Langalakhe Mabena [email protected]
THE business opportunities promoted at the annual Imiklomela KaDakamela Cultural Festival are beginning to bear fruit, with TX Money Transfer opening a branch in Nkayi following engagements with the community at the event.
The company officially opened its Nkayi branch at Nkayi Centre on Monday, fulfilling a commitment made after participating in this year’s festival in April.
TX Money Transfer executive director Lucia Chingwaru said engagements with residents, traditional leaders, traders and young people during the festival helped the company understand the challenges people faced in accessing financial services in the district.
“Our engagement with the people of Nkayi opened our eyes to both the challenges they face and the opportunities that exist in the district. We listened to the community and realised that financial services were one area where we could make a practical difference,” she said.
Chief Mbusi Dakamela of Nkayi welcomed the investment, saying it showed the importance of creating platforms where communities could engage directly with the private sector.
He said the festival was not only about celebrating Ndebele culture, but also about identifying opportunities that could improve the lives of people in Nkayi.
“Imiklomela KaDakamela is not a festival where we simply gather, sing and celebrate our culture before going home. We want these gatherings to open doors for development. We talk about the opportunities in Nkayi because we want investors to come and see what this district can offer,” said Chief Dakamela.
He said the opening of the TX branch showed that such engagements could result in tangible development.
“What makes this investment important is that the company came, listened to our people and acted. This is the kind of response we want from investors. We do not want people to only hear about Nkayi; we want them to come here, engage with our communities and invest,” he said.
Chief Dakamela said improved access to financial services would also reduce the burden on residents who previously had to travel to Bulawayo and other centres to access banking and remittance services.
“Our elders should not spend their pension money travelling to Bulawayo to collect it. Families should not lose part of the money sent by relatives to transport costs. Bringing these services to Nkayi means keeping money circulating within our local economy,” he said.
The branch will provide remittance and agency banking services linked to NMB Bank, AFC Bank, ZB Bank, POSB and InnBucks.
It will also facilitate remittances and payments through EcoCash, O’mari, WorldRemit, Mukuru and Mama Money.
Customers will also be able to make local money transfers, buy ZETDC electricity tokens and pay DStv bills.
The Nkayi investment comes after TX opened a branch in Tsholotsho in July as the company expands its presence in rural districts across Matabeleland.
For Chief Dakamela, the development shows that Nkayi can attract investment when communities are given opportunities to engage directly with potential investors.
“The message we are sending is simple — Nkayi is open for business. We have land, people, markets and opportunities. What we need is investment that creates jobs, brings services closer to the people and helps our local economy grow.”
