Equity Group spending on women suppliers up 302% to Ksh 3.7B

Equity Group says it spent a total of 3.7 billion last year to purchase products and services from women suppliers as it total procurement budget grew to Ksh 52.8 billion.

The 2025 Sustainability Report shows that the bank’s spending on buying products and services from women-owned enterprises grew from Ksh 923.5 million in 2024, as share of locally sourced services and products grew from 88% to 90% last year.

“The stronger our business becomes, the greater our capacity to invest in people, enterprises and communities, while building resilience across the markets we serve. Through our investments, partnerships and innovation, we are translating our purpose of transforming lives, giving dignity and expanding opportunities for wealth creation across Africa into measurable, enduring impact,” said Dr James Mwangi, Equity Group Chief Executive Officer.

According to the bank, total procurement expenses rose by 12.2% year-on-year to reach Ksh 52.8 billion from Ksh 47 billion in 2024.

Out of the total procurement budget, the bank spent Ksh 47.6 billion to buy products and services from local suppliers which is a 14.7% increase when compared to Ksh 41.5 billion the bank spent in 2024.

The lender said the increase in procurement spend on local companies is intended to promote local economies, create employment opportunities and ensure inclusive economic development.

“We have prioritised local suppliers to maximise socio economic impact while upholding our standards for responsible sourcing. We are particularly focused on supporting youth led and women owned businesses wherever possible. In 2025, 90% of our procurement spend was spent on local supplier,” the lender stated.

In a year to December 2025, supplies and services provided by the youth-led enterprises also increased by 75% to Ksh 491.1 million from Ksh 280.7 million.

Overall, Equity Group says its net investment in social impact and sustainability initiatives across six regional makets it operates in reached Ksh 99.5 billion.

“Our responsibility is to continue to turn potential into productive opportunity while protecting the natural systems that make prosperity possible. That means directing finance towards resilience, creating value within our economies, and ensuring that people and nature are not treated as afterthoughts in development. That is the promise of the theme we share today,” added Mwangi.

During the year under review, the group’s total number of employees grew to 13,370 from 13,083 out of which, 7,276 are men while women make up 6,094.

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