CABS launches HerNest to drive women’s financial inclusion

STAFF WRITER

Leading financial services provider, CABS, has unveiled HerNest, a new transactional and savings account tailored specifically for women and women-owned businesses, in a strategic push to close financial inclusion gaps and widen access to formal banking services.

The launch signals a deliberate shift by the institution to design financial products that respond to the realities faced by women entrepreneurs and professionals across Zimbabwe.

Delivering the keynote address, CABS Chief Financial Officer Valerie Muyambo said the initiative goes beyond a conventional product rollout, positioning it instead as a platform for empowerment.

“(It) is more than a product launch. It is a celebration of strength, resilience, and the limitless potential of women,” Muyambo said.

“At CABS, we believe that empowerment goes beyond words. It is about access. It is about confidence. And it is about having the right support and opportunities to thrive.”

She revealed that insights informing the product were drawn from extensive nationwide engagements conducted in partnership with the African Development Bank and the SME Support Centre, which saw over 1,000 women entrepreneurs trained across 22 districts.

“One thing became clear, the ambition is there. The resilience is there. What has been missing is access to financial solutions designed with women in mind,” Muyambo said.

She added that empowering women financially has a multiplier effect on the broader economy.

“When women are empowered financially, the impact extends far beyond the individual. It strengthens families, builds businesses, and contributes meaningfully to economic growth. This is not just good business — it is responsible and sustainable banking.”

CABS Head of Mortgages and Personal Loans, Afra Zishiri, said the HerNest offering was shaped directly by feedback from women across the country.

“When women of this calibre come together, it is never just a gathering. It is a convergence of influence, experience, and possibility,” Zishiri said.

“What we are introducing today has been thoughtfully crafted with women’s needs at its core and importantly, it has been shaped by listening.”

She said engagements with women entrepreneurs revealed a consistent pattern: many are running small but growing businesses with limited resources, but strong potential if adequately supported.

“Women told us they need simplicity, flexibility, and support that grows with them. They told us that access matters more than pricing, flexibility more than complexity, and that solutions must reflect the realities of how they live and work,” she said.

That feedback informed the structure of HerNest, which integrates both a transactional and savings account into a single, streamlined offering.

“Tonight, we introduce a solution inspired by women, designed for women, and created to support you in your daily life — enabling you to move with confidence, embrace your ambitions, and show up as your best self every single day,” Zishiri said.

HerNest combines convenience for everyday transactions with built-in mechanisms to encourage savings, giving users the ability to manage, grow and safeguard their finances within one platform.