Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
FBC Holdings Limited (FBCH) has opened a service centre in Gwanda, Matabeleland South, bringing a range of financial services closer to residents and businesses in the district.
The new centre, located at the NSSA Complex, offers banking solutions through FBC Bank and Crown Bank, insurance services through FBC Insurance and micro-financing services through Micro Plan.
Among the products being offered is the FBC Rand Mastercard, a dual-currency, Rand-denominated payment solution targeted at cross-border traders and travellers.
The card allows customers to load South African Rands directly onto the card for use in South Africa and across international Mastercard platforms.
Speaking at the commissioning of the service centre, FBC Holdings head of group marketing Mr Roy Nyakunuwa said the Rand Mastercard provided customers with a safer and more convenient way of carrying and accessing their money when travelling.
“We are commissioning an FBC service centre in Gwanda today. The service centre offers banking solutions for FBC Bank and Crown Bank. It also offers insurance solutions through FBC Insurance and micro-financing through Micro Plan,” he said.
“Micro Plan was already existing in Gwanda but we have moved it to the new service centre in NSSA Complex.”
Mr Nyakunuwa said customers could open accounts, apply for loans, obtain Mastercard products and access other banking services at the new centre.
“One of the most interesting solutions we have for the Gwanda market is the FBC Rand Mastercard. This is a Mastercard purely denominated in Rands where clients can directly load their Rands onto the card,” he said.
He said the product was particularly relevant to Gwanda given the town’s proximity to South Africa and the high volume of cross-border trade between Gwanda, Musina and Johannesburg.
“Taking into account the proximity of Gwanda to South Africa and the trade which happens between Gwanda, Musina and Johannesburg, where people travel quite often to get wares for resale and business, the financial services company is offering a safe and secure solution which travellers can use as they travel to South Africa,” said Mr Nyakunuwa.
He said carrying large amounts of cash when travelling posed security risks, with reports of travellers being robbed along the highway to South Africa.
Mr Nyakunuwa said using the card would reduce the amount of cash customers carried while travelling, thereby helping minimise the risks associated with carrying large sums of money.
He said the opening of the Gwanda service centre was part of the group’s efforts to improve service delivery by bringing financial services closer to its customers.
Mr Nyakunuwa said the company would continue exploring ways of making its services more accessible and convenient to communities across the country.
@DubeMatutu
