One of Africa’s fast-growing financial institution, National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc has been recognised as the second-place winner in the ‘Best Use of Local Insights’ category at the African Marketing Conference (AMC) Awards held in Zambia.
The recognition was announced during the awards ceremony on Thursday at the Avani Victoria Falls Resort in Livingstone, Zambia.
NBM plc earned the recognition for its ‘Ona Pango’ campaign, which demonstrated how deep understanding of local culture, traditions and consumer behaviour can be translated into relevant and impactful marketing.
The ‘Best Use of Local Insights’ category assessed entries against factors including creativity, effectiveness, cultural relevance and authenticity, highlighting the growing importance of consumer and cultural insight in developing marketing that resonates with audiences.
Speaking on the recognition, NBM plc Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager Akossa Mphepo-Hiwa said the award was an affirmation of the Bank’s approach to putting customer and cultural insight at the centre of its marketing.
“For us, local insight is not simply about knowing the market; it is about understanding the people within that market—their behaviours, experiences, culture and the things that matter to them. When we translate those insights into our marketing, we are able to create work that feels authentic and relevant because it starts with the customer,” said Mphepo-Hiwa.
She said the recognition demonstrates the value of combining customer understanding, creativity and cultural relevance in developing marketing campaigns.
“As marketers, our role is to find meaningful ways to connect brands with people. That requires us to listen, observe and understand before we create. ‘Ona Pango’ is an example of what can happen when we take local insight seriously and use it to inform the way we build a campaign,” she said.
Mphepo-Hiwa added that the recognition from the African Marketing Confederation was particularly significant as it places NBM’s work alongside marketing campaigns and practitioners from across the continent.
“We are proud that a piece of work rooted in Malawian insight has been recognised on an African marketing platform. It reinforces our belief that local understanding can be a source of competitive advantage and that African brands can create marketing that is both deeply local and relevant on a broader stage,” she said.
The AMC Awards recognise outstanding marketing campaigns, organisations and teams across the continent. The awards featured several categories, including Best Social Media Campaign of the Year, Tourism & Destination Marketing Campaign of the Year and Most Effective Campaign of the Year, among others.
“As marketers, our role is to find meaningful ways to connect brands with people.”
Akossa Mphepo-Hiwa
NBM Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager
