By Mulengera Reporters
Equity Group Holdings has posted the strongest financial performance in its history, reporting a record KSh75.5 billion (approximately UGX 2.15 trillion) profit after tax for the year ended December 2025, as regional subsidiaries, digital banking, and insurance operations powered a major growth surge across the Group.
The result represents a 55 percent increase from KSh48.8 billion (about UGX 1.39 trillion) in 2024, underscoring the success of the Group’s transformation into a diversified regional financial services powerhouse with an expanding footprint across East and Central Africa.
Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr. James Mwangi said the performance reflects the strength of Equity’s long-term strategy of building a resilient, pan-African financial institution.
“The 2025 performance reflects the success of our deliberate transformation into a diversified, regional financial services group,” Dr. Mwangi said. “We delivered strong profit growth by expanding and deepening our income streams, improving efficiency across the franchise, and strengthening the quality of our balance sheet.”
Among the standout performers was Uganda, which emerged as one of the Group’s fastest-growing markets after recording a staggering 500 percent increase in profit after tax to KSh3.6 billion (approximately UGX 103 billion).
The Democratic Republic of Congo also delivered strong growth, with profit rising 58 percent to KSh24.7 billion (about UGX 704 billion), while Tanzania posted a 125 percent increase to KSh2.7 billion (approximately UGX 77 billion). Rwanda reported profit after tax of KSh5.4 billion (about UGX 154 billion), supported by strong loan book expansion.
The strong regional performance highlights the increasing importance of Equity’s subsidiaries, which now contribute nearly half of the Group’s banking profitability, reflecting the success of its pan-African expansion strategy.
Overall, the Group’s balance sheet expanded to KSh1.97 trillion (approximately UGX 56.1 trillion), driven by growth in customer deposits, which rose to KSh1.46 trillion (about UGX 41.6 trillion), and net loans that increased to KSh882.5 billion (approximately UGX 25.2 trillion).
Revenue growth remained strong, with net interest income rising 17 percent to KSh126.9 billion (about UGX 3.62 trillion), while non-funded income increased by 7 percent to KSh90.8 billion. Total income grew 12 percent to KSh217.7 billion (approximately UGX 6.2 trillion).
The Group also continued to benefit from its digital transformation strategy, with more than 98 percent of transactions conducted outside banking halls and 88.4 percent processed through digital channels. This shift significantly improved efficiency, helping reduce the cost-to-income ratio from 58.2 percent to 51 percent.
Insurance emerged as another key growth driver after the integration of life, general, and health insurance businesses under Equity Insurance Group. Gross written premiums rose 75 percent to KSh9.17 billion (approximately UGX 262 billion), while profit before tax increased 36 percent to KSh2 billion (about UGX 57 billion).
Shareholders are set for higher returns after directors recommended a dividend of KSh5.75 per share, up from KSh4.25 in 2024, representing a 35 percent increase in payout.
Beyond financial performance, Equity continued to expand its social impact through the Equity Group Foundation. In 2025, the Foundation supported 1,115 scholars globally, trained nearly one million entrepreneurs, enabled more than 500,000 MSMEs to access KSh401 billion (about UGX 11.4 trillion) in financing, and empowered 3.8 million farmers with climate-smart agriculture skills.
The Foundation also distributed over half a million clean energy solutions and planted 44.6 million trees, reinforcing its sustainability agenda across the continent.
Looking ahead, Equity is accelerating its Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan and 2030 strategy, which targets expansion into 15 countries and service to 100 million customers, supported by digital innovation, artificial intelligence, and blended finance solutions.
“Our focus is to build a future-ready institution that is scalable, secure and impact-led,” Dr. Mwangi said.
With record profits, rapid regional growth—especially in Uganda—and continued investment in digital, insurance, and social impact initiatives, Equity Group enters 2026 with strong momentum and ambitions to deepen its influence across Africa. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
