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Moza Banco ambassador and respected Mozambican musician, Luís Pereira, better known as Stewart Sukuma, this year celebrates 40 years of a solid career in the cultural context of Mozambique and beyond. 

Early on Wednesday evening, 23^rd March, the launch event for the 40^th anniversary celebrations of the career of musician and social activist Stewart Sukuma, who entered the world of music in 1982 with the recording of his first song entitled "Musica Quente".

40 years later, Sukuma is still managing to reinvent himself with a unique marrabenta style without losing the essence of the 50s. Stewart was the first musician to break the language barrier by singing this popular Tsonga style in Portuguese. 

To celebrate four decades of hard work, several activities are scheduled to start from 25^th March, “We chose 25^th March to start the activities of this celebration as it is the day I celebrate my birthday.  This initiative will have several cultural and social actions that will end one year later, on 25^th March 2023. For me, 40 years later a new phase begins, as if it were the beginning of a career, with the enthusiasm and joy of someone who is creating their first song”, Stewart Sukuma said.

Moza Banco partners these commemorations, which aim to recognize and celebrate the life and work of Stewart Sukuma, an icon of the national music scene, with an invaluable contribution in the promotion of Mozambican culture.

The CEO of Moza Banco, Manuel Soares, said during his speech that the 40 years of Stewart's career mark a trajectory along which the musician has offered music lovers and others, true hits that stand out for the richness of their compositions, poetry and melody, with contagious sounds and rhythms, which have made them timeless.

“Songs such as Julieta, Sumanga, Moçambique or Felisminha are a clear example of this. Marrabenta, one of the main musical rhythms in Mozambique and which represents our identity, has one of its main promoters in Stewart Sukuma, who manages to reinvent it in a unique way from time to time, without allowing it to lose its essence”.

Later, Moza's CEO left the musician with a challenge, saying “we launch here the challenge for you to continue for many more years to contribute with your knowledge, with your art, and with your music, to the appreciation of Mozambican culture and the exaltation of Mozambicanness, as you have been doing so perfectly for 40 years now”.

As well as being a musician and activist, writing has become a strong weapon for Stewart in his songs, making poetry also part of his DNA. That is why his latest literary work will soon be presented by the Grupo Editorial Atlântico in Portugal, Brazil and Mozambique.

In his story, the seventh art has enthralled the musician who in 2017 was invited to play an important role in a film shot in Durban, South Africa with a story of overcoming!

Sukuma also remains a social activist for humanitarian causes, having been the first Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF Mozambique.  He was the first Mozambican to enter the Berklee College of Music, Boston, an institution of higher learning in music, where he is a member of the African Evaluation Committee and a Consultant to the African Scholars Program.

He has been a major winner at the Ngoma Mozambique and Mozambique Music Awards and has won several international awards. In 2016, he was decorated with the title of Officer of the Order of Merit of Infante D. Henrique, by the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and in 2018 he was awarded the LPE Medal, from the Government of Brazil.

Moza Banco has joined the efforts of the district government of Angónia, Tete province, in order to minimize the suffering of more than 300 families that are victims of Cyclone ANA, through the donation of non-perishable food products.

The donation delivery, mainly made up of tons of locally produced maize flour, took place recently in Angónia district, Tete province. The local administration is responsible for delivering and distributing all the products to the beneficiary communities, affected by ANA cyclone in that part of the country.

The district administrator, Raimundo Brumo, started by thanking Moza Banco for the gesture, going on to assure that the flour will be channelled to the legitimate beneficiaries.

“The District Government requested support from our partner Moza Banco, and this was promptly answered, and the result is this. We now have food for our brothers and children who are in need at the moment. The food will reach everyone”.

For Moza, this support is the way the Bank has found to join the government's efforts to find solutions in order to minimise part of the suffering experienced by these communities.

This action comes as part of the Bank's Corporate Social Responsibility Policy, which focuses on improving the living conditions of the communities where the Bank operates, fostering fruitful and lasting relationships with its stakeholders.

During the passage of the tropical depression ANA in the north and centre of the country, the district of Angónia was particularly affected, with total or partial destruction of social and housing infrastructure, namely: 27 classrooms, 286 houses, 1 water supply system, 166.6 hectares of cultivated area and around 300 families, corresponding to about 1,500 people.

The President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, on Wednesday 9^th March inaugurated the first bank branch in Maringué district, Sofala province - a branch of Moza Banco. The presence of Moza Banco in this district comes under the National Strategy of financial inclusion, through which the Mozambican government hopes to ensure that by the end of this year over 30% of the population has access to a bank account in a formal financial institution, in order to cover 75% of districts across the country.

Following the unveiling of the plaque and cutting the ribbon, the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, addressed the population stating that his government is committed to solving the problems of the population, giving as an example, the set of benefits that the Moza Banco branch just inaugurated brings for civil servants, traders and for the general public.

The opening of the Moza Banco branch in Maringué is another proof of the peace and tranquillity that is being experienced in this region.

This branch is equipped to serve about 50 thousand people offering various products and services and concludes the goal of having every district in the province of Sofala within the national banking network.  In Sofala, we have already achieved what we set out to do. From this branch you can make demand deposits and savings products, such as term deposits, and apply for credit for investments or consumption. The bank is not just for depositing and withdrawing money, you can do even more.

“One District, One Bank" is a project being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, led by Celso Correia, through the National Fund for Sustainable Development, "this project is an asset for national banking and for our economy. I am sure that with the inauguration of this bank branch, the first in this district, the residents of Maringué will breathe a sigh of relief, because from today they will spare effort and reduce distances in seeking banking services”.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors at Moza Banco, João Figueiredo, said that with the start of operations of this Moza Banco business unit, residents of Maringué and its surroundings now have a place close by where they can conveniently and securely carry out banking operations and find financial solutions that meet their specific needs.

“This branch is at the service of everyone: the general public, civil servants and State agents, micro, small and medium-sized local companies, producers and breeders, offering innovative financial solutions to help them make the savings resulting from their personal or collective effort profitable and to carry out their personal, professional, business or institutional projects. Here you will have access to loan products for a wide variety of purposes, including the purchase of inputs, equipment and other instruments to improve agricultural production and productivity. You will also be able to access savings solutions that will make your money earn money, so that you can later invest in other projects and businesses.”

With the opening of the branch in Maringué, Moza now has a total of 64 Business Units, reinforcing its status as the Bank with the 3rd largest branch network in the country. Under the partnership with the FNDS, there are now 17 Moza branches in the same number of districts. Moza is therefore seen as a Bank of and for Mozambique, bolstering its presence in every province.

Besides inaugurating the bank branch, Moza Banco has decided to associate with the District Government of Maringuè, contributing towards the cost of acquiring an electricity transformer station, to be installed in the buffer zone of the district capital, “it is our expectation that this support, which will soon be materialised, will allow the electricity grid to be expanded in Maringuè, supplying the local primary school, small economic enterprises and the green zone, fertile for producing vegetables and cattle breeding”, João Figueiredo, Moza’s Board Chairman concluded.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Moza Banco, João Figueiredo, was this Saturday, 26th February, distinguished by African Leadership Magazine, with the "Distinguished African Business Leadership Excellence Award", during the International Forum on African Leadership, an event that took place in a hybrid format (in person + virtually), from London, under the theme: Expansion of Development Efforts and Global Partnerships for Africa. The distinction comes following a careful selection and verification process directed by the editorial board of African Leadership Magazine, one of the main pan-African publications today.

This honourable distinction comes in recognition of his contribution to the growth and development of Moza Banco, in particular his leading role in the Bank's recovery from a loss of 776 million meticais in 2019 to a profit of 146 million meticais in 2020.

Speaking moments after receiving the award, João Figueiredo began by thanking African Leadership Magazine, before stating that, “being awarded this prize for excellence in business management in Africa by a panel of distinguished experts in Banking and Finance is undoubtedly a reason for great satisfaction and pride, while similarly carrying a huge responsibility, given the strong competition in our sector”.

Moza Banco's Chairman dedicated the award to employees, customers and shareholders, “this honourable distinction has not been achieved alone. It has only been possible thanks to the invaluable contribution from employees and staff at Moza Banco, who, with their wisdom, energy, commitment and dedication, have worked to build, consolidate, grow and assert Moza, overcoming the most complex challenges and adversities. The achievement that we celebrate today is also thanks to the trust and loyalty of our customers and partners who have accompanied us along this journey, and we reaffirm our firm determination to continue strengthening our ties in a constructive partnership, as we have grown together. I also dedicate this award to the Shareholders who, recognising Moza Banco’s Value, have invested and invested and trusted in this project, ensuring the conditions required for the achievement of the strategic objectives of our institution”.

Besides João Figueiredo, the 10^th ceremony to present the African Leadership Magazine's Personalities of the Year also served to honour figures such as the Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta; the Malawian President, Lazarus Chakwera; the President of Botswana, Mogkweetsi Masisi; among other business, political and diplomatic leaders.

Moza Banco recognises in the Fernando Leite Couto Foundation (FFLC) an important partner for artistic and cultural development in the country. It is within this vision that the bank has collaborated with the Foundation since 2019, supporting the implementation of some initiatives that this entity has developed in the field of art and literature, with particular emphasis on the publication of works by Mozambican writers and promotion of lectures and conversations on various topics.

It was in this sense that the two institutions decided this year to promote literary talks aimed at the exchange of knowledge and innovative ideas in the field of Mozambican arts, specifically in literature, with young people as the preferred public.

The first session took place this February and was entitled Interview with Eduardo Mondlane, Noémia de Sousa, José Craveirinha and Severino Ngoenha and had as a guest speaker Dionísio Bahule, professor of Philosophy and Communication, who interviewed icons of political and cultural thought in Mozambique.

"This was an occasion to address utopias of our Mozambicanity. Otherwise, nothing better to start a new year, and Mozambique cannot forget times passed," said Bahule

The next lectures linked to literature with Moza’s support, will focus on: Stories behind stories with Virgilia Ferrão and How to read "Nós matamos o cão tinhoso [We Killed Mangy Dog]"today? A lecture to be led by Léo Cote.