Equity Group Posts Record KSh 75.5 Bn Profit, Tops East and Central Africa

Equity Group Holdings' profitability has increased significantly on the back of strong revenue growth, improved efficiency, and increasing contributions from regional subsidiaries.

• •The Group’s earnings momentum was primarily driven by a combination of balance sheet growth, widening net interest margins, and disciplined cost management.
• •Profit after tax rose by 54.7% to KSh 75.5 billion in 2025 from KSh 48.8 billion the previous year, with net interest income increasing by 16.7% to KSh 126.9 billion, supported by a 24.1% decline in interest expenses.
• •Non-interest income also grew by 6.7% to KSh 90.8 billion, highlighting continued diversification across fees, forex trading, and digital channels.

Total operating income rose 12.3% to KSh 217.7 billion, outpacing a 5.6% decline in operating expenses. This drove a notable improvement in efficiency, with the cost-to-income ratio easing to 51.0% from 58.2%, reflecting gains from digitization, shared services, and scale efficiencies.

Asset quality trends improved significantly, with loan loss provisions declining by 28.1% to KSh 14.5 billion. This was supported by improved recovery performance, even as the loan book expanded by 7.7% to KSh 882.5 billion. Non-performing loans declined, reinforcing the strengthening credit profile.

The balance sheet remained strong, with total assets growing 9.2% to KSh 1.97 trillion and customer deposits rising 4.2% to KSh 1.46 trillion. Growth in government securities (+12.9%) indicates continued liquidity and risk management positioning amid evolving macro conditions. Shareholders’ funds expanded strongly by 32.1% to KSh 326.1 billion, supporting capital adequacy and future growth capacity.

A key structural driver of performance was the increasing contribution from regional subsidiaries, which now account for roughly half of banking profitability. Markets such as the DRC, Uganda, and Tanzania recorded outsized growth, highlighting the success of Equity’s pan-African expansion strategy. Meanwhile, the insurance business continued scaling, with strong premium growth and improving profitability.

Earnings per share rose by 54.8% to KSh 19.1, supporting a 35.3% increase in dividend per share to KSh 5.75. The proposed payout of KSh 21.7 billion signals management’s confidence in sustained earnings capacity and capital strength.

Key Financial Performance (FY2025 vs FY2024)