Addis Ababa, Aug 13 (Addis Insight) – Enat Bank has been named the winner of the Excellence in Women Empowerment Award at the 23rd Connected Banking Summit – Innovation & Excellence Awards 2025, hosted by the International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA). The award recognizes the bank’s pioneering role in advancing women’s access to finance and its leadership in gender-inclusive banking.

Mrs. Tenagne Basa received the award on behalf of Enat Bank during the ceremony in Addis Ababa.

Bank Built on Women’s Leadership

Founded in 2013 by Ethiopian women entrepreneurs, Enat Bank remains unique in Ethiopia’s financial sector with 64% of its 23,000+ shareholders being women and a majority-women board. Its model has drawn global recognition, including commitments to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and partnerships to support women-owned SMEs.

Beyond lending, the bank integrates business advisory, training, and mentorship into its financial services—a strategy aimed at closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship.

Performance and Strategy

Enat Bank ended the 2023/24 financial year with:

• Revenue: 4.29 billion birr (+28.9%)
• Net profit: 555 million birr (+2.1%)
• Assets: 27.2 billion birr (+19.2%)
• Deposits: 21 billion birr (+17.7%)
• Branch network: 201, including Islamic banking outlets under its Ummi brand

The bank’s capital now stands at 3 billion birr, with plans to meet the central bank’s 5 billion birr requirement by 2026.

Looking ahead, Enat is investing heavily in digital banking through platforms like Arif POS, Maleifya digital lending, and M-Pesa integration, while also focusing on tighter cost controls.

Wider Industry Context

The Connected Banking Summit highlighted themes of digital inclusion, open banking, AI adoption, and cyber resilience—all central to Ethiopia’s financial sector reforms. For Enat, the award underscores how a women-centered strategy can align with broader modernization, positioning the bank as a niche but fast-growing player in an increasingly competitive industry.

The Excellence in Women Empowerment Award strengthens Enat Bank’s reputation as a trailblazer in inclusive finance. With expansion into digital services and steady balance-sheet growth, the bank is signaling that its founding vision—banking that empowers women—remains both a social mission and a competitive edge in Ethiopia’s evolving banking market.