FDH Digital Sales Manager, Innocent Manda, told Zodiak Online that the agents are those that have existing and secure businesses of not less than a year within particular communities.

He said most of the agents are in remote areas where people have challenges to access banking services.

“Some people continue to walk distances to banking facilities and this is one of the contributing factors affecting the growth of the banking sector,” said Manda.

As such, he says the bank has rolled out Ufulu Digital Service which allows one to transact in any banking service without using any card.

FDH agent at Limbuli in Mulanje, Osmane Fletcher, says he is overwhelmed with customers especially month ends.

“You may wish to know that there is no any banking facility here at Limbuli. People come from as far as Muloza drift, Phalombe and from within the border areas for transactions here,” said Fletcher.

Meanwhile, FDH has partnered with Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholders and Enterprise (FARMSE) to assist FARMSE beneficiaries to access banking services through FDH agents.

FARMSE Knowledge Management and Communications Officer, Golie Nyirenda, said the organization has been linking beneficiaries of Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) to banks and other money lending institutions as part of sustaining their livelihoods after graduating from the program.

“We are providing systems for the graduation of ultra-poor SCTP beneficiaries into sustainable and resilient households and our focus is on women and youths who studies reveal are economically marginalized,” said Nyirenda.