Banking Awards

Encouraging innovation, prudence and stability in the banking sector by recognizing, awarding and celebrating exemplary performance in the sector.

2023

Banking Awards

Encouraging innovation, prudence and stability in the banking sector by recognizing, awarding and celebrating exemplary performance in the sector.

2023

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THEME:

INNOVATE. DIVERSIFY. GROW

DATE
ACTIVITY
Mon, 13th Feb. 2023

Award portal opens for entries / CSS starts

Sun, 12th March, 2023

Entries close/ CSS ends

Wed, 15th March, 2023

Judging Process starts

Fri, 31st March, 2023

Judging Process ends

Fri. 14th April, 2023

Awards Gala

Wed. 26th April, 2023

Banking Conference 2023/ Launch of Banking Survey 2023

Event

Details

The theme of our Banking Activities this year is

INNOVATE. DIVERSIFY. GROW.

INNOVATE

Undoubtedly, the future of banking is in digital transformation. The quest is to improve the customer experience by enhancing data maturity. Cashless and contactless transactions are growing leaps and bounds by the second.  There are numerous unexplored opportunities still left in hyper-personalization. The only way to set pace in this dynamic terrain is to innovate.

DIVERSIFY

Recent trends show that banks are diversifying. They are not just diversifying their loan portfolio risks but also their geographical risk. Kenyan banks are all over the East African region and still spreading. Banks are adopting cryptocurrency and also competing and partnering with Fintechs. They have to be nimble to be able to adapt quickly and confidently.

GROW

Banks grows by lending more thus expanding their asset base. Innovation creates efficiencies, increasing the customer base and providing quality customer experience. When banks gain a competitive advantage, they grow the asset base again and again. With bigger financial muscles, M&A possibilities with the right match increase.

As the adage goes, in banking, if you are not growing then you are dying.

Hence our theme: Innovate. Diversify. Grow. It’s an exponential growth cycle.

This theme reverberates across all our banking activities this year. It is the theme for the Banking Awards, Banking Survey and our inaugural Banking Conference.

As usual our main objective with the Banking Awards 2023, is to encourage competition and drive innovation, prudence and stability in the banking sector by celebrating achievements made by the banking sector in the preceding years.

By showcasing the best performers in the industry, we aim to present the banking public with an opportunity to make informed banking decisions. We welcome all industry players to participate in the awards.


How to submit entries.

  • There are 37 competitive award categories cutting across all facets of banking.
  • To submit entries, participants (banks) will need to get login credentials from us, by sending an email to info@thinkbusinessafrica.com with the names, emails and telephone numbers of at least two people mandated by yourselves to submit entries. 
  • All information and updates regarding the awards are available on this website. 
  • Entries will be submitted on secure portal powered by Craft Silicon – https://uat.craftsilicon.com/BankAwards .
  • Download the Participant User Guide 2023 here to help you navigate through the portal once you are logged in.
  • Entry submissions is free of charge and all banks and microfinance banks are encouraged to submit entries.
  • The actual judging is also done on the same platform. Judges have to login to access the entries. The entire judging process is managed by our partner, audit firm PKF East Africa whose role also includes the selection of the judging panel. 
  • The financial analysis, the backbone of the awards, that includes rankings based on various parameters is done by Think Business and verified by PKF EA. 

A panel of expert judges drawn from various disciplines shall decide on the winners as per the set criteria. The judge’s decisions will be informed by assessment of information presented by the entrants.

Other than the information provided in your entries, winners will be determined based on several other parameters depending to the award category. These include:

  • Financial performance, – based on our analysis of the publicly available financial information that banks and MFBs are mandated to publish.
  • A Customer satisfaction survey conducted by our partner Infotrak Research & Consulting and we will keep you updated on the progress.
  • Product and service offering – based on our comparative analysis of products in the market and customer awareness and liking as determined through the customer satisfaction survey.
  • Publicly available information, such as on corporate governance for listed banks
  • Competitive pricing, as revealed by the pricing of loan products and our analysis of bank charges as contained in bank tariff guides.

Sponsorship

The Banking Awards 2023  edition marks the 18th consecutive year that we have been positively contributing to the transformation of the banking sector by recognizing and awarding exemplary performance in the banking sector.

This years awards gala dinner will be held on Friday, 14th April, 2023 at the Nairobi Serena Hotel starting at 6.30pm.

The awards not only examine financial stability of banks but also focus on banks that contribute to the economy by embracing good customer service, corporate governance best practice, products innovation, education and engaging in sustainable social projects. The Best Bank in Kenya 2023 will be the Bank that best extols these qualities.

After the awards, we will be host the Banking Conference 2023 at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort & Spa, Shanzu, Mombasa on Thursday, 26th & Friday 27th April, 2023.

We will also be launching the 18th edition of our annual Banking Survey 2023 at the conference.

This sponsorship proposal covers all three banking projects.


Award Categories.

If you have any feedback regarding the award categories and judging criteria, contact us at banking@thinkbusinessafrica.com. You can also visit our website www.bankingawards.co.ke

1. Overall Best Bank in Kenya 2023 [Submissions encouraged]

The Best Bank in Kenya 2023 will be the Bank that best demonstrates the following: Commitment to Environment, Social and Governance factors (EGS) best practices, products and process innovation, good customer ratings on its products and services as well as solid financial performance.


From each Tier, all banks are first assessed on the basis of financial soundness. The financial soundness will be determined by 10 different parameters shown in Appendix 1, which measure asset quality, liquidity, earnings and capital adequacy.

2. The Best Bank in Tier I [Submissions encouraged]

Tier I are banks with total assets in excess of Ksh. 150 Billion. All banks under this category are first assessed on the basis of financial soundness. The financial soundness will be determined by 10 different parameters shown in Appendix 2, which measure asset quality, liquidity, earnings and capital adequacy.

3. The Best Bank in Tier II [Submissions encouraged]

Tier II are banks with total assets less than Ksh 150 Billion but more than Ksh. 50 Billion. All banks under this category are first assessed on the basis of financial soundness. The financial soundness will be determined by 10 different parameters shown in Appendix 1, which measure asset quality, liquidity, earnings and capital adequacy.

4. The Best Bank in Tier III [Submissions encouraged]

Tier III are banks with total assets less than Ksh 50 Billion but more than Ksh 15 Billion. All banks under this category are first assessed on the basis of financial soundness. The financial soundness will be determined by 10 different parameters shown in Appendix 1, which measure asset quality, liquidity, earnings and capital adequacy.


5. The Best Bank in Tier IV [Submissions encouraged]

Tier IV are banks with total assets less than Ksh 15 Billion. . All banks under this category are first assessed on the basis of financial soundness. The financial soundness will be determined by 10 different parameters shown in Appendix 2, which measure asset quality, liquidity, earnings and capital adequacy.

6. The Bank with the lowest charges for SME / Individuals [No submissions]

A tariff survey on bank tariffs will inform the winners in this category. An index for banks based on the charges levied to their customers. The basis of the rankings will be on three scenarios modeled around the banking activities of three typical customers then assessing how each customer would have been charged for similar transactions by each bank over a twelve month period. The banks will then be ranked from the lowest in charges to the highest. There will be two sub categories for this category.

  • The bank with the lowest charges for individual customers.
  • The bank with the lowest charges for SMEs.
7. Best Bank to Borrow From [No submissions] New

This category is open to all banks. The wining bank will need to be financially stable, as evidenced in our analysis and also score well in ESG factors. Most importantly, this award is given to the bank with the lowest overall charge for a borrower taking a loan, these include legal and setup fees.

8. The Most Customer-centric bank [Submissions invited]

The category looks at the overall customer experience with their banks. A country wide Customer satisfaction survey commissioned by Think Business and conducted by Infotrak Research & Consulting, amongst other information derived from entry document will be used to determine the winners.

9. Best Bank in Mobile Banking [Submissions invited]

Customers are looking for convenient banking, Mobile banking offers them this opportunity and the bank that will survive the competition is the bank that offers the most effective mobile banking application.

10. Best Bank in Internet Banking [Submissions invited]

Internet Banking has grown tremendously over the years particularly with the middle class and corporate banking clientele. This category will award the best bank in provision of internet banking as an alternative channel to its customers particularly through a website.

11. Best Bank in Agency Banking [Submissions encouraged]

Several banks in Kenya have embraced agency banking as a means to spread their network, moving services closer to the people and easing congestion in their banking halls. The advent of agency banking is already lowering the cost of doing business for many banks. This initiative is therefore worth rewarding. Judges will be looking at:

12. Best Bank in Product Innovation [Submissions invited]

Entry is open to all products in the banking sector that entrants feel are most innovative. The judges will be looking for breakthrough products developed through cutting edge design, research and development that has redefined the market by improving usability, access and value to the customer.

13. Best Bank in Product Marketing [Submissions invited]

Here the judges typically assess the product that was presented and delivered most effectively to the market. The winning entry will be that product that offers greater value to the customer based on the core elements of marketing – the bank’s pricing model, distribution network, promotional strategy and value addition of the product. Through a survey, bank customers are also asked to state what bank products were effectively sold to them. The team of expert judges then pick the winners from a weighted score which is determined also by the volume of actual business attracted by the marketing process.

14. Best Bank in SME Banking [Submissions invited]

This is open to all banks whose focus is mainly on SME banking. First they are assessed on ESG factors and financial soundness using the ten key financial ratios that are also used to determine the Best Bank in Kenya with a maximum score of 60%.

15. Best Bank in Mortgage Finance [Submissions invited]

This category is open to banks that have a focus on mortgage finance.

16. Best Bank in Islamic Banking [Submissions invited]

This is open to all full-fledged Islamic banks and other commercial banks with Islamic banking windows. Under this category, banks are first assessed on the basis of corporate governance and financial soundness (of the Islamic component).

17. Best Bank in Asset Finance [Submissions invited]

This category is open to banks that have a focus on asset financing.

18. Best Bank in Agriculture and Livestock Financing [Submissions invited]

This category is open to banks that have a focus on agricultural financing.

19. Best Bank in Trade financing [Entries required]

This category is open to banks that have a focus on Trade Financing and Trade Financing related products.

20. Best Bank in Retail Banking [Entries required]

This is open to the Tier I banks, because of their lead in customer numbers and deposits. Under this category, banks are first assessed on the basis of corporate governance and financial soundness.

21. Best Bank in Corporate Banking [Entries are accepted]

This is open to all banks whose focus is mainly on SME banking. First they are assessed on the basis of their corporate governance practices and financial soundness using the ten key financial ratios that are also used to determine the Best Bank in Kenya with a maximum score of 60%.

Typically, the big companies will only deal with banks that measure up to their needs and quality standards.

Additionally, banks are encouraged to send entries highlighting their service to other non-listed but large corporate detailing the following:

List of such corporate with an annual turnover of more than Ksh 10 billion.

  • Period of time that they have been clients of the bank.
  • Types of corporate banking services offered to or consumed by them.
  • The panel of judges looks at the banks most preferred by the top companies listed at the Nairobi Stock Exchange based on market capitalization. The banks are then ranked on the basis of which is the most preferred and how they are rated by their corporate clients.
22. Best Commercial Bank in Micro-Finance [Entries are accepted]

The judges assess the banks with the best focus in Micro finance. This category is open to banks offering micro finance products under the following definitions:

  • Small loans to the mass market
  • Informal appraisal of borrowers and investments
  • Collateral substitutes, such as group guarantees or compulsory savings d) largely targets the lower section of the income spectrum.
23. The Most Efficient Bank [No submissions]

This shall basically be determined by the lowest cost income ratio in 2018. This is a financial ratio that looks at what it costs to generate a certain level of income. All the banks are assessed equally regardless of size.

24. Best Recovery Award [Entries are accepted]

The Judges will be looking at the most sustainable turnaround from loss making to profitability. The winner will be the bank that has sustained profitability for at least three years.

25. Best bank in sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility [Entries required]

The critical need for corporates to be socially responsible by giving back to society cannot be gainsaid. The objective of this award is to recognize banks that are doing well on this front and to encourage those that have not embraced CSR to do the same. The Judges will be looking at organizations that have adopted a CSR policy and continued commitment to sustainability.

26. Best Bank in Digital banking [Entries required]

Digital technology is dramatically changing how banks interact with their customers. Social media is transforming banking relationships in very significant ways, from improving customer service to allowing users to send money to others via online platforms.

27. Overall Best Micro-Finance Bank in Kenya 2018 [Entries are accepted]

All Micro-Finance Banks are first assessed on corporate governance practices and financial soundness. Financial soundness is determined by 10 different parameters that are used in The Banking Survey rankings, which measure asset quality, liquidity, earnings and capital adequacy.

28. The Most Efficient MFB [No submissions] New

This shall basically be determined by the lowest cost income ratio in 2020. This is a financial ratio that looks at what it costs to generate a certain level of income. All the banks are assessed equally regardless of size.

29. Best MF Bank in Digital banking [Submissions invited] New

Digital technology is dramatically changing how banks interact with their customers. Social media is transforming banking relationships in very significant ways, from improving customer service to allowing users to send money to others via online platforms.

30. Best MF Bank in Product Innovation [Entries required]
  • Entry is open to all banking products development by the Micro-Finance banks that provide innovative solution for the informal and micro finance sector.


  • The judges will be looking for breakthrough products developed through cutting edge design, research and development that has redefined the market by improving usability, access and value to the customer.
31. Best MF Bank in Agriculture and Livestock Financing [Entries required]

This category is open to MF banks that have a focus on Agriculture and Livestock Financing.

32. Fastest growing Microfinance Bank

This is the MF bank that has exhibited the fastest growth consistently over the past 3 years (2014 – 2018).

33. Outstanding young banker of the year [Entries Required]

This is a new category that aims at showcasing tomorrow’s pacesetters in the Kenyan banking industry. The entrant should be below 35 years and working in the banking sector. The entrant should have shown the ability to generate new ideas, drive innovation and sustainable growth. Through his or her deeds (actions) the individual should have positively changed the fortunes his/her institution to the benefit of customers, colleagues, counterparties, communities and the banking sector. Submissions may be sent by the employing institution or by a person other than the entrant.

34. Corporate Banker of the year [Entries required]

The will be won by a person in the banking sector who has contributed significantly to the growth of a corporate division of a bank by building a formidable corporate clientele, significantly growing the revenue stream from the corporate banking division in 2018.

35. Chief Executive officer of the year [Entries Required]

This award shall be won by a chief executive in any of the three different tiers deemed by the judges to have made the greatest contribution in the growth of their bank’s business in 2018.

36. Lifetime achievement in Banking [Entries Required]

We invite CEOs of banks to send in nominations for long serving individuals in the banking sector, active, retired or posthumous for considerations for the lifetime achievement in banking.


The individual must have spent at least 20 years in banking and has had an outstanding and lasting contribution to the growth of the sector.

37. Special judges awards for product innovation

This award is given in recognition of innovative products developed outside the banking sector but which have a major impact on the lives of existing and potential bank customers. The judges will be looking for breakthrough products developed through cutting edge design, research and development that have redefined the market by improving usability, access and value to the customer.

Dinner Reservation

For further information call Carolyne Tel: +254 706 035 510 +254 704 096 289 / +254 0722 335 421 or e-mail her on carolynebhoke@thinkbusinessafrica.com

Post Award Ceremonies

Event Location

The 18th annual edition of the Banking Awards 2023 is slated for Friday, 14th April, 2023 at the Nairobi Serena Hotel, starting at 6.30 pm.

Contact Info


Think Business Limited,

4th Flr. Delta Corner Annex, Wayiaki Way,

Westlands, Nairobi

P.O. Box 12800 – 00100 GPO, Nairobi

Website: www.thinkbusinessafrica.com

+254 704 096 289

+254 0722 335 421

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