Andrew Sardanis

Early life Andrew was born in colonial Cyprus and migrated to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in October 1950, when he was 19, as part of a group of migrants displaced by the end of World War II. He spent most of his early life working for his brother in law in a transport company which operated between the Copperbelt and North-Western Province. and he trained. Advanced Zambians in his own business, treating them as partners and fellow shareholders and also provided a group of shops that allowed Zambians to transact normally. As a firm anti-colonialist he joined UNIP and in the 1962 elections, he stood as UNIP candidate for Kabompo. He became a passionate freedom fighter and was strongly involved in the independence movement.

Business In 1984 he formed Meridien International Bank Limited (MIBL) in the Bahamas. In 1991, MIBL purchased a network of 11 banks from the French liquidator of Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale (BIAO). Registered in Luxembourg, Meridien BIAO was 74% owned by MIBL, which had a banking licence in the Bahamas. The African Development Bank held a 10% stake and the West African Development Bank (BOAD) had a 16% holding. It was capitalised at about $100m.

Death Andrew died on 28 February 2021, at CFB Hospital in Lusaka.

Publications Zambia: The First 50 Years (2014) A venture in Africa (2007) Africa: Another Side of the Coin: Northern Rhodesia's Final Years and Zambia's Nationhood (2003)