ZANACO has disclosed that its Xpress agents have processed more than 21 million customer transactions valued at over K75 billion between January and September 2026, with the bank projecting the network to surpass 26 million transactions worth over K100 billion by the end of the year.
According to the bank, the figures demonstrate the growing trust customers have placed in the Xpress channel and the increasingly important role agents are playing in expanding access to financial services across Zambia.
The bank has since unveiled the Zanaco Xpress Champions Loyalty Programme, which is aimed at recognizing outstanding performance, rewarding excellence, strengthening service standards and encouraging sustainable growth across the agency network.
Speaking during the official launch in Lusaka, Zanaco Acting Chief Executive Officer, Kalengo Simukoko said the bank’s Xpress network now comprises more than 35,000 agents across the country, making it one of Zambia’s largest agency banking networks.
Mr. Simukoko noted that the network has enabled Zanaco to take banking services beyond traditional branches and closer to homes, markets, businesses and communities.
He stated that the success of the agency banking model is anchored on the contribution of Xpress agents, who are entrepreneurs, business owners and trusted representatives of the Zanaco brand.
Mr. Simukoko said for many customers, an Xpress agent provides their first interaction with Zanaco, making the quality of service at agent outlets critical to building trust and long-term customer relationships.
“The future of agency banking will not be defined by the size of the network alone. It will be defined by customer trust, service excellence, professionalism, compliance and the ability to consistently deliver value to customers. That is why we are launching the Xpress Champions Loyalty Programme,” Mr. Kalengo said.
He stressed that the programme represents a strategic investment in the people who have helped build the bank’s extensive agency banking network and continue to bring financial services closer to customers.
Mr. Kalengo urged Xpress agents to serve customers genuinely, remain compliant and strive to become Xpress Champions as the bank works to expand financial inclusion and increase participation in the formal economy.
And Zanaco Chief Digital Banking Officer, Mwila Chibela stated that the initiative was designed to put Xpress agents first by recognizing their contribution to the growth of the bank’s agency banking network.
Mr. Chibela said the programme would prioritize agents who demonstrate professionalism and integrity, adding that rewards would not be based on transaction volumes alone. “Customer service, compliance, consistency and overall quality of performance will remain important factors in determining rankings and rewards,” he emphasized.
He stressed that the bank had put in place communication, support and dispute-resolution mechanisms to ensure participating agents understood the programme and had confidence in the processes.
“A key pillar of the programme is fairness. Every participating agent should have confidence that rewards and recognition are earned through genuine effort and genuine customer activity. That is why compliance and verification remain central to the programme,” Mr. Chibela said.
Mr. Chibela said the programme was ultimately intended to create a culture of excellence across the Xpress network, strengthen customer trust and encourage standards that would support the continued growth of agency banking, and encouraged all agents to embrace the programme and continue providing quality services to customers.
He, however, warned X agents against practices that undermine the integrity of the network. “Activities that undermine the integrity of the network, including fictitious transactions, fund recycling, transaction splitting and other forms of gaming, have no place in the Xpress Champions Programme.
We have also ensured that the programme is supported by clear communication, support and dispute-resolution mechanisms,” Mr. Chibela said.
