STANDARD BANK FACILITATES TRADE FOR MSMES

MALKERNS – Standard Bank Eswatini have availed a trade platform for local businesses categorised as Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The bank, through Luju Festival has assured that local vendors would be given the service opportunity in the event. This includes vendors who sell food, clothes, beverages and children entertainment.
Standard bank further launched a digital hub campaign aimed at maximising their services beyond the office space last week.They said the festival would not only avail investment opportunity for vendors but would also enhance the use of their digital platform.

Online

The bank continues to advance their Financial Technology (FinTech) department by selling the event tickets online with the assistants of event organisers from House on Fire.
Standard Bank Eswatini in partnership with House on Fire last week Thursday launched the 4th edition of the Luju Festival. The event would avail opportunities for local businesses in trade and logistics especially those in food and clothing industry. They would be given an opportunity to sell their products to the attendees of the event as well as supply their services to commuters. Standard Bank Head of Consumer and High Net Worth Clients Wesley Groening who was speaking on behalf  the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mvuselelo Fakudze said their purpose was to drive Eswatini’s economic growth.

Groening said they aimed to do this in a sustainable and inclusive way. He said this means that they strive to have a positive impact, through their business, on important aspects of Eswatini’s development like education, arts and culture, financial inclusion and the country’s economic empowerment agenda. “Unprecedented times require partnerships and mobilisation of resources to achieve impact. That is why we are most appreciative of the new and growing Luju Festival partnerships that support the local arts industry, tourism and the MSMEs sector; these are key parts of the event ecosystem,” he said.

Sponsorship

The executive also mentioned that they had increased sponsorship towards hosting the festival and that was because they were deliberate about creating platforms for creative expression that fosters national pride, investing in the spaces for artists and artisans to flourish, and sustaining opportunities for SMEs to drive economic growth. He said they were excited to partner with House on Fire in bringing the festival which has put the country on the map and brought together thousands of attendants in 2018, 2019 and 2021 from across the country and beyond our borders. “Festival-goers always look forward to being treated to scrumptious tastes, learning a thing or two from the culinary professionals while dancing to fine tunes rendered by the regions finest Jazz and Afro-soul musicians,” he added.Groening alluded that they believed that the future of banking was innovative, fully digital and inclusive. He said they have seen an incredible shift to electronic ways of doing things.

Applications

Applications were opened to vendors who wish to participate in the business segment of the event about two weeks ago.This was mentioned by House on Fire communications department in a statement. They said the Standard Bank Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival invites suitable candidates to apply to trade in the festival’s culinary, fashion and children’s beehive spaces.
House on fire mentioned that culinary and fashion strands would have their own themes supporting the Luju ethos of ‘a return to the African future’, with its signature African vintage style, including a hairstyle focus and afro-fusion cooking. They said trader applications would be online. Links to the application forms can be found on Luju Festival and House on Fire social media platforms.

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