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Financial literacy for Zambian women entrepreneurs

Financial literacy refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with their financial resources. For women entrepreneurs, financial literacy is important in ensuring sound credit and debt management as well as making financially responsible decisions for themselves and for their businesses. In short it is a stepping stone to financial stability. Financial literacy skills can be obtained in several ways, ranging from reading to training.

Why is financial literacy important for women entrepreneurs?

Women entrepreneurs often lack financial skills and knowledge to get their business off the ground or to the next stage of growth.

Financial literacy helps the women and youth entrepreneurs understand how to access finance, how lenders and micro-lenders operate, and an awareness of sound credit management practices are some of the issues that need to be addressed to empower them

angle-left NATSAVE financial literacy training for women and youths in Zambia

NATSAVE financial literacy training for women and youths in Zambia

Why is financial literacy important for women and youth entrepreneurs?

  • Many are involved in small businesses which do not grow due to lack of financial education. (e.g. women selling on a market stand year in – year out)
  • Most of them are breadwinners and have the responsibility to care for school going children. Planning their finances is critic.

 

Name of organization:

  • National Savings and Credit Bank

 

About the organization:

NATSAVE is a 100 percent government-owned financial institution established in 1972. It was created with a social mandate to deliver banking services to all parts of the country, especially the rural areas, at an affordable price. It is also mandated to provide financial literacy.


Trainings offered:

We conduct the following.

  • Pre-financing training for our microfinance group lending (Free training to eligible groups before disbursement of loans 4 – 8 weeks)
  • Visitations to schools, organised groups and clubs, work places to discuss the importance of savings and managing personal finances (1 day)
  • Pre- financing training for NGOs and Community Based Organisations giving grants for Income generating activities (1 day)
  • Other Organisations conducting entrepreneurship training call us to discuss the component of savings in the time-table (at least two hours session)

 

Areas covered:

Depending on the time allocated, the flow would be as follows.

  • What is savings?
  • Why do people save?
  • Managing personal finances
  • Income and expenses/ costs
  • Budgeting
  • Goal setting
  • Making financial decisions
  • Savings vs loans
  • Introduction of Bank products

Additional areas of training for women and youth entrepreneurs:

1. Entrepreneurs

  • Record keeping
  • Bank account and reconciliation
  • Budgeting and planning
  • Investing
  • Loan management

 

2. Personal Finances

  • Income vs expenses
  • Preparing a simple home budget
  • Setting goals
  • Savings vs loans

Source of training materials:

Currently we have no link to e-learning resources. However, we have certified trainers authorized to use training material from Savings Bank Foundation for International Cooperation (SBFIC) as follows.

  1. Savings Financial Planning Tool (Savings Game)
  2. Microbusiness Simulation

As source document, we also use and acknowledge the Entrepreneurship training manual by TEVETA

We also have one ILO certified trainer (SIYB)


Additional services beneficial to women entrepreneurs:

  • Linkages to other customers in the bank such as off-takers for farming produce
  • Access to finance

Events organized by NATSAVE:

  • Commemoration of World Savings Day (every 31st October)
  • Participation in the financial literacy programs for the country that take place in the first quarter of every year.

Contact details:

Ms. Muzyange Mwiche

Head Office: Plot 248B, Cairo Road

P.O. Box 30067, Lusaka

Tel:0211-226834,224771/2

Email : info@natsave.co.zm

Website: www.natsave.zm