STANDARD BANK PLANTS TREES ON DR SAULOS CHILIMA HIGHWAY

Lilongwe, Malawi — 22nd April 2026

Standard Bank Plc today marked a significant step in its environmental commitment by allocating an additional MK50 million towards re-afforestation of the Dr. Saulos Chilima Highway and Mzimba Street in Lilongwe which it financed.

The bank is the lead financier for Malawi’s first six-lane highway and made a commitment to supporting the Roads Fund Administration in recouping the tree cover that was replaced by the additional lanes of the road.

The commitment is part of the Bank’s climate resilience and environmental conservation programme called Mtengo Wanga (My Tree). The initiative is aligned with Standard Bank Group’s (SBG) Blue Roots programme that is a collaborative effort to restore tree cover in key areas within countries. Malawi’s activation represents one of the most integrated expressions of Blue Roots, combining infrastructure, community impact, urban greening, and institutional partnership in a single, coherent programme.

The event —held on Earth Day, 22 April — brought together Standard Bank leadership, Lilongwe City Council officials, Road Fund Administration, media, influential people in society, staff and community members for a symbolic tree-planting exercise and handing over the tree-planting project to Lilongwe City Council.

The Dr. Saulos Chilima Highway and Mzimba Road is one of the many infrastructure developments that have been financed by Standard Bank Plc over the years. The road provides spatial connectivity between the city centre, the Kamuzu Central Hospital and the CBD area. The road promises to improve connectivity and economic activity across the city.

Recognizing that infrastructure development often comes at an environmental cost, the Bank takes deliberate steps to restore the natural landscape alongside these development projects.

Chief Executive Phillip Madinga said the tree planting initiative underscored Standard Bank’s holistic approach to economic sustainability.

“As we invest in Malawi’s growth, we recognize that development must go hand in hand with environmental responsibility. Mtengo Wanga is not a symbolic gesture; it is a commitment to ensure progress is accompanied with environmental stewardship. We are not only building Malawi’s future, but an entire sustainable macro economy in which infrastructure is environmentally suitable,” said Madinga.

The bank has partnered with Lilongwe City Council to re-afforestation the tree cover forming the second partnership under the Mtengo Wanga programme. The initiative builds on the first partnership made with World Vision International Malawi. The three-year partnership with World Vision aims to restore 350 hectares of land in Lilongwe and benefit over 10,000 community members, 40% of whom are school-going children. The programme supports forest regeneration, forest-based enterprises, and environmental education through direct student engagement.

Today’s launch extends this impact into the urban environment, connecting community-level forest restoration with city-wide greening and institutional partnerships that ensure sustainability beyond any single event

Lilongwe City council mayor councillor Peter Alex Banda praised Standard Bank’s exemplary gesture.

“We are delighted for the support Standard Bank has given to the council to replant trees along this road. As you remember we had trees along this road before the construction of the road. In our efforts to make Lilongwe city green and clean, it is initiative like this one by Standard Bank that makes it become a reality. We want more partners like Standard Bank to change the face of the city.”

Today’s milestone underscores Standard Bank’s belief that meaningful development must leave a positive legacy for both people and the planet. By investing in re-afforestation alongside critical infrastructure, the Bank is demonstrating that economic progress and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing. Through Mtengo Wanga and its alignment to the Group’s Blue Roots programme, this initiative moves beyond symbolism, embedding sustainability into the fabric of urban development and community partnership.

For his part, Roads Fund Administration Chief Executive officer Stewart Malata emphasized the need for approaching infrastructure investments with environmental considerations in mind.

“This tree planting exercise is important. Infrastructure development should be sustainable. During the construction of this road we removed trees and this excirse is about restoring what we destroyed. We need trees to sustain our environment and the structures we build,” he said