THE National Bank of Commerce (NBC) has played a significant role in the success of the Kizimkazi Festival, an annual event that has grown into a prominent hub for sports, entertainment, and tourism in Zanzibar.

The bank's active involvement in the festival was commended by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, and the Vice President, Dr. Philip Mpango, who attended the event over the weekend.

The festival featured a variety of exciting events organized by NBC in collaboration with the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL). One of the weekend's highlights was the "Bongo and Zenji Flavor Night," a grand music festival held in Paje and attended by President Samia.

Before the music festival, the Kizimkazi Youth Soccer League, known as the "Samia Kizimkazi Youth Cup," concluded its thrilling final at the New Amaan Complex Stadium. 

The Vice President, Dr. Mpango, led the final match celebrations and presented the trophy to the victorious Kusini Secondary School team, which defeated Muyuni Secondary School with a score of 3-0.

During the award ceremony, Vice President Dr. Mpango, along with senior government officials and league sponsors, including TTCL and NBC Bank, celebrated with the young champions.

In addition to the sports and entertainment events, NBC also played a key role in the inauguration of the ‘Salaam Cave Aquarium’ at Kizimkazi-Dimbani.

Speaking at the inauguration, President Samia expressed her gratitude for the contributions of NBC Bank and TTCL to the Kizimkazi Festival, which has been a success since its inception nine years ago.

"Despite the efforts of many other stakeholders in making this festival a success, today, being a special day for NBC and TTCL, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank and congratulate them for their efforts in making this festival a success since its establishment," said President Samia. She also acknowledged the bank's role in organizing the football matches and the grand entertainment festival in Paje, promising to attend the festival later in the evening.

Theobald Sabi, Managing Director of NBC Bank, highlighted the bank's commitment to the Kizimkazi Festival, emphasizing their use of the platform to organize sports and entertainment events and implement various community development initiatives in education, health, tourism, sports, and financial services.

"Since the beginning of this festival nine years ago, we started with participating in the construction of classrooms. Later on, we donated a mobile clinic vehicle, which continues to provide quality healthcare services. Then we participated in the construction and procurement of furniture for the Kizimkazi Saccos. Furthermore, we continued to participate in the construction of a health center and other important development areas for the people of Kizimkazi," said Sabi.

Sabi further expressed the bank's commitment to promoting tourism in the country, noting that the success of the newly inaugurated Salaam Cave Aquarium at Kizimkazi-Dimbani will help create employment opportunities and boost national income through tourism. The bank also pledged to establish a special digital payment system to facilitate payments by tourists at Salaam Cave and other similar locations in Zanzibar.

The Kizimkazi Festival exemplifies the power of collaboration between the government, the private sector, and local communities, as demonstrated by the successful partnership between NBC Bank, TTCL, and the people of Kizimkazi.

This year's festival has once again highlighted Zanzibar's immense potential in sports, entertainment, and tourism, reinforcing its status as a premier destination in East Africa.