TINASHE MAKICHI
The National Building Society (NBS) has partnered the country’s largest cotton company, Cottco, to support small scale cotton farmers as the bank taps into the agriculture sector for additional income, Business Times can report.
The partnership deal, NBS spokesperson Mildret Kujinga said, has been extended to other corporates in Mashonaland West, Manicaland and Masvingo Province to assist the small scale farmers who can work and invest towards home ownership.
“NBS is aggressively driving financial inclusion through establishing partnerships with corporates with the same agenda. The bank recently stepped its game to extend financial services to small scale farmers fostering financial empowerment where farmers can work and invest towards home ownership as it is the core mandate of the society,” Kujinga told Business Times.
The NBS-Cottco partnership, Kujinga said has ushered a holistic dimension to drive the financial inclusion Agenda in line with United Nation Sustainable Development Goal 8 which is premised on promoting sustained inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
NBS has committed to serve the cotton farmers in meeting the financial services needs of those that run other businesses through personal and business banking units.
“We are deliberate about building empowered communities and the NBS-Cottco partnership is another practical example of delivering on our Building Communities mandate.
“We have an array of digital financial products tailored to the needs of the farmers and we continue to harness a positive financial impact through partnerships with corporates and our doors remain open to welcome even more small scale farmers in ensuring access to the much needed financial services as we drive the digital banking agenda,” Kujinga said.
