Africa-Press – Eswatini. “If you work just for money, you will never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours,”
The immortal words of former CEO of McDonald’s Ray Kroc seem to be the driving force of the leading bank in Eswatini, the First National Bank (FNB) under the stewardship of Thokozani ‘TK’ Dlamini.
Celebrating 30 years this year, FNB Eswatini has not just achieved a milestone, but this is a true testament to incredible customer satisfaction, loyalty and dedication driven not just by profits but the endearing quest to help them grow.
This is 30 years of exceptional service; filled with amazing growth on an innovative journey that has seen better products and services delivered to the people of Eswatini.
When asked to reflect on FNB’s 30-year journey of existence in the Kingdom of Eswatini, the eloquent Dlamini was emphatic.
“The First National Bank (FNB) has been operating in the Kingdom of Eswatini since 1995 following FNB’s offer to the Central Bank of Eswatini (Swaziland) to purchase Meridien BIAO Bank Swaziland Limited (MBBS) for one Lilangeni (E1), which was accepted, by the Central Bank.
MBBS had failed to meet the country’s prescribed liquidity requirements, compelling the CBS to seize MBBS in order to protect the interests of their depositors and creditors.
Therefore, this purchase by FNB not only protected the depositors and creditors, but it also safeguarded the livelihoods of MBBS employees who transitioned from MBBS to FNB.
The purchase also ensured continued productive use of existing infrastructure that MBBS had,”
He added: “As FNB Eswoatini, we are celebrating 30 years in Eswatini, during which the bank has grown through the consistent provision of innovative banking products and services.
Currently our footprint comprises:
· Over 200,000 customers
· Over 500 employees
· A network of 12 strategically located branches and 1 agency banking outlet
· Over 500 active CashPlus agents providing access to financial services to the communities
· 98 ATMs, 28 ADTs and Point of Sale devices, giving customers multiple places to transact from.
Over the years, we have not only differentiated ourselves in the market as the bank that innovates for its customers but also remained true to our commitment of catering to the needs of our customers by offering HELP that works for Eswatini,”
FNB Eswatini has been a leader in online banking in the kingdom, Dlamini says online banking has been an evolution as their technology advances, so is their ability to innovate to HELP customers.
“When FNB arrived in 1995, we knew that we wanted to be the leading, innovative financial institution in the land, among other things, providing banking solutions to enable our customers to undertake their everyday banking requirements with ease and convenience from the comfort of their homes or offices.
As such, one of our first product roll outs were debit and credit cards. The first of these were the BOB Card, the BOB Save, and the BOB 2000, which brought the convenience and efficiencies of Electronic Banking.
The BOB 2000, which we launched as ‘The Big Easy’ transformed how businesses and customers approached payment of salaries, disbursement of student allowances, as well as the deduction of insurance premiums, debt and stop orders. This was further supported by our vast ATM network.
Through the FNB Eswatini Foundation, the bank has helped a lot of organizations as part of its CSI programme
To embed this product, the bank conducted extensive trainings and marketing to build trust with our customers and encourage uptake for something that, today, has become a normal part of our daily lives,” he stated.
Dlamini elaborates: “We didn’t stop there. Our quest to deliver new banking solutions that HELP clients to benefit from advances in technology continued and in 2003 we introduced BANKit, which was a new internet-based, electronic banking solution targeted at the corporate and medium-sized business market.
BANKit was a highly reliable, completely secure and feature-rich banking solution that gave businesses secure and controlled access to their FNB accounts seven days a week! This solution was further enhanced to accommodate individuals as well,”
Dlamini says as FNB, they are proud to have brought solutions that have not only revolutionised banking, but have also become embedded as part of the fabric of banking as we know it today.
“This would not have been possible without the trust that our customers have placed in us over the years, and to that I would like to say Siyabonga kusetsemba kangaka MaSwati lamahle,” he adds.
The bank has been on the forefront introducing Automated Deposit Teller Machines and the CEO says all this is part their approach which is to bring solutions for their customers.
“When one thinks of FNB’s journey in Eswatini over the past 30 years, our approach has been simple- solutioning for our clients’ greatest pain points whilst remaining grounded to the realities of our operating environment.
By 2013 we had introduced online banking, eWallet®, and the FNB App, enabling our customers to transact from the comfort of their homes 24 hours/7 days a week.
However, we observed that they kept coming into our branches to deposit cash, and as we all know, branch operating hours are limited.
Thus, we had a problem to solution for- and ADTs were it. These devices introduced the convenience of enabling customers- whether or not they had their card on themselves- to conduct their banking outside of normal banking hours, whilst also allowing in-branch consultants to process more complex transactions, decreasing the amount of time each customer spent queuing in a branch,” Dlamini explains.
Dlamini also highlights that they are now in a process of rolling out recyclers within ADTs, which extend the life cycle of their devices.
He said this innovation not only enhances the efficiency of our machines but also ensures that they remain operational for longer periods, providing uninterrupted service to our customers.
The bank, like a responsible citizen also plays its social responsibility role through the FNB Eswatini Foundation, and the CEO is chuffed with the impact they have already made.
“FNB is committed to building a future of SHARED PROSPERITY through enriching the lives of its customers, employees, and the society it serves. Indeed, our story of offering help that works for Eswatini cannot be complete without the mention of the FNB Eswatini Foundation.
From the onset, we were a brand that understood that we have a responsibility to HELP as a corporate citizen operating in the Eswatini environment and thus committed to doing our best in supporting the growth and development of our country.
Before we even had conjured the idea to set up a Foundation, our first corporate social engagement was in July 1995, where we donated E5,000 to the Baphalali Swaziland Red Cross Society for use in support of individuals who at the time were living in drought-stricken areas,” he added.
Dlamini said they established the FNB Foundation in 2014 to further cement their commitment to Eswatini, and annually, the FNB Eswatini Board commits 1% of its profit after tax to the Foundation to further support socioeconomic development.
“As we reflect on the 30 years of FNB, we are proud of having been consistent in delivering on our promises. An example that shows this is that in March 2025, the FNB Eswatini Foundation donated E100,000 to Baphalali Red Cross Society Eswatini in support of the country’s flood victims,” he noted.
One of the major milestones achieved by the bank was being listed in the Eswatini Stock Exchange, and the CEO believes it was calculated move
“In 2018, we announced our intentions to list on the Eswatini Stock Exchange (ESE). These were unfortunately disrupted by the pandemic, but at the earliest opportunity, with the support of our Board and our shareholder FirstRand, we followed through on the commitment. Thus, in December 2023, FNB Eswatini localized 24.99% of its shareholding and listed 100% of its shares on the ESE.
Having grown as much as we had all these years and having become the big contributor to the economy that we are today, it was only right that we also have economic participation in the business by emaSwati.
We believed that this went beyond just doing the right thing, it also made a lot of business sense, as the entities that bought into the bank were investors with a proper reach into the economy and ones who represent a very broad base of working-class citizens and pensioners,” he emphasised.
Dlamini further stated that for FNB Eswatini shares to be owned by ordinary emaSwati it made a serious statement about their desire for meaningful, inclusive, and sustained economic growth, further cemented by the fact that the listing saw the ESE market capitalisation increase by 42.24% overnight.
Down at Ezulwini, a state-of-the-art building is a testament of FNB’s growth but the CEO even sees it as a strong message of commitment to Eswatini.
“Our message is clear: “Sitintile Eswatini futsi asiyindzawo.” It was important for us to send this strong message of commitment to Eswatini, not just to our customers but to the entire nation. EmaSwati should look at us and know that 30 years from now, we will still be here, offering HELP that works. It is not just about our Head Office though.
Our branch network of 12 branches plus one agency and over 500 active CashPlus agents in all four regions of Eswatini underscores our commitment to the country.
Through the construction of the Head Office, we were also able to empower local businesses, allowing them to showcase their skills and contribute to the construction of what we believe to be one of Eswatini’s landmark office buildings,” he said.
Dlamini stated that they remain committed to investing in the Kingdom’s growth, through our key products and services.
“For our Retail customers, we have various accounts through which they can deposit, save and access their funds conveniently and safely with us.
FNB Eswatini head quarters
These include tiered accounts according to one’s income, ranging from entry level accounts to the high-net-worth individuals accounts.
Furthermore, we also provide various types of loans such as personal loans, home loans as well as asset financing,” he said.
He added: “We are also a key player in enabling SME business growth, with our products for SMEs that include the provision of transactional accounts for the SMEs.
Furthermore, we provide loans with reduced collateral requirements to SMEs, that is, you do not have to provide security like fixed assets for these loans.
The facility is linked to your business account activity, and we can still provide the financing even when there are no funds available in your account at the time of applying for the loan.
We also provide Trade Finance services and solutions to both our SMEs and local and multinational corporate clients.
These includes Letters of credit, Bank Guarantees, Invoice Discounting, Purchase Order Finance and Structured Trade and Commodity Financing,”
Dlamini said they are also committed to partnering with the talent available here at home to drive and grow this business into the future.
“That is why we are looking at ways to strengthen partnerships with local tertiary institutions to create pathways for mutually beneficial internship programmes while also ensuring that we have a strong pipeline of talent to tap into, to drive our growth.
Siyabonga maSwati lamahle for all the support over the years and look forward to many more years of providing you with HELP that works,” he said confidently.
Lastly, the CEO also had a very short and important message to His Majesty King Mswati III on his 57th birthday.
“Firstly, we want to say, “Lunwele loludze wena WaPhakathi! May your reign continue to bring peace and prosperity to Eswatini for many years to come. Bayethe Wena Waphakathi!”
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