Opportunity Bank PLC opens branch in Wau

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The Opportunity Bank PLC last week opened a branch in the Western Bahr el Ghazal State capital, Wau to provide banking services to people there.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj during the opening, the bank’s Managing Director, John Kimanthi, said the bank has a high opportunity to meet the standard demands required by the people of South Sudan.  

“The bank’s operation aims at increasing services to its customers with strategic plans to extend its footprint to all parts of South Sudan,” Kimanthi said. “The main purpose of the bank is to support and deliver services to the people of South Sudan and to ensure that it plays a role as a cooperative bank to the citizens of this country to support the growth of the economy for the people of South Sudan. That is what we stand out for.”   

“I want to tell you that even with the one branch in Konyokonyo (Juba), we have established an agency network across all the major cities in South Sudan, and on this, we are able to deliver services everywhere within South Sudan,” he added.

According to Kimanthi, Opportunity Bank is now linked to international banks making it easy for clients to benefit from International transactions, especially for the businessmen to purchase commodities outside the country.

“We are linked to other Banks internationally, correspondent banks, we do cash transfers for the purchase of commodities from out there, we can do this,” he said.

Kimanthi also revealed that they will soon open a fourth branch in Maban town of Upper Nile state and that local communities within the state will get job opportunities to work in the bank.

Wau citizens expressed their happiness over the opening of the bank saying the new bank should prioritize basic needs including the provision of loans to the local traders.

Raphael Zackaria Paul, a resident of Wau said: “We are always in need of local banks to provide true services to the people of the state. There are always opportunities to open a bank account in banks but sometimes when we go to banks for withdrawal, we find it difficult to withdraw money. If you want to withdraw a certain amount, you are sometimes told to withdraw a certain amount which does not cover your needs.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Deruf Kon, a businessman who owns a shop within Wau’s main market said the new bank should open its doors for loans to businessmen in Wau to expand their businesses.

“We wish the new bank to provide loan assistance to the small scale businessmen and businesswomen to support themselves to grow,” Kon said.