Entrepreneurs Financial Centre (EFC) is a deposit-taking Microfinance Institution that specialises in financial services to micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs). It is licensed and supervised by the Bank of Zambia with a share capital of ZMK 16 billion and total assets of over ZMK 64 billion.

This company was started in 1996 as a Care Zambia project, formerly known as Pulse Holdings Ltd. It is dedicated to retaining its position as a preferred Micro Finance solution for entrepreneurs in Zambia by offering a variety of products, tailored to suit individual needs of customers. One of Entrepreneurs Financial Centre's objectives is, 'to respond to today's clients’ financial needs with tomorrow's solutions.' The company provides the following products:

Savings accounts

Entrepreneurs Financial Centre provides flexible products that are affordable, easy to access and are tailored to allow individuals, and small businesses to save for specific purposes, such as education, medical expenses and business capital. The savings balance can also be used as security for loans.

Market women trader loans

Designed to provide financial opportunities for female clients with small businesses and limited finances. This product is used by market women to acquire stock. It is aimed at improving women's livelihoods by empowering them financially.

Commercial loans for MSMEs

This product is suitable for business individuals that want to invest or acquire fixed assets and stock. This loan product is recommended for entrepreneurs who wish to expand their business to a larger scale.

Home improvement loans

This enables entrepreneurs with a housing project to either complete the house, as long as it has reached window level; or to extend an already existing house, for the entrepreneur’s business or personal purposes. Aside from being a place where a family shares the major part of its time, a house also has potential to become a future business project. As such, many entrepreneurs often use their homes as productive assets in generating income.

EasyPay

EasyPay is targeted at suppliers and consumers. It is a credit management facility that enables suppliers to offer credit facilities to their customers. EasyPay is for suppliers trading within wholesale trade, motor vehicle import and sales, supply of hardware and construction material. Credit is managed by Entrepreneurs Financial Centre. EasyPay is a faster, convenient and efficient solution for all payment needs.

Client Share Ownership Programme (CSOP)

As a reward for its customers, Entrepreneurs Financial Centre has structured the Client Share Ownership Programme (CSOP). This programme allows borrowing clients to progressively become part owners of the company, a first in the Zambian micro finance sector. Borrowers with a good repayment history are eligible to receive incentives based on the amount of interest they have paid – a portion of which is re-invested in the Entrepreneurs Financial Centre.

The CSOP is a scheme exclusively fueled by Entrepreneurs Financial Centre borrowing clients' incentive mechanism. The eligible borrower receives back 10% of the total interest paid. They can then choose between four different options to receive this incentive. As an added incentive, Entrepreneurs Financial Centre contributes an incremental bonus on the amount invested by the borrower into the CSOP. Therefore, the more the borrowing client invests in the CSOP, the larger the total value of the incentive that will be received from Entrepreneurs Financial Centre. Further incentives are put in place for borrowers who repay their loans as agreed.

EFC's smart card

Security of clients' transactions remains cardinal to the company's daily operations and as such, Entrepreneurs Financial Centre’s computerised environment helps to ensure clients' personal information integrity, and greatly limits the risks of fraud and thefts. The Entrepreneurs Financial Centre's Identification Card (ID card), also known as the Smart Card, features the client's name, picture and a micro chip which allows specifically assigned members of staff to quickly and securely access account details, as well as information related to the client's repayment history of loans.

The Smart Card has increased transaction efficiency and business capacity by enhancing security and reducing processing and queuing time, thereby improving the quality of operations.EFC products