Equity Group increased its procurement spending on women-owned businesses by 303 per cent to Sh3.72 billion in 2025, as the financial services group stepped up efforts to expand economic opportunities for women, young entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities.
The expenditure rose from Sh923.53 million in 2024 and formed part of the Group’s total procurement spending of Sh52.79 billion during the year, according to its 2025 Sustainability Report.
Spending on youth-owned businesses also increased by 75 per cent to Sh491.05 million, up from Sh280.67 million in the previous year.
The Group said local procurement remained central to its strategy of supporting domestic enterprises and widening access to business opportunities.
“We are particularly focused on supporting youth-led and women-owned businesses wherever possible. In 2025, 90% of our procurement spend was spent on local suppliers,” the Group said.
Equity spent Sh47.59 billion on local suppliers, representing 90 per cent of its total procurement expenditure, compared with Sh41.48 billion in 2024.
Beyond procurement, the Group reported an increase in the recruitment of persons with disabilities, hiring 67 people in 2025, a 24 per cent rise from the 54 recruited in 2024.
The lender also onboarded 306 new suppliers during the year. All the new suppliers underwent environmental and social screening as part of the Group’s responsible sourcing requirements.
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