Banking
DHL Express Named Top Employer in Africa
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
World’s leading international express services provider, DHL Express, has been certified as a Top Employer in Africa by the Top Employers Institute at the prestigious Top Employer 2017 ceremony on Thursday, October 13, 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The company was certified as a Top Employer in twelve markets, including Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.
Speaking on the feat, CEO of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Mr Hennie Heymans, stated that, “We are extremely proud of this achievement. This is testament to how much we value our employees and reaffirms that DHL Express is a rewarding place to work at.”
He further said that, “Having motivated people is the first pillar of our global internal Focus strategy and being an Employer of Choice is one of our three bottom lines. This demonstrates how seriously we take employee engagement and development at a global level and on the ground in SSA.
“We’re committed to having a team of high performers who operate in a high performance culture and in a region that promotes and drives diversity of leadership.”
According to him, “I believe that DHL Express has something very unique. You don’t often find a company that can maintain the same culture across the world.
“The fact that you can walk into any one of our offices around the world and feel that same drive towards customer centricity from the minute you walk in the door is truly amazing. Our Focus pillars lay the foundation for this success and the abundance of employee engagement and recognition programs are perfectly positioned to support this.
Mr Heymans added that, “These initiatives and programs include our Certified International Specialist (CIS) program, which is a cultural change program that all our employees across SSA have gone through.
“An extension of CIS is our Certified International Manager (CIM) program, which focuses primarily on ensuring that our leaders are equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet the demands of today’s complex working environment and promote effective and quality leadership among managers.”
He explained that, “We also run an annual Employee Opinion Survey which is 100 percent anonymous. This gives us great insight into areas that require improvement, as well as reaffirms areas that we are doing well in.
“Much like how we rely on customer feedback to improve our customer service quality, direct feedback from employees is imperative to our success. From an employee recognition point of view, we run Employee Appreciation Weeks and functional focus weeks which celebrate and recognize our employees’ achievements in each country. In addition, we present quarterly and annual awards to our star performers, based on employee nominations.”
To be certified as a Top Employer in Africa, a company needs to operate in four or more countries and have exceptional employee conditions. The Top Employers Institute conducts comprehensive and independent research by getting employees in the relevant companies to complete a HR best practice survey.
The survey assesses the company’s HR strategy, policy implementation, practices and employee offerings, to reveal whether the company provides exceptional employee conditions, develops talent on all levels and demonstrates leadership through optimizing the development of its employees and employee practices.
Each completed survey is reviewed by the Top Employer Institute and subsequently audited by a third party. Only organizations that qualify from the selection process receive the Top Employers title and Certification Seal but all participants receive a comprehensive Feedback Report.
“We are delighted to have been certified as a Top Employer in Africa for the third consecutive year and strive to ensure that we continue to achieve this prestigious certification every year,” concludes Heymans.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To strengthen Europe-Africa trade ties, Access Bank has opened a new branch in Malta. It will focus on international trade finance, employing approximately 30 people in its initial phase, with plans for controlled expansion over time.
It was learned that this Maltese branch was established by Access Bank UK Limited, the subsidiary of Access Bank Plc, which is also the subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc, which is listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
Access Bank Malta Limited commenced operations after obtaining a banking licence from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).
Access Bank said the licence marks a transformative milestone in bolstering Europe-Africa trade flows.
Malta, a renowned international financial centre, and a gateway between the two continents, is strategically positioned to play a pivotal role in advancing commerce and fostering economic partnerships.
This strategic expansion into Malta enables The Access Bank UK Limited to leverage growing trade opportunities between Europe and Africa.
It underscores the organisation’s commitment to driving global trade, financial integration, and supporting businesses across these regions.
“By establishing operations in Malta, we will gain a foothold in a market that bridges European and North African economies, moving us one step closer to our goal of becoming Africa’s Gateway to the World.
“It further enhances our bank’s capacity to support clients with innovative solutions tailored to cross-border trade and investment opportunities,” the chief executive of Access Bank, Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna, stated.
“Europe has emerged as Africa’s leading trading partner, driven by initiatives such as the Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and African regions and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“With Europe-Africa economic relations entering a new phase, The Access Bank Malta Limited is ideally positioned to deepen trade and meet the financing and banking needs of our clients in these expanding markets,” the chief executive of Access Bank UK, Mr Jamie Simmonds, commented.
Also speaking, the chief executive of Access Bank Malta, Renald Theuma, said, “Malta is uniquely positioned as a bridge between Europe and Africa, making it an ideal location for our subsidiary. This move allows The Access Bank Malta Limited to engage more closely with customers in Europe and deliver tailored financial solutions that drive growth and connectivity across both continents.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Goldman Sachs have announced a new partnership with African banks, including Nigeria’s Zenith Bank and Stanbic IBTC Nigeria to support the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative, a joint programme launched in 2008 to provide access to capital and training for women entrepreneurs globally.
The two Nigerian banks are part of nine financial institutions from across Africa which have agreed to join the 10,000 Women initiative committing to leverage the business education and skills tools the programme provides to create more opportunities for women entrepreneurs across the continent by providing access to business education.
Others banks include Stanbic Bank Kenya, Ecobank Kenya, Ecobank Cote d’Ivoire, Equity Bank Group, Banco Millenium Atlantico – Angola, Baobab Group, and Orange Bank.
Speaking on this, Ms Charlotte Keenan, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs said – “10,000 Women has had a powerful impact to date, but we know that there are more women to reach and more potential to be realized.
“We are delighted to partner with IFC to supercharge the growth of women-owned businesses across Africa, and mainstream lending to female business leaders. We remain committed to supporting entrepreneurs with the access to education and capital that they need to scale.”
Since 2008, the 10,000 Women initiative has provided access to capital and business training to more than 200,000 women in 150 countries.
“This expanded initiative marks a significant step forward in creating equitable economic opportunities for women in Africa, enabling them to build stronger, more resilient businesses and to realize their entrepreneurial goals,” said Ms Nathalie Kouassi Akon, IFC’s Global Director for Gender and Economic Inclusion.
Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women initiative complements the Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility (WEOF), launched in 2014 by Goldman Sachs and IFC as the first-of-its-kind global facility dedicated to expanding access to capital for women entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
In recognition of its unwavering commitment to fostering access to financing for Nigerian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Development Bank of Nigeria Plc has been rewarded with the Financial Inclusion Leadership Award at the Champions of Inclusion Nigeria Financial Inclusion Awards.
This was at the 2024 International Financial Inclusion Conference (IFIC) organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the World Bank and other stakeholders.
The chief executive of the lender, Mr Tony Okpanachi, said the recognition affirms the company’s efforts in expanding access to financial services for MSMEs in Nigeria.
“We are honoured to receive the Financial Inclusion Leadership Award, which is a testament to our bank’s commitment to expanding access to financial services for all Nigerians. This award recognises our efforts to bridge the financial inclusion gap, particularly for a priority sector like the MSMEs.
“Additionally, this award is a validation of our strategic focus on driving financial inclusion for small businesses, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this initiative that drives that. We will continue to innovate and expand our financial inclusion programmes, ensuring that more Nigerian small and startup businesses have access to services,” he stated.
On his part, the Chief Operating Officer of DBN, Mr Bonaventure Okhaimo, said the accolade demonstrates the firm’s dedication to driving financial inclusion and economic growth in Nigeria.
“This award acknowledges our Bank’s innovative approach to widening opportunities for MSMEs in Nigeria to grow and scale their businesses,” he said.
“This award will motivate us to continue pushing the boundaries of financial inclusion, exploring more innovative solutions and partnerships to expand our reach and impact.
“We are committed to ensuring that more small businesses and startup enterprises in Nigeria have access to financial services, this award will further inspire us to accelerate our efforts in this regard,” he stated.
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