ZANACO seeks Chinese speakers as it eyes China market
By MAILESI BANDA ZANACO is in the process of engaging Chinese nationals or Zambian’s that speak the Chinese language as member of staff to attract Chinese investors into saving with the bank, managing director and chief executive officer, Henk Mulder has disclosed.
Mr. Mulder said the move was aimed at instilling trust from the investors who he says find it easy to transact in their native language.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr. Mulder said businesses owned by people of Asian origin are mainly operated on trust, adding that to attract customers from this community that has become a big part of the Zambian economy the bank would build trust from the Chinese.
“As a bank we need to engage a Zambian who speaks Chinese or a Chinese national in order to earn the trust of the Chinese business community in Zambia, business in Asia is based on trust and if you want to earn their trust you have to speak their language,” he said.
Earlier this year, President Lungu appealed to Chinese investors to partner with local private companies to foster economic growth in the country.
The President said Government values participation of the private sector in improving the country’s economy, adding that while the government was happy with the investment into the economy there was need for the Chinese to embrace local businesses. Most Chinese investors have been reported to be saving with the Bank of cCina while lamenting that language and trust are barriers for them to save with local or some other foreign owned banks based in Zambia.