Absa reinforces its commitment to responsible lending

Absa Bank Mozambique financed 4,537 clients in 2026, with disbursements exceeding 3.8 billion meticais, intended to support personal projects, home purchases, education, small business growth, and other financial needs. During the same period, the Personal and Private Banking loan portfolio grew by 14.22%.

As the third largest bank in the country in terms of credit granting, Absa acknowledges that this position also represents an increased responsibility: to ensure that financing contributes to the achievement of clients' objectives, in a responsible manner and tailored to each client's financial capacity.

Of the clients financed in 2026, 4,356 are individuals and 181 are small and medium-sized enterprises. Of the total disbursed, approximately 80% went to individuals and 20% to small and medium-sized enterprises.

According to Denise Cruz, Director of Personal and Private Banking at Absa Bank Mozambique, "credit plays an important role in the development of families and in the realization of projects that would often be difficult to achieve with only their own resources. Our commitment is to ensure that each client has access to financing that is appropriate to their needs and financial capacity, so that credit is a solution that creates opportunities and not future difficulties."

At Absa, responsible lending begins before loan approval. Knowing how much you can borrow is important, but understanding how much you should borrow is even more crucial. Therefore, the analysis starts by understanding the client's objective and, from there, assessing the amount actually needed, the monthly payment, the repayment term, and how this new commitment fits into their budget, where other expenses and priorities coexist.

Buying a house, investing in education, meeting a family need, or growing a small business are all different goals and require equally different solutions. That's why Absa's approach starts with the client's needs, not the credit product, seeking to find a solution suited to their reality and financial capacity.

This approach presupposes a broader conversation between the bank and the client. In some cases, credit will be the appropriate solution. In others, it may be more prudent to adjust the desired amount, review the repayment term, postpone the decision, or consider an alternative. The objective is simple: to ensure that the financing helps the client achieve the purpose that led them to seek credit, without compromising other important needs in the future.

This assessment is particularly relevant because the impact of financing goes far beyond the first payment. The commitment accompanies the client throughout the entire repayment period and must be sustainable in light of their other day-to-day needs, avoiding unnecessary financial pressure.

For Absa, promoting the responsible use of credit does not mean discouraging financing. It means helping each client to use it with a clear purpose, at the right time and within their means.

When well thought out, credit can be a powerful tool for realizing projects, creating opportunities, and transforming plans into reality, while preserving the financial health of the borrower.