TN CyberTech Bank kept several of its branches open on Christmas Day, an unusual move the bank says was driven by increased festive-season demand, particularly from mobile money agents requiring float replenishment.
Writing on X, TN CyberTech Bank chairman Tawanda Nyambirai said the decision was based on demand from key integration partners, particularly EcoCash agents, who required float replenishment during the festive period.
“There has been a lot of demand for EcoCash agents to replenish their float in order to serve customers during the festive season,” Nyambirai said. “We do not yet have enough intelligent deposit-taking infrastructure, as some equipment orders are still pending. As an essential service, we therefore had to open our doors.”
Nyambirai said the bank’s strategy spells a vision positioning TN Bank as “the first tech-driven, hyper-integrated, post-platform era digital financial services hub” offering borderless, AI-powered banking services within and outside Zimbabwe.
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Nyambirai said branches experienced queues both on Christmas Day and the following day, which he described as evidence of unmet demand rather than operational strain.
According to Nyambirai, with smart deposit machines and automated infrastructure still on order, human service points were used to ensure continuity during a high-demand festive period.
“In this transition, we must be, with our people, what we will be with machines after full digitization,” he said.
TN Cybertech Bank is the rebranded Steward Bank, which was originally TN Bank, which was acquired and rebranded by Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in 2013.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe approved the name change in May 2025 after lawyer-entrepreneur Tawanda Nyambirai increased his shareholding in the bank’s holding vehicle to a controlling stake of about 53 percent.
In terms of performance and market position, Steward Bank historically operated as a medium-sized commercial bank with an emphasis on digital channels and telephony integration, striving to expand its customer base through technology-enabled services. Financial results from recent years show reinforcement of digital channel strategies and solid non-interest income growth, even as the broader economy remained challenging.
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