Africa’s best bank for corporate responsibility: Equity Bank Kenya

Equity Bank Kenya claims its mission is to empower clients and stakeholders, both socially and economically.

The Nairobi-based lender’s corporate responsibility foundations are built on the Equity Group Foundation (EGF), the corporate foundation it formed in 2008 with a mandate to serve and protect the most vulnerable citizens. Every year, 2% of the bank’s annual revenues are set aside to fund the foundation’s charitable endeavours.

It is led by James Mwangi, managing director and chief executive of Equity Group.

Equity Bank Kenya primarily targets campaigns that improve educational performance and health facilities. Its Wings to Fly and Elimu scholarship programmes provide financial support to thousands of high-school students; as of the end of 2023, 97% of Wings to Fly students had completed school, with 82% going on to secure an undergraduate degree.

Accessing affordable healthcare is one of the key challenges facing citizens and governments in Equity Group Kenya’s stronghold in eastern Africa; the problem is exacerbated by rising healthcare costs and a shortage of trained medical professionals.