NCBA Group PLC has reported a resilient performance for the nine months ending September 2025, posting a profit after tax of KSh16.4 billion, an 8.5 per cent rise from the KSh15.1 billion recorded in a similar period last year. The Group’s upward trajectory underscores disciplined execution, sharp cost of funding management, and continued gains from regional and non-banking subsidiaries.
The lender’s profit before tax hit KSh20.5 billion, up 11.1 per cent year-on-year, supported by a 13.8 per cent growth in operating income to KSh53.4 billion. Operating expenses rose marginally faster at 14.0 per cent to KSh27.9 billion, reflecting sustained investments in innovation, network expansion, and customer engagement.
A notable spike emerged in credit loss provisions, which climbed 24.5 per cent to KSh5.1 billion, pointing to a more conservative risk posture amid changing lending patterns across the region.
Digital lending dominates with KSh1 Trillion disbursed
NCBA continued to cement its leadership in digital financial services, disbursing a massive KSh1 trillion in digital loans, a 35 per cent year-on-year surge. This reinforces the bank’s position as the region’s most consequential digital lender, powering micro-entrepreneurs, consumers, and SMEs across Kenya and beyond.
Despite the strong income performance, the balance sheet softened slightly, with customer deposits closing at KSh488 billion (down 5.3 per cent) and total assets at KSh665 billion (down 2.0 per cent), largely due to pricing adjustments and moderated lending activities.
Group Managing Director John Gachora noted the stability of the operating environment and credited the performance to “prudent cost of funding management, better asset quality, and improved debt recovery across regional subsidiaries.”
He highlighted a resilient NPL coverage of 68.9 per cent, signalling strengthened credit risk discipline.
NCBA Group half-year profits rise 12.6 per cent to Sh11.1 billion
Kenyan subsidiary remains the anchor as subsidiaries step up
NCBA Kenya Bank accounted for a commanding 82 per cent of Group PBT, cementing its role as the Group’s core engine. Regional subsidiaries delivered KSh2.6 billion in PBT, representing a 12.5 per cent contribution, supported by intensified recovery efforts.
Non-banking subsidiaries—NCBA Investment Bank, Bancassurance, Leasing, and NCBA Insurance—achieved a combined 48 per cent PBT growth, closing Q3 at KSh1.2 billion, a 5.5 per cent contribution to the Group’s profitability.
Customer-centric initiatives drive retail momentum
Staying true to its mission of customer obsession, NCBA Kenya executed its fifth base lending rate cut this year to 13.27 per cent. It also maintained its zero monthly account maintenance fee campaign in Kenya and Rwanda, offering relief to customers navigating tough macroeconomic conditions.
The lender continued to ramp up retail expansion, with its network now reaching 122 branches. The quarter saw intensified customer engagement, diaspora activations in Australia and the Middle East, enhanced card loyalty programs, and an upgraded digital onboarding experience.
Strengthening leadership in Asset Finance and Corporate Banking
NCBA reinforced its dominance in Asset Finance with a revamped PSV offering—providing up to 90% financing bundled with Komiut, the digital fare collection platform modernizing revenue management for public transport operators.
The bank also secured financing agreements with Mobikey and Car & General, while advancing green mobility through a partnership with CFAO Mobility (Loxea) to finance electric vehicles, including the new BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid pickup.
On the corporate front, NCBA officially launched NCBA ConnectPlus, its next-generation digital banking platform. As East Africa’s first to deploy Intellect’s cloud-based corporate banking solution, the Group has already onboarded over 20,000 customers in Kenya, with rollouts planned for Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda.
Backing Kenya’s Creative Economy Through Elev8 LIVE
In a bold step into the creative sector, NCBA partnered with music producer Motif Di Don on the Elev8 LIVE platform—an initiative designed to discover, develop, and elevate new Kenyan artists.
With the creative economy contributing 5.3 per cent to GDP and employing more than 300,000 creative entrepreneurs, NCBA aims to shape tailored financial products that unlock financing, training, and formalization for artists who have long struggled with access to structured financial support.
Outlook: A Steady Regional Climate and Solid Growth Prospects
NCBA projects a broadly stable business environment across the region. The bank expects Kenya’s GDP to close at 5.0 per cent in 2025, slightly up from earlier estimates, and 5.1 per cent in 2026, supported by strong policy management and resilient credit growth.
Gachora emphasized that the Group will maintain “disciplined balance sheet management and prudent risk practices” heading into Q4. He reaffirmed NCBA’s commitment to sustainable long-term growth, backed by adequate capital, diversified business lines, and a workforce of 3,900-plus employees driving the bank’s mission forward.
