NICO Group, which includes NBS Bank and ERIS Properties, has been recognised for marketing excellence after taking home seven awards at the 2026 Institute of Marketing Malawi (IMM) Awards.

The awards recognised the Group’s work across creativity, customer experience, marketing leadership and corporate social responsibility, with honours going to both individuals and teams.

The seven awards were:

• CSR Initiative of the Year – Queens House Sponsorship
• TVC of the Year – NICO Life ChildSaver (Tinkerbell)
• Customer Service Personality of the Year – Catherine Kaimila
• Marketing Team of the Year – NICO Group Marketing Team
• Marketer of the Year – Taweni Gondwe Xaba
• Best Print Advert – NICO General – Timalipira
• Marketing Campaign of the Year – NBS Bank – Kachangu Loan

For NICO Group, the recognition goes beyond celebrating creative work, highlighting the importance of treating brand building, marketing and customer experience as investments that contribute to business performance.

Taweni Gondwe Xaba, Group Head of Marketing and Customer Experience, said strong brands play an important role in building customer trust, loyalty and preference.

“Brand building is a business investment. It is not simply about awareness or being seen. Strong brands build trust, preference and loyalty, and those things ultimately influence how customers choose and remain with a business.”

She said the awards also demonstrate the value of connecting marketing activity to wider business objectives.

“Our responsibility as marketers is to understand the business challenge, understand the customer and use creativity and communication to create value. Investing in marketing, advertising and customer experience is ultimately an investment in growth, reputation and the long-term sustainability of the business.”

Recognising people and impact

The individual awards included Marketer of the Year for Gondwe Xaba and Customer Service Personality of the Year for NICO Group Customer Experience Manager, Catherine Kaimila.

Kaimila’s recognition follows her being named a 2026 Africa CX Leader, highlighting her contribution to customer experience excellence.

The Marketing Team of the Year award further recognised the collective effort behind NICO Group’s marketing work.

The Group’s creative and impact-driven work was also recognised, with NICO Life ChildSaver (Tinkerbell) winning TVC of the Year, while the Queens House Sponsorship was named CSR Initiative of the Year.

NICO General’s Timalipira, a claims payment campaign reinforcing the insurer’s commitment to paying its customers, won Best Print Advert. NBS Bank’s Kachangu Loan was named Marketing Campaign of the Year.

Together, the seven awards reflect the breadth of marketing, customer experience and creative talent across NICO Group and reinforce the Group’s commitment to building brands that deliver value for customers, businesses and communities.

Seven Awards. One NICO.

Reputation by Results.

About NICO Group

NICO Holdings Plc (NICO Group) is a leading diversified financial services group headquartered in Malawi, with a growing regional footprint. As the parent company of the NICO Group, it provides strategic leadership and shared capabilities across its subsidiaries in insurance, banking, asset management, corporate advisory, pensions administration, property management, technology, and hospitality. The Group delivers integrated financial solutions serving individuals, businesses, and institutions, generating value through innovation, operational excellence, and deep market insight. NICO Group is distinguished by a diversified product offering, strong corporate governance, an active digital transformation agenda, and a customer-centric culture that underpins sustainable growth and long-term value creation. Listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange, NICO Holdings is recognised for its market credibility and strategic regional partnerships, including with Sanlam Allianz, Africap, Botswana Investment Holdings, and Rabobank.