African Century Leasing (ACL) has reported a strong financial performance for the year ended 31 December 2025, with customer deposits rising by 83 percent to ZiG221.1 million, up from ZiG120.5 million prior year, driven by investments in financial technology and a growing customer base.
The leasing finance provider said a “sustained investment in digital platforms” propelled deposit levels, while broader income streams were driven by a surge in customer transactions.
Reinforcing its digital transformation strategy, ACL introduced an upgraded digital banking platform earlier this year, aimed at improving customer access and overall service efficiency.
Profit after tax grew sharply, climbing 305 percent year-on-year to ZiG86.5 million.
This performance was largely supported by growth in lending activities and increased transaction volumes across the business.
ACL continued to prioritise customer acquisition as part of its long-term growth strategy.
During the reporting period, the microfinance bank also upgraded its technology infrastructure, a move that improved service delivery and contributed to higher transaction activity.
Thembiwe Mazingi, ACL chairperson, said the institution’s continued investment in technology, combined with balance sheet growth, places the institution in a strong position to take advantage of financing opportunities under National Development Strategy 2, which seeks to stimulate industrial expansion by supporting productive sectors.
She noted that the institution’s expanding client base and asset growth played a central role in boosting profitability compared to the previous year.
Total assets grew by 37 percent to ZiG843.2 million, from ZiG621.3 million prior year, with growth largely underpinned by an expanding loan book.
The lending portfolio nearly doubled, increasing 93 percent to ZiG195 million, supported by stronger funding from a leasing bond and higher customer deposits.
Mazingi noted that both the leasing bond and deposits contributed significantly to funding, increasing by ZiG44 million and ZiG100 million respectively over the period.
Net interest income more than doubled to ZiG78.5 million from ZiG31 million in 2024, reflecting the bank’s growing lending operations. Income from fees and commissions also rose by 84 percent, buoyed by the stronger deposit base.
She added that the bank has enhanced its liquidity through external credit lines while strengthening its digital systems to better serve key sectors of the economy. – TML