• ISO/IEC 20000-01:2018 focuses on the consistent delivery of quality IT services


• The certification was issued by the British Standards Institution (BSI), the national standards body of the United Kingdom

Kigali, 16^th December 2021 - Equity Bank Rwanda PLC has received an International Standards Certification - ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 on IT Service Security Management Systems from the British Standards Institution (BSI). The certification cements the Bank’s commitment to prioritising customer safety and satisfaction. ISO 20000 is proof that the Bank's service management system is robust enough in the delivery of all IT-related services and is also aligned with its current and future needs.

In his remarks while receiving the certification, Equity Banks Managing Director, Hannington Namara noted that the recognition from the BSI was a testament to the Bank’s investment in IT systems and infrastructure to meet and exceed the ever-changing needs of the customer.

“Technology is the backbone of the services we deliver, and this is why we strive to achieve global standards when it comes to the systems, we deploy to serve the needs of our customers in an increasingly digital world. This ISO 20000 certification assures our customers that we have in place appropriate governance to safeguard customer privacy and security,” said Namara.

Other goals for ISO 20000 on service management include protecting revenue flow into the business by providing stable IT services, meeting the Bank's obligations to stakeholders, including its customers, regulators, shareholders and suppliers, and lastly making IT a business enabler.

While ensuring the Bank has better defined and better-aligned services, increased visibility and control, the service management system also provides a structured framework for setting IT service management objectives, processes, and outlines responsibilities for key stakeholders.

About Equity Bank Rwanda

Equity Bank Rwanda began its operations in 2011 and is registered as a commercial bank by the National Bank of Rwanda. The Bank has its Head Office located in Kigali, with a foot-print of 15 branches and is supported by 3173 agents, 1861 merchants and a network of 22 ATMs.

Equity Bank Rwanda is a subsidiary of Equity Group Holdings Plc, a financial services company listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Uganda Securities Exchange, and Rwanda Stock Exchange. In addition to Equity Bank Rwanda, the Group has banking subsidiaries in, Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, DRC, and a Commercial Representative Office in Ethiopia. It has other subsidiaries in investment banking, insurance, telecom, fintech and social impact investments.

Equity Group is the largest bank in the region in assets of Kshs 1.12 trillion (USD 11.2 billion). It is also the biggest bank in deposits, market capitalization of USD 2billion and with a customer base of over 15 million customers. The Group has a footprint of 337 branches, 58,756 Agents, 34,941 Merchants, 691 ATMs and an extensive adoption of digital banking channel.

The Banker Top 1000 World Banks 2021 ranked Equity Bank 754 overall in its global ranking, 62nd in soundness (Capital Assets to Assets ratio), 55th in terms of Profits on Capital and 20th on Return on Assets. The Banker’s Top 100 African Banks 2020 placed the Bank in position 7 overall among the top 10 Banks in Africa, 5th place on soundness, position 9 on growth performance, 8th on return on risk and position 6th in terms of profitability and on leverage category.

In the same year, Moody’s gave the Bank a global rating of B2 with a negative outlook same as the sovereign rating of the Kenyan government due to the Bank’s strong brand recognition, solid liquidity buffers and resilient funding profile, established domestic franchise and extensive adoption of digital and alternative distribution channels. Equity Group Holdings Plc is regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya.

For additional information, visit:

Equity Group Website - www.equitygroupholdings.com/

Equity Bank Rwanda Plc website- www.equitygroupholdings.com/rw