KCB Group is the Best Regional Bank in East Africa at the just concluded African Banker Awards 2019 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
KCB also emerged as the best in the innovation category for having “demonstrated original and practical uses of technology to provide customer convenience, improved and more affordable services, and greater access to the financial services industry in Africa.”
Equity Group emerged the most Socially Responsible Bank of the Year recognizing the bank’s reputation of improving the lives of the less advantaged in society.
Commenting on the impressive achievements of the banks shortlisted for the 2019 awards, Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Banker said: “We’ve been following the work of the financial services industry for many years. The sector over the years has seen great returns, and 2018 was another strong year for banks. Undoubtedly FinTech was the most buoyant sector in terms of tech investments and we are yet to truly see the transformative impact it can have. Despite the positive stories from the banking sector, the words of the winner of our Banker of the Year still resonate when he said last year at the Africa Investment Forum: we need to speed up, scale up and synergise. ”
THE 2019 AFRICAN BANKER AWARD WINNERS
African Banker of the Year
Admassu Tadesse, TDB
Lifetime Achievement Award
Mitchell Elegbe, Founder, Interswitch Group
African Bank of the Year
Afreximbank
Minister of Finance of the Year
Romuald Wadagni, République du Benin
Central Bank Governor of the Year
Tarek Amer, Central Bank Governor, Egypt
Best Retail Bank in Africa
Ecobank
Investment Bank of the Year
Absa Capital
Award for Financial Inclusion
Bank of Industry, Nigeria
Special Commendation for their contribution to the development and financing of the Rural Sector: Banco Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial (BANGE)
Socially Responsible Bank of the Year
Equity Bank, Kenya
Innovation in Banking
KCB, Kenya
Special Commendation: JUMO, South Africa
Deal of the Year – Equity
Vivo IPO
Standard Bank & Rand Merchant Bank (South Africa)
Deal of the Year – Debt
$2.2bn Senegal Eurobond
Rothschild
Infrastructure Deal of the Year
Mozambique Floating LNG
TDB & Credit Agricole
Regional Bank of the Year
East Africa – KCB, Kenya
West Africa – Orabank
North Africa – Banque de l’Habitat (Tunisia)
Southern Africa – Mauritius Commercial Bank
Central Africa – BGFI, Gabon
The Awards took place in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on the sidelines of the African Development Bank.
The awards were held under the high patronage of the African Development Bank, sponsored by the African Guarantee Fund as Platinum Sponsor, the Bank of Industry as Gold Sponsor and Coris Bank as Associate Sponsor. The Host Sponsor was Banco Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial, by far the country’s biggest bank in terms of assets and footprint.
