Stanbic Drives Sustainable Growth with KES133 Billion Trade Financing and Green Investments
KES133 billion in trade financing disbursed, surpassing a KES90 billion target
KES4.5 billion in green building loans and KES273 million in solar financing issued
KES49.5 billion disbursed to women through the D.A.D.A platform since inception, with 112,640 women onboarded
KES1.8 billion disbursed to support affordable housing projects
KES105.73 million in grants and catalytic funding extended to MSMEs in 2025
KES2.5 billion disbursed to climate-smart agriculture, raising the agricultural loan book to 9.9%
Planted 204,000 trees, restoring over 107 hectares of degraded land.
Trained 126,901 women, equipping them with business, financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills to support community-level impact.
Stanbic Holdings Plc facilitated KES133 billion in trade financing in 2025, exceeding its KES90 billion target as it scaled sustainable finance, enterprise support and inclusive growth across Kenya and South Sudan.
The performance is outlined in the Group’s 2025 Sustainability Report, which highlights progress in sustainable finance, climate resilience, enterprise growth, financial inclusion and responsible operations.
During the year, the Bank expanded its sustainable finance portfolio, advancing KES4.5 billion in green building loans and KES273 million in solar energy financing.
Support for small and medium-sized enterprises remained a central pillar of the sustainability agenda. In 2025, the Bank extended KES105.73 million in grants and catalytic funding to MSMEs, helping businesses access capital, strengthen resilience and accelerate growth.
Dr Joshua Oigara, Chief Executive, Stanbic Holdings Plc, said: “We made a deliberate strategic shift, re-orienting our portfolio toward sectors and segments that foster long-term national resilience, including green financing. We have embedded sustainability into the fabric of our daily decision-making, ensuring that performance is measured against clear targets and aligned to our strategic direction.”
The Bank also deepened its contribution to addressing Kenya’s housing deficit, providing KES1.8 billion in affordable housing finance. The funding supported home ownership in the country and reinforced the role of financial institutions in expanding access to quality, affordable housing.
Stanbic increased the share of procurement spend directed to women-owned businesses to 15.53%, reflecting its continued focus on inclusive supply chains and expanding economic opportunities for women-led enterprises. The Bank also strengthened its focus on inclusive leadership, with women holding 43% of Board seats, underscoring the role of diversity in effective governance and long-term decision-making.
The Group further accelerated climate risk management and strengthened its sustainability reporting capabilities during the year. In alignment with IFRS S1 and S2 disclosure requirements, it achieved a key milestone with Board approval of foundational sustainability and climate-related metrics.
Edwin Mucai, Chief Risk Officer, said: “Our Environmental and Social Risk Management framework, which mandates screening for all loans above USD1 million, strengthens the quality and resilience of our loan portfolio. It protects the Bank and its clients from financing projects with material environmental and social vulnerabilities, helping us build a more resilient book that can withstand economic shocks.”
The Bank also disbursed KES2.5 billion for climate-smart agriculture, raising its agricultural loan book to 9.9%. In addition, it planted 204,000 trees and restored over 107 hectares of degraded land, including indigenous tree restoration in Mt. Kenya and mangrove restoration at the Sabaki Estuary.
Priscilla Were, Head of Sustainability, said: “To deliver on our strategy and advance our purpose, we are focused on tackling critical challenges in Kenya and South Sudan while contributing to greater prosperity for our people. Through our sustainability agenda, we are able to generate strong financial returns for our shareholders and create meaningful social, economic and environmental value for the communities we serve.”
During the launch event, the Bank signed onto the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, adopting 7 principles: Principle 1 – High-level Corporate Leadership, Principle 2 – Treat all Women and Men Fairly at Work without Discrimination, Principle 3 – Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers, Principle 4 – Promote education, training and professional development for women , Principle 5 - Enterprise Development, Supply Chain and Marketing Practices, Principle 6 – Community Initiatives and Advocacy, and Principle 7- Measurement and Reporting.
This builds on Stanbic’s continued investment in women and women-owned enterprises, with KES49.5 billion disbursed to women entrepreneurs through the D.A.D.A platform since inception and 112,640 women onboarded.
The Bank also continued to drive positive impact through the Stanbic Foundation, with KES105.73 million disbursed in targeted support to MSMEs and 100,000 youth across eight counties equipped with digital skills.
The Bank has also introduced a Sustainability Academy: a comprehensive learning platform designed to bridge the sustainability knowledge gap and empower business clients across the continent with practical sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) solutions. The academy offers businesses practical insights and training across key sustainability areas, including:
• Sustainability and ESG principles
• Renewable energy options across industries
• Cost and production benefits of Climate-smart agriculture
• Water and wastewater management solutions
• Carbon markets
About Stanbic Bank Kenya
Stanbic Bank Kenya is a member of Standard Bank Group, the largest African bank by assets, operating in 21 African countries, 4 global financial centres and 2 offshore hubs.
The group’s largest shareholder is the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world’s largest bank, with a 19.4% shareholding. In addition, Standard Bank Group and ICBC share a strategic partnership that facilitates trade and deal flow between Africa, China and select emerging markets.
With a solid foundation in Kenya and history spanning over 100 years, Stanbic Bank is one of the top banks operating in Kenya that provides the full spectrum of financial services. Stanbic Bank Kenya provides the full spectrum of financial services.
The Personal and Private Banking division continues to serve the people of Kenya with a range of personal banking products and solutions. Stanbic Bank also offers Wealth services and product offerings, including insurance, investment,
fiduciary, bespoke banking and multi-generational wealth preservation solutions to high-net-worth individuals, retail, business, commercial, and corporate clients across the Bank’s footprint.
Its Corporate and Investment Banking division serves a wide range of requirements for banking, finance, trading, investment, risk management and advisory services. Corporate and Investment Banking delivers this comprehensive range of products and services relating to investment banking; global markets; and global transactional products and services. Stanbic Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking expertise is focused on industry sectors that are most relevant to emerging markets. It has strong offerings in oil, gas and renewables, power and infrastructure and agriculture.
Regarding the Business and Commercial Banking, Stanbic Bank Kenya offers banking and other financial services to medium-sized enterprises and high value small businesses. This unit serves the increasing need among Africa’s small business and individual customers for banking products that can meet their shifting expectations and growing wealth.
The Insurance and Asset Management unit partners with our clients to fulfil their long and short-term insurance, investment, and asset management needs. The products cater to a wide range of clientele ranging from individuals to corporate and institutional clients.