Equity CEO James Mwangi named ‘African Banker of the Year’

Equity Group CEO Dr. James Mwangi has been named the 2018 ‘African Banker of the Year’ at the 12th edition of the African Banker Awards, held in South Korea.

Dr. Mwangi was feted for his leadership and vision in driving the growth of Equity Bank and providing leadership in the banking industry in Africa.

Equity Group also beat off strong competition from four other shortlisted nominees to win the coveted ‘African Bank of the Year Award’.

Tanzania’s former central bank governor Dr Benno Ndulu, who finished his second term last year, won Central Bank Governor of the year award for his work in pushing for financial inclusion as well as for sound macroeconomic management.

CRDB, also from Tanzania, was named the ‘Regional Bank in East Africa’.

South African banks dominated the investment banking and deals of the year categories. Standard Bank Group swooped three awards, including the one for ‘Investment Bank of the Year’.

Standard Bank and Rand Merchant Bank in South Africa took the ‘Infrastructure Deal of the Year’ for the $5bn Nacala corridor rail and port project in Mozambique and Malawi, one of Africa’s largest private sector funded infrastructure projects.

The project covers 912km of railway running from the Tete province in western Mozambique to Nacala port on the East coast through a section of Malawi.

BGFI Bank in Gabon has won the award ‘Regional Bank of the Year’ in Central Africa.

“The winners of the African Banker Awards reflect the innovation and energy within Africa’s banking market. The categories that most catch my eye are the Deals of the year and the one on Innovation in Banking,” said Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Banker.

“They reflect the true energy and vigour of the banking sector. I cannot stress enough though the important role financial services have to play to drive the development of the continent.”

The 12th edition of the African Banker Awards, hosted by African Banker magazine and BusinessinAfricaEvents took place at the Paradise Hotel Busan.