Equity Group CEO and Managing Director James Mwangi has been named the best business leader in Africa for the year 2023 at the All-Africa Business Leaders Awards.
In its 11th year, the awards were held at Sun City, South Africa by the Africa Business News, the owners of CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa.
The lifetime achievement award is given to individuals who have made remarkable impact on their industry, country and the continent over a period of a lifetime.
Mwangi was honoured for his vision, lifetime devotion and dedication to the progress of the African continent and its people, through the work of Equity Group and its impact on inspiring others to seek success.
This, by offering transformative opportunities for the empowerment of people in the continent.
On social impact for instance, Mwangi was recognised for the flagship Wings to Fly scholarship programme, under education and leadership development that has seen nearly 60,000 academically gifted needy students receive comprehensive scholarships.
Under this pillar, the lender says over 8,300 scholars have received paid internships with the bank, and over 18,735 have proceeded to universities with 761 students benefiting from the global scholarship program that has seen at least 219 scholars admitted to Ivy League universities.
In his acceptance speech, Mwangi associated his lifetime achievement as a philanthropist, entrepreneur and leader to the influence of his upbringing, a mother’s inspiration and circumstances and situation.
“Being brought up by a widowed mother, the late Grace, taught me not to be left behind while others were going to school or church hence Equity’s inclusion strategy to ensure nobody was left behind," Mwangi said.
Further highlighting his stride towards the award, during his term of service, Mwangi said Equity has grown through ranks in Kenya to become a major financial services Group in East and Central Africa.
The lender is now among the top three banks in five countries: Kenya, DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan.
Equity’s asset base has grown from Sh27 million to over Sh1.5 trillion asset base, with over 18 million customers.