The Capital Markets Ambassador Program (CMAP), spearheaded by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Zambia, is a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing public knowledge and participation in the country’s capital markets. The program aims to recruit individuals who have previously interacted with the SEC as well as other qualified and interested individuals including university students, former executives, and board members to serve as ambassadors. These individuals are further trained to build capacity about the capital markets and then tasked with educating and engaging broader audiences, particularly youths and students and the public, through various outreach activities such as seminars, workshops, and peer-to-peer sessions.
Functionally, the ambassadors, based in their communities across the nation, serve as community-based educators and advocates. In turn, the ambassadors serve as valuable feedback channels, helping the SEC gather insights into the needs, perceptions, and stakeholder concerns.
The impact of the program is envisaged to be multi-dimensional. Firstly, it is potentiall a tool to boosts financial literacy, particularly among youth who are often underserved in traditional financial education efforts. Through demystifying capital markets and encouraging participation, the program can help increase the number of first-time investors, eventually expanding the investor base. Secondly, it aims to promote financial inclusion by reaching diverse communities that may not otherwise have access to such information or resources. For the ambassadors themselves, the program offers valuable personal development opportunities, including public speaking, financial acumen, leadership, and networking, which are assets in both professional and academic environments.
As financial literacy improves and more people gain confidence in engaging with capital markets, the country’s economic resilience and growth potential are likely to benefit. Thus, the Capital Markets Ambassador Program serves as a transformative platform not just for spreading awareness, but also for shaping a more inclusive and dynamic financial market.
