Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 4 March 2026: Absa Bank Tanzania has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment, positioning inclusion not as corporate philanthropy, but as a strategic national growth imperative.
Speaking to the media in Dar es Salaam, the Bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Obedi Laiser, emphasised that empowering women is fundamental to Tanzania’s long-term economic competitiveness. “Women empowerment is not optional for growth. It is a requirement for growth,” Mr. Laiser said. “Excluding nearly half of the country’s talent pool from full economic participation represents a measurable productivity loss.”
He noted that at Absa, inclusion is embedded within the Bank’s operating model – influencing product design, lending frameworks, leadership development, and strategic partnerships.
“Women have always demonstrated capability and resilience. The strength was always there. What often lacked was access – access to capital, networks, and formal systems,” he said. “By empowering women, we are not choosing a segment. We are choosing Tanzania’s future.”
A key example of this commitment is Absa’s She Business Account, a dedicated solution designed to address barriers that frequently exclude women entrepreneurs from the formal banking system. The product minimises account maintenance costs while encouraging the building of transaction histories that strengthen credit eligibility.
Recognising that collateral requirements and informality often limit access to finance, the Bank has also strengthened partnerships with microfinance institutions. Through this layered financing model, Absa provides capital to specialised lenders who extend financing to women entrepreneurs at the grassroots level.
Mr. Laiser also challenged perceptions around credit risk. “The notion that women are riskier borrowers does not align with performance data. Women-led enterprises frequently demonstrate strong repayment discipline and sustainable reinvestment behaviour.”
Beyond financial solutions, Absa is institutionalising inclusion through leadership development initiatives. Mr. Laiser sponsors an internal mentorship programme known as “ElevateHer,” which supports mid-level female managers in building executive presence, strengthening boardroom engagement, and increasing strategic visibility.
The Bank also facilitates mentorship linkages between senior female directors and emerging leaders, reinforcing leadership continuity and knowledge transfer. This commitment is anchored in Absa’s corporate purpose – “Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together… one story at a time” – and its brand promise, “Your story matters.”
“Our purpose reflects our belief that sustainable growth is achieved by unlocking individual and collective potential. ‘Your Story Matters’ means every entrepreneur, every leader, and every ambition deserves recognition, support, and opportunity,” Mr. Laiser said.
Mr. Laiser cautioned that slowing the momentum of intentional empowerment would carry measurable costs, including weakened household stability, reduced leadership diversity, and diminished national competitiveness.
“In today’s global environment, inclusion is no longer peripheral. It is central to long-term balance sheet strength and national economic momentum,” he said.
For Absa Bank Tanzania, empowering women is not a seasonal campaign but a structural investment – aligning commercial performance with social progress and positioning the Bank as a catalyst for inclusive economic transformation.
For more information, please contact:
Aron Luhanga
Head, Marketing & Corporate Relations
Absa Bank Tanzania Limited
+255 768 221 717
aron.luhanga@absa.africa
About the Absa Africa Financial Markets Index
The Absa Africa Financial Markets Index is an annual report that evaluates the development of African financial markets across six pillars, providing insights for investors, policymakers and market participants. The Index is produced by OMFIF in partnership with Absa Group and with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
About Absa Bank Tanzania
Absa Bank Tanzania Limited is one of Tanzania’s leading financial institutions offering an integrated set of products and services across Corporate and Investment Banking, Business Banking with solutions for SMEs, and Retail Banking. Backed by its 21-year legacy in Tanzania and inspired by the people it serves, Absa is committed to finding local solutions to uniquely local challenges and everything we do is focused on bringing possibility to life.
Absa Bank Tanzania is part of Absa Group Limited, one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups. Absa Group employees approximately 40, 000 professionals operating in South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Seychelles, Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana. The Group has representative offices in Nigeria, Namibia, London and New York, as well as insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Absa is a truly African brand, inspired by the people we serve and determined to be the financial services Group Africa can be proud of.
For more about Absa Bank Tanzania, its products and services, visit www.absa.co.tz
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