Access Bank Zambia Limited’s merger with Atlas Mara legally complete

Access Bank Zambia Limited (Access Bank) has announced that it has made significant progress in its combination with African Banking Corporation Zambia Limited, trading as Atlas Mara Zambia (Atlas Mara), having completed the purchase earlier this year.

The merger, legally completed on 30 April 2024, positions Access Bank as a Top 5 bank in Zambia by revenue, with ambitions to be in the Top 3 by 2027.

This implies that Access Bank has assumed all Atlas Mara’s rights and responsibilities.

According to Access Bank’s CEO, Lishala Situmbeko, the merged bank would be able to support customers across all phases of their lives.

I’m pleased at the strides we have made to get to where we are today. The teams in both institutions, which are now by and large a single entity – Access Bank – have been working very hard to ensure that we are able to make these changes seamlessly. While the legal combination has been achieved, cards, cheque books and digital platforms for both banks will remain accessible for at least a year. Our customers can now walk into any of our branches and be supported. Our products and services on offer have taken the best of both banks and we will continue to innovate to ensure that the product suite on offer can take our customers through various stages of their lives.

Lishala Situmbeko

Access Bank now operates in 21 countries, 14 of which are in Africa, as well as the UAE, UK, Hong Kong, and France, with representative offices in China, India, and Lebanon.

Key regulatory approval milestones…

• On 25 October 2021, Access Bank PLC (the Bank) announced that it had executed a binding agreement with Atlas Mara Limited on a proposed merger between African Banking Corporation Limited (Atlas Mara Zambia) and the Bank’s subsidiary in Zambia, Access Bank Zambia Limited (Access Zambia).
• On 9 February 2022, the COMESA Competition Commission (the. “Commission”) received a notification involving Access Bank Zambia Limited.
• In 2022, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Competition Commission granted their ‘no objection’ to the transaction.
• In March 2023, the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) approved the acquisition of Atlas Mara by Access Bank and the subsequent merger of the two entities.
• On 30 April 2024, the merger is legally complete.