NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 3 – Equity Group Holdings has won the 2025 CIO100 Africa Award in the PlusOne Banking Sector category, earning recognition as one of the continent’s leading institutions in financial technology and digital transformation.
The award was announced at the CIO100 Symposium and Awards in Naivasha, where 100 organisations across Africa were honoured for advancements in IT leadership and digital innovation.
This year’s event, themed “Innovation at Scale: Driving Business Growth Through IT Leadership,” highlighted rapid enterprise adoption of emerging technologies, including AI, cybersecurity modernization, and data-driven systems.
Equity was ranked the top banking institution for its progress in modernizing technology infrastructure, expanding digital banking capacity, improving data governance, and integrating artificial intelligence into operations.
Equity Group CEO Dr. James Mwangi said the recognition reflects years of investment in technology systems intended to strengthen service delivery and enhance access to financial services.
“This award is a testament to the synergy between vision, innovation, and execution,” he said.
Chief Information Officer Michael Kwofie, who received the award on behalf of the bank, credited teams across Equity’s markets for driving technology improvements.
“We are grateful for this recognition and look forward to achieving even more in the coming years,” he said.
Now in its 17th year, the CIO100 Awards attracted more than 1,200 submissions from across Africa, making it one of the programme’s most competitive editions.
Trends highlighted in this year’s CIO100 MegaTrends Report include cloud adoption, AI integration, IoT expansion, and cybersecurity upgrades as dominant priorities for African enterprises.
Equity Group has in recent years invested heavily in digital infrastructure, fraud-prevention systems, and regional data architecture.
The bank now serves more than 22 million customers through mobile, online, and agency channels—part of a strategy aimed at reducing reliance on physical branches and scaling technology-led financial inclusion.
