Equity has scooped two awards at this year’s African Banker Awards. The Bank has been awarded the Best Regional Bank in East Africa, and for the second year running, the Africa Socially Responsible Bank of the Year.
Equity emerged as the Best Regional Bank in East Africa, having demonstrated high performance across various metrics, both qualitative and quantitative. According to the African Banker judging panel, the Bank excelled in terms of reaching out to new customers, offering new services, adopting inclusiveness by reaching out to the unbanked, adoption of new technologies and for its contribution to a stronger financial sector across the region.
Speaking while receiving the award during the virtual ceremony, Equity Group Managing Director and CEO, Dr. James Mwangi said: “We are glad that Equity has won this award. We appreciate the recognition that our operations in the 6 East and Central African countries we operate in have been standardised to reflect the One Equity brand providing inclusive financial services and we are not just a Kenyan bank, but a regional bank.”
During this COVID-19 period, the Bank exhibited initiative and support for its customers’ economic plight by providing an option for customers to re-negotiate existing facilities for up to 4 years. Equity further eliminated charges on all mobile banking transactions including all Equity-to-Equity mobile bank transfers, bank to mobile wallet transfers, mobile wallet to bank transfers, and mobile payments for bills, utilities, shopping, fuel, etc. to encourage cashless transactions.
Similarly, the Bank also won the African Banker Awards category for the Africa Socially Responsible Bank of the Year for the second time in a row. The panel of judges sought for concrete examples of projects and initiatives within the institutions that have had a sustainable impact on the communities they are geared towards. Identifying organisations that go beyond the philanthropic use of funds to use their overall knowledge, resources and reputation to improve the lives of the less advantaged in society. The Group through its subsidiary, Equity Group Foundation (EGF), has identified seven thematic areas to focus on that include; Education & Leadership Development, Food & Agriculture, Health, Enterprise Development & Financial Education, Social Protection, Energy & Environment, and Innovation. EGF has to date mobilized over KSh 44.7 billion (USD 447 million) to support these initiatives.
“Our purpose is to transform lives, giving dignity and expanding opportunities for wealth creation. We have combined financial services and doing good, […]