The bank won the prestigious award for best company promoting STEM education during the ceremony, together with two additional awards celebrating its ReadytoWork educational skills programme and women empowerment drive.

It is the latest in a string of recognitions for Absa Bank’s sterling commitment to empowering the youth in science, technology, maths and engineering across the country.

Absa Bank is currently entering its fourth year as a headline sponsor of the National Science and Maths Quiz competition and is also the main sponsor of the STEM festival, which is hosted by the organisers of the NSMQ as part of the national competition, every year.

The bank’s ReadytoWork online skills development programme has so far empowered more than 100,000 youth across the country through monthly online webinars focusing on modules related to work, people and money skills, to get them ready for the future workplace. More than 14,000 youth have benefited so far from the knowledge transfer provided by the ReadytoWork app whilst 3,000 participants have also been impacted by the initiative’s face-to-face engagement sessions.

The bank has also positioned itself as a leader in empowering women in small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), through a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

Commenting on the awards, Nana Essilfuah Boison, Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations at Absa Bank said:

“It is always satisfying to be recognized for contributing to the economic and social advancement of the country, through the diverse initiatives we champion in the sustainability space. We have always believed, as a bank, that we must stand for more than our core area of operations. We live in a world where issues of the environment, energy conservation and climate change, are taking over the news headlines every passing day. We need to respond and make a commitment; starting with what we do internally and in the larger society to make the world a better place.”

With an undisputed ethos that believes a bank must influence society and respond to key needs of the youth, women and children, Absa bank is making a huge impact in the country. The bank’s social commitments revolve around education, financial inclusion, skills development, and the environment – all in direct alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 8 and 13.