Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya’s Equity Group Holdings has broken into the ranks of Africa’s banking elite, securing a place among the continent’s top 10 biggest banks by brand value.
This is according to the latest 2026 report by Brand Finance that evaluates more than 5,000 of the world’s largest brands across sectors.
The annual survey placed the Nairobi-headquartered lender in a list long dominated by South African and Nigerian giants.
Leading the African pack were South Africa’s Standard Bank, First National Bank, and Absa Group, alongside major Nigerian institutions such as Zenith Bank and Guaranty Trust Holding Company, and Egypt’s National Bank of Egypt.
The lender recently posted a net profit of Sh75 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025, underlining its continued dominance in East Africa.
Beyond size, the bank also stood out in brand quality, ranking as the sixth strongest banking brand globally with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 93.9 and retaining an elite AAA+ rating.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Equity has featured among the world’s strongest banking brands—a trajectory that underscores its transformation from a regional lender into a continental powerhouse.
In 2024, the bank had already signaled its upward momentum, building on its earlier global breakthrough in 2023 when it surged from fourth to second position among the world’s strongest banking brands with a BSI score of 92.5 out of 100.
The 2026 score reflects a further improvement, albeit marginal, reinforcing the lender’s consistency in brand performance.
Brand Finance attributes Equity’s brand resilience to its enduring “Bank of the People” positioning, coupled with strong profitability from its regional subsidiaries, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Its expansion strategy—focused on financial inclusion and digital banking—has helped it cultivate deep customer trust, a key driver behind its AAA+ rating.
“Equity Bank’s valuation isn’t just about its balance sheet; it’s about its AAA+ rating, which means it has the highest level of consumer trust and ‘future-proof’ stability compared to any other brand in the region,” noted the Brand Finance report.
Within the same rankings, KCB Group also maintained a strong presence, emerging as the ninth strongest banking brand globally despite experiencing a dip in brand value.
The list of strongest banking brands was led by Indonesia’s Bank Central Asia (BCA), followed by Equity Group Holdings in second position in earlier rankings, and another top-tier global lender completing the podium in 2026.
Beyond banking, Kenya’s broader corporate landscape also featured prominently in Brand Finance’s Kenya 25 rankings.
Safaricom retained a high position as the second most valuable brand at $453 million, registering modest growth of 0.5 per cent. KCB followed in third place with a brand value of $426 million, Sh55.08 billion, reflecting a robust nine per cent increase.
Fintech platform M-Pesa ranked fourth at $240 million (Sh31.03 billion), representing a 14 per cent year-on-year growth, underscoring the rapid evolution of digital financial services.
Other notable brands included Co-operative Bank of Kenya at $202 million (Sh26.1 billion), alongside NCBA Group, Kenya Power, Tusker, I&M Group, and Kenya Airways.
Notably, banks now account for more than 55 per cent of the total value of the Kenya 25 ranking, highlighting the sector’s growing dominance.
Lenders successfully pivoting beyond traditional banking into lifestyle and digital platforms, capturing new revenue streams and deepening customer engagement, have driven this shift.
While Safaricom remains Kenya’s most profitable single entity, its brand value growth has slowed relative to Equity, largely due to heavy capital investments and initial losses associated with its expansion into Ethiopia.
In contrast, Equity’s diversified regional portfolio and disciplined execution have enabled it to pull ahead in brand equity.
Globally, the Brand Finance Banking 500 report showed continued dominance by Chinese and American lenders.
The top five most valuable banking brands in 2026 were led by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), followed by China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, and the United States’ JPMorgan Chase.
These institutions continue to command the highest brand valuations globally, reflecting their scale, profitability, and deep capital markets.
