National Building Society review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

National Building Society suits borrowers who already bank with the society and want home finance and personal lending in one place. Its 50% maximum loan to value sits below what many rivals offer, so buyers needing a larger mortgage should compare elsewhere before applying.

Key facts

Best for
Existing account holders funding a purchase or home improvement.
Fixed period
5 to 25 years (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Maximum loan to value
50% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Purpose
Purchase, Equity-release (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Direct lender (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
National Building Society Limited (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Zimbabwe (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Official website
nbs.co.zw

Loans

Term
12 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Funding time
5 working days (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Direct lender (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Eligibility
Applicants must have income paid directly into an NBS account, with national ID, proof of residence, proof of income and 3 months' bank statements (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan types
Personal, Secured (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Use cases
Home-improvement (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
National Building Society Limited (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Zimbabwe (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
LinkedInX

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Fixed periods of 5 to 25 give borrowers room to plan ahead
  • Home improvement is listed as a use case, alongside purchase and equity release
  • A direct lender, so applications go straight to the provider rather than a broker
  • Support runs on email, phone and help centre

Cons

  • The 50% ceiling is low for a home purchase, and a 12 personal loan term is short
  • Lending is listed as personal and secured, so debt consolidation and car finance sit outside the range
  • Funding takes 5 working days on personal loans, longer than the quickest lenders compared here
National Building Society

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Scored 9.1 / 10 by BorrowCue.

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Who it suits

  • Borrowers who keep their salary in an account with the society
  • Home buyers who value a longer fixed period over a higher loan to value
  • Members planning home improvement work

Who should look elsewhere

  • Anyone borrowing the maximum the market offers, because 50% is capped low
  • Applicants with income paid outside the society, since eligibility requires a National Building Society account
  • Sofkredit, Creditilia ES and Prestalo followers, whose fixed periods of 0.5 to 20, 5 and 25 sit elsewhere in the market

The company behind it

National Building Society, listed as National Building Society Limited, is based in Zimbabwe and is registered as a building society under the Building Society Act. It lends as a direct lender rather than through a broker, so an application sits with the provider itself. Help runs on email, phone and help centre, which covers phone and email alongside a help centre.

How National Building Society compares

Where National Building Society is available

Available
Zimbabwe
Licence in Zimbabwe
Registered Building Society under the Building Society Act chapter 24:20, checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What fixed periods can I choose?+

Fixed periods run 5 to 25, a spread of lengths for a purchase, an equity release or a home improvement plan. The upper end suits a borrower who wants the payment settled for years, while the shorter end keeps the rate commitment modest if plans change.

How much can I borrow against a home?+

The maximum loan to value is 50%, so you would fund a large share of the purchase price yourself. That suits buyers with a solid deposit or equity in an existing property. Anyone stretching further on the deposit would find a higher ceiling elsewhere.

What can I use the borrowing for?+

Purpose covers purchase and equity release, and home improvement is listed as a use case, so borrowing can extend past the purchase itself. Personal and secured loans sit alongside the property lending. Requests such as car finance or debt consolidation fall outside the stated range.

How long does funding take?+

Funding takes 5 working days on personal loans, so plan the timing of an application around that wait rather than treating it as instant. Property lending runs on its own schedule. A borrower facing a deadline should compare lenders that fund faster first.

Who can apply for a personal loan?+

You need a National Building Society account with your income landing in it, since that condition sits above the paperwork. The society also wants your national ID, where you live, evidence of what you earn and a run of bank statements. Once approved, the personal loan runs over 12.

Is the society regulated?+

It is registered as a building society in ZW under the Building Society Act, and the legal entity is National Building Society Limited. Lending runs directly through the provider rather than a broker, so an application sits with the society itself and you get a single point of contact.

Can I take a personal loan as well as a mortgage?+

Yes. Lending is listed as personal and secured, with a personal loan term of 12. That short term suits a planned purchase or a small project rather than a long consolidation, and funding takes 5 working days. Property borrowing on 5 to 25 runs on its own terms.

Sources

  • nbs.co.zw checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Support channels

    “To report a lost or stolen Card, please contact NBS immediately on +263 700032, You can also use our contact form ... Feel free to explore our FAQs”

  • nbs.co.zw/about-us checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Lender type, Licences

    “NBS is the brain child of the Zimbabwean National Social Security Authority (NSSA)”

  • nbs.co.zw/mortgage-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Fixed period, Loan types, Maximum loan to value, Purpose, Use cases

    “Equity Release: Loan tenure - minimum 5 years and maximum of 25 years”

  • nbs.co.zw/personal-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Eligibility, Funding time, Term

    “Income to be paid directly into NBS account; Proof of income; 3 months' bank statement; Copy of National Identity Document; Proof of residence”

Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Initial rate, APRC.

National Building Society

National Building Society

Existing account holders funding a purchase or home improvement.

9.1/10See alternatives

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