Rawbank, a leading financial institution in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been named the country’s safest bank in Global Finance magazine’s World’s Safest Banks 2025 ranking.
The award, announced on November 6, 2025, is based on credit ratings from major rating agencies, including Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch Ratings, as well as each institution’s asset size and overall financial strength.
Rawbank succeeds Equity Banque Commerciale du Congo (Equity BCDC), the 2024 winner. According to Global Finance, the change follows the withdrawal of Equity BCDC’s Moody’s rating in December 2024, after its parent company, Kenya’s Equity Group Holdings, decided to consolidate ratings at the group level.
With a B3 rating and stable outlook from Moody’s since May 2024, Rawbank became the only Congolese bank holding an active international rating , a key requirement for inclusion in the 2025 ranking of the world’s safest banks.
The bank said its performance reflects ongoing investments in digitalization, through its IllicoCash and RawbankOnline platforms, and its reinforced compliance framework, including stronger anti-money-laundering controls. It also cited progress in corporate governance, such as the creation of a Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Committee, as factors that favorably influenced Global Finance's assessment.
“This recognition reflects Rawbank’s discipline, professionalism, and commitment to maintaining the highest standards of reliability and service,” said Mustafa Rawji, Rawbank’s Chief Executive Officer. “It rewards the collective efforts of our teams and the continued trust of our clients. We will keep investing in stability, innovation, and compliance to make Rawbank a benchmark for banking in Africa, from the DRC.”
DR Congo’s banking leader
As the largest bank in the DRC, Rawbank controls about 30% of the market, serves more than two million clients, and reported nearly $5 billion in assets, according to its 2024 annual report.
The bank’s net income rose 11.4% to $212.7 million, while its solvency ratio exceeded 14%, comfortably above the Central Bank of Congo’s minimum regulatory threshold.
According to Moody’s, these indicators show a strong capacity to absorb macroeconomic shocks, despite an environment marked by exchange-rate volatility and dependence on the mining sector.
Series of international distinctions
The Global Finance award adds to several other international honors Rawbank has earned recently. The bank was named Best Bank in DRC 2024 by Euromoney, Best Digital Bank 2024 for the DRC by Global Finance, and was also recognized for compliance and governance excellence by The Banker and the Financial Afrik Awards 2024.
These awards are expected to strengthen confidence in deposit protection, improve access to international credit lines from institutions such as the IFC, African Development Bank (AfDB), and Proparco, and enhance Rawbank’s ability to finance businesses and households through its expanding deposit base.
Pierre Mukoko & Boaz Kabeya
