BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc celebrated Africa Day on Monday with the assembly of a large collaborative artwork at Henderson Street in Blantyre, bringing together painted canvases created across its four Service Centres, Henderson Street, Capital City, Mzuzu, and Mangochi, into one unified map of Africa.
The activation, which invited customers, creatives, influencers, and members of the public to contribute brushstrokes to the canvases, was designed to celebrate African identity, unity, and collective progress through participatory art.
Speaking during the assembly of the artwork, NBM plc Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager, Akossa Mphepo-Hiwa, said the Bank intentionally chose a people-centred and interactive approach to Africa Day celebrations to reflect the spirit of togetherness that defines both Malawi and the African continent.
“Africa Day is about more than commemorating history. It is about recognising who we are as a people, celebrating our shared identity, and reflecting on the future we are building together as Africans,” said Mphepo-Hiwa.
She added that the concept behind the activation was rooted in the belief that every community and every individual contribute meaningfully to the broader African story.
“We wanted to create something that people could physically become part of. By inviting customers and communities from different regions to contribute to one artwork, we were symbolising the idea that while our experiences and backgrounds may differ, we are all connected and collectively shaping Africa’s future,” she said.
Mphepo-Hiwa further said the final assembly of the canvases into one map of Africa represented unity through diversity and reflected NBM plc’s role as “the Bank of the Nation”.
The celebration also extended internally, where employees across all Service Centres marked Africa Day by representing lesser-known African countries through traditional and culturally inspired attire, creating a vibrant expression of cultural diversity and awareness within the Bank.
The initiative featured countries such as Chad, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Liberia, Burundi, South Sudan, Comoros, São Tomé & Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea, bringing attention to parts of the continent often less highlighted in mainstream discourse.
One of the participating employees, Team Leader of Operations at Henderson Street Service Centre, Gift Sulapa, said the initiative offered a meaningful opportunity for learning, reflection, and connection.
“Participating in the Africa Day initiative was a meaningful experience for me personally because it allowed us to celebrate the richness of African identity beyond Malawi. Our unit represented Equatorial Guinea, which allowed me to learn about a country we do not often talk about. It reminded me that despite our cultural differences, we all take pride in being African,” he said.
Sulapa added that the experience sparked curiosity and engagement among staff, transforming the workplace atmosphere into one of cultural exchange and shared discovery.
“The fact that we were representing lesser-known African nations made people want to learn more about their languages, food, traditions, and way of life. It turned the workplace into a space of discovery and celebration, bringing a new energy of excitement and unity across teams,” he said.
One of the customers who participated in the activation, Mphatso Banda, described the experience as both emotional and inspiring.
“Celebrating Africa Day in this way made me feel connected to something bigger than myself. It was beautiful seeing people from different places contribute to one vision. It reminded me that Africa’s strength is in its people and in our unity,” said Banda.
Africa Day is celebrated annually on May 25 to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 (now the African Union). The day honours the continent’s liberation, cultural heritage, and political unity.