Equity Bank wins AfriSAFE 2025 Bank of the Year Award

Jared Njom (in the middle with glasses) – Equity Group Head of Real Estate Development and Equity staff pose for a photo after receiving the AfriSAFE 2025 BANK OF THE YEAR AWARD from the AfriSAFE awarding guests on the far right and left.

Equity Bank has been named the Bank of the Year at the 2025 AfriSAFE Awards, earning recognition for what judges described as strong workplace safety and environmental standards across its regional operations.

The award was announced in Mombasa during the Africa Safety Congress held on November 13–14, an annual forum that brings together regulators, safety experts, and corporate leaders to assess progress in health, safety, security, environment, and sustainability.

A panel of seven judges drawn from five global regions reviewed submissions from institutions across the continent. The panel, which included US-based human rights attorney and scholar Prof. Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, cited Equity’s adherence to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) regulations, its staff welfare initiatives, and the systems used to monitor safety compliance.

Equity Group CEO Dr. James Mwangi said the award reflected continuing efforts to strengthen safety and sustainability practices within the bank’s operations.

“Safety, sustainability, and the well-being of our people form the foundation of our business,” Dr. Mwangi said.

“This recognition reflects the deliberate investments we continue to make to ensure our operations remain safe, compliant, and environmentally responsible.”

AfriSAFE organisers said Equity’s safety and sustainability framework stood out among financial institutions, noting its performance in Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan. They highlighted the bank’s Health, Safety, and Environment Management System (HSEMS), which they described as a structured approach to risk management and employee welfare.

The awards, now one of the leading continental platforms for safety benchmarking, have increasingly drawn entries from sectors beyond manufacturing and heavy industry, reflecting what organisers say is growing attention to workplace standards in service sectors, including banking.

Equity Bank, one of Kenya’s largest lenders by customer base, has in recent years expanded its operations across the region while facing heightened regulatory scrutiny around workplace conditions, environmental reporting, and sustainability disclosures.

This year’s AfriSAFE Awards also recognised institutions in mining, transport, construction, and public administration. Organisers said the focus of the 2025 edition was to highlight organisations that have embedded safety and sustainability into everyday operations rather than treating them as compliance checklists.