A UK-based magazine, The Banker, has named Absa Bank Kenya as Kenya’s Bank of the Year 2025. According to the publisher, the key highlight for Absa over the review period was the repositioning of the bank’s business units’ focus from a product-centric model to a segment-led, ecosystem-driven approach to better capture opportunities across the entire value chain, deepen customer relationships, and deliver enhanced value.
The lender was also lauded for its recent innovations and the introduction of various payment methods, which have eased the hassle of accessing funds.
“The Bank of the Year award for Kenya, one of the most hotly contested in Africa, this year goes to Absa Bank, in recognition of the success of its new segment-led approach to winning new business,” said The Banker, an English-language monthly international financial affairs publication owned by The Financial Times and edited in London, United Kingdom.
“Another recent highlight was the launch of the bank’s Absa Pay solution, offering a tap-to-pay feature via mobile phones, and the strong growth of its Timiza wallet offering. The bank’s non-branch transaction adoption grew to over 90 per cent by the end of 2024, with more than one in four new customers now joining via digital channels.”
The Banker Magazine also recognized other banks within the African Continent. Ecobank won the awards, being named the best bank in several countries: Togo, Guinea, Gambia, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon.
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Stanbic Bank won the award for Tanzania, while Dashen Bank was awarded in Ethiopia.
Absa’s Digital Shift
Absa Kenya Mobile App is an all-in-one app for banking on smartphones with fingerprint or face identification as the ID login, and an in-app authentication for primary devices helping to view account balances and transaction history, transfer funds between Absa accounts or to other banks or Pesa Link, pay bills like school fees and any other kind of bill needed, including buying airtime, send money to mobile wallets like the highly used M-Pesa, and QR code cash withdrawals at ATMs, hence no card is needed.
Absa Internet Banking is a Web-based platform for full account management from any device with internet access, free registration, and is instant, helping with fund transfers, both local and international through SWIFT, manage beneficiaries and payees, card payments included, account monitoring, statements and alerts, its also favours by diaspora reach by having a multicurrency access and competitive rates.
Timiza Digital Wallet is integrated with the app for quick loans and everyday transactions, having disbursed over KSh 60 billion digital loans in 2024.
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Absa’s inclusion of youth-focused sponsorships has also pushed it forward on matters of investment and stretch towards attaining the crown, like the recent transfer to the newly crowned World Athlete of the Year Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who lauded their services after accessing funds via the Absa Timiza wallet while in Monaco, as well as unveiling the athlete as their brand ambassador in the country, and heavy investment in mobile-first banking.
Investment and Profitability
Financial results show that profit before tax rose by 34% to Ksh 23.6 billion in the nine months to September 2025, total assets crossed Ksh 600 billion for the first time, and the bank’s cost-to-income ratio improved to 42.8%, being among the best in the industry.
The Banker singled out Absa’s ability to grow its customer base by 18% year-on-year while maintaining asset quality in a tough economic environment, with the award now placing Absa ahead of previous giant lenders like KCB, Equity, and Co-operative Bank in the eyes of international peers.
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