical areas across the country, thus generating a significant generational impact. Last year the project covered Maputo, specifically the Xefina Islands and the district of Namaacha, and the province of Inhambane, specifically the coastal area of the town of Maxixe, where thousands of saplings were planted in partnership with the local authorities.

In the artistic and literary field, the Bank maximised its partnership with the Fernando Leite Couto Foundation to promote literary meetings and the launch of works by new authors and established writers, contributing to the growth of the national artistic and literary pool. Moza financially sponsored the 5th edition of the Fernando Leite Couto Literary Prize, funding the printing and launch of the books by the authors who won the prize in the previous edition, as it has done since this partnership was established. Some of these works were launched outside Maputo, reaching readers in various parts of the country, especially in the provinces of Gaza, Sofala and Nampula. Among the authors supported is the renowned Mozambican writer Mia Couto, who recently released his "Compêndio para Desenterrar Nuvens” (“Compendium for Unearthing Clouds"). 

2023 also saw Moza combine education and theatre, with the launch of the play "Saber Sonhar o amanhã" (Knowing How to Dream Tomorrow), in which the nation is invited to reflect on the importance of saving to build a brighter future.  With the launch of the play in question, the Bank began a series of activities aimed at children and young people, with the aim of disseminating educational messages about saving, in various schools in the three regions of the country.

On the sports scene, Moza also made its contribution. Moza sponsored the Maputo City Swimming Association (ANCM), making a series of training programmes possible, the aim of which was to improve the theoretical component of the swimmers, ensuring that they are even more effective in sport. The Bank also sponsored the Mozambican judoka, Jacira Ferreira, making it possible for her to take part in various international tournaments, in particular the Algiers African Open and the Yaonde African Open, continental competitions in which the national representative won 3rd place and consequently recorded a considerable improvement in the world ranking. This year (2024) the Bank will finance the athlete's international tour with the aim of guaranteeing her qualification for the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

Also last year, the Bank signed an agreement with Rádio Moçambique, particularly RM Desporto, to support the deployment of a reporting team to accompany and broadcast the participation of the Mozambican national football team, the "Mambas", in the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), 2024. 

This year (2024) Moza will further strengthen its investment in social and environmental responsibility actions, believing that through these initiatives the Bank supports projects with a positive impact, using its resources in favour of an increasingly better Mozambique, in which each Mozambican makes change happen.

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.