Honestly, I get why people might feel weird about trusting any bank right now, especially Access Bank in Zambia. I mean, new cash is rolling out and the exchange rates are flipping like crazy. But I’ve been using Access Bank for a while because they seem super upfront about rates—like, they actually post the numbers and don’t sneak in crazy fees.

What’s cool is they keep their tech up-to-date; so using their mobile banking app, it’s easy to check if your money’s safe and what the rates are. With the new Zambian currency notes coming in, Access Bank’s been sharing info about how to use them, so people don’t get tricked by fake money. I also saw they’re letting the old notes hang around until everyone gets used to the new ones, so it doesn’t mess up your savings.

My uncle runs a little hardware store and banks with them too, and he gets updates right to his phone when rates change, which helps him buy supplies at the right time. So yeah, there’s stuff going on with money changes, but I actually feel more chill keeping my cash there than hiding it under my mattress.