NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 10 – Equity Group increased 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, which rose from Sh923.53 million in 2024, formed part of the Group’s total procurement spending of KSh52.79 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.”
Overall, Equity spent Sh47.59 billion on local suppliers, representing 90 per cent of its total procurement expenditure, compared with KSh41.48 billion in 2024.
Beyond procurement, the Group reported an increase in the recruitment of persons with disabilities, with 67 people hired in 2025, up 24 per cent from 54 in 2024.
Likewise, the lender onboarded 306 new suppliers during the year, all of whom underwent environmental and social screening as part of its responsible sourcing requirements.
The Group said it would continue strengthening supplier assessments and embedding environmental, social and governance considerations into procurement decisions.
