Rawbank has been named the 2025 Bank of the Year for the Democratic Republic of Congo by The Banker, a publication of the Financial Times. The annual award, presented to one institution per country, recognizes outstanding performance across key financial and strategic criteria. Rawbank succeeds Trust Merchant Bank (TMB), which won last year’s edition.

The Banker said its evaluation considers both quantitative and qualitative factors, including financial strength, strategic clarity, innovation, service quality and measurable contributions to the economy.

In explaining its choice, the publication highlighted several of Rawbank’s achievements in 2025. One of the most significant was the completion of a 400-million-dollar syndicated loan to support the third phase of the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in Lualaba. It is the first time a Congolese bank has led an international financing arrangement of this scale, in partnership with Africa Finance Corporation, Absa and FBN.

Rawbank also advanced its modernization agenda and broadened financing options for domestic companies. Early in 2025, it issued 10 million dollars in commercial paper to support a mining operator in Katanga. The transaction included a corporate guarantee, which is a first in the DRC and expands the financing tools available to local businesses.

In digital services, the bank launched Africa’s first UnionPay renminbi debit card to facilitate transactions between the DRC and China, achieving a 25 percent rise in sales in the first quarter. It also upgraded its Illicocash application by enabling payments through WeChat and Alipay, another first in the Congolese market, and strengthened its agent banking network with improved geolocation capabilities for distributors, merchants and financial advisors. These developments played a significant role in The Banker’s decision.

Rawbank said the recognition builds on other awards it received in 2025, including Best Bank in DRC from the Euromoney Awards. Chief Executive Mustafa Rawji said the distinction reflects the work of the bank’s teams and the confidence of its clients, and reinforces its ambition to help develop a more modern, inclusive and competitive financial sector in the DRC.

Although it lost its position in The Banker’s country awards this year, Trust Merchant Bank also received international recognition in 2025. Global Finance named TMB both Best Bank in DRC and Best SME Bank, citing its support for small and medium enterprises, the expansion of its PEPELE mobile service and the continued growth of its branch network. The bank focused its recent efforts on SME financing, digital services and commercial expansion, while large international deals were less of a priority.

Boaz Kabeya