A Kinshasa-based commercial bank offering financial services that put "Lady's First" has won the "2026 AFAWA Bank of the Year" at the African Banker Awards.

Rawbank SA received the plaque from The African Development Bank Group's Officer in Charge for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Martin Fregene at a ceremony held on 27 May during the Bank Group's 2026 Annual Meetings in Brazzaville. Rawbank's Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Mamie Lukusa and its Head of Public Sector and Government Clients Gancho Kipulu accepted the award, which recognises financial institutions for demonstrating a commitment to expanding access to finance for women-led businesses through flexible financing products and services that address collateral barriers women-led businesses face.

AFAWA or Affirmative Financing Action for Women in Africa is an initiative of the African Guarantee Fund and the African Development Bank Group; the partners sponsor the Bank of the Year Award, which recognises financial institutions contributing to bridging Africa's $42 billion gender financing gap.

Rawbank's Lady's First programme offers women-targeted financial products built around an ecosystem dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs throughout Democratic Republic of Congo.

"This award is a strong recognition of over a decade of Rawbank's commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs. We are proud to contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable economic development in the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond," said Joyce Kindeke, Head of the programme.

According to Rawbank, 81 percent of the 200 women entrepreneurs surveyed in its Lady's First programme expanded their customer base, and 88 percent gained new business opportunities. The program offers businesswomen services that include amortizing loans of up to $50,000 and invoice financing facilities of up to $150,000, both without collateral.

"Rawbank's actions exemplify the focused vision of African Development Bank Group: levering partnerships in Africa to mobilise financing at scale and delivering access to finance, mentorship and skills training to the continent's key demographics such as women entrepreneurs," Fregene said. "We are proud to know Rawbank SA as an AFAWA partner financial institution," he added.

Other 2026 AFAWA Bank of the Year nominees were: CRDB Bank (Tanzania), National Bank of Malawi, NCBA Bank Kenya PLC, NMB Bank PLC (Tanzania).

AFAWA, with its Guarantee for Growth facility as a cornerstone, seeks to unlock $5 billion in access to finance for 30,000 women-owned and led businesses through partner financial institutions -- and is committed to scaling up to at least double the financing channelled to women entrepreneurs and reach at least twice as many women beneficiaries by 2033.

AFAWA, a partnership of the African Development Bank and the African Guarantee Fund, is supported by France, Canada, Italy, Germany and the European Commission, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the Women Entrepreneurship Finance Initiative (We-Fi) of the World Bank Group, and other development partners.

The African Banker Awards, celebrating excellence and best practices in African banking and finance, are organised by African Banker magazine with the African Development Bank as high patron. They are part of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings official program.

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