East Africa's Banking Allure | Business Redefined
Standard Bank's Chief Executive, Sim Tshabalala, is in Nairobi. It is the second visit in just eight months by the senior most executive in Africa's largest bank by asset base.
A conversation on a raft of issues:
- The bank's quest to make its regional subsidiary ( Stanbic Bank KE) a universal bank what that looks like from potential organic or inorganic growth
- The retail rush in East Africa's banking sector & how well a bank with a corporate & investment banking extraction is positioned to face off with strong incumbents
- Declining external financial flows, rising infrastructure spending needs & the catalytic role that the banking sector can play in mobilising domestic capital pools
« Previous |
Kenya's Fiscal Landscape | Business Redefined
A look through the latest developments in Kenya's fiscal environment.
On the agenda:
- From US$880 million worth of Samurai issuances to US$1.0 billion in planned debt swap, inside the ambitious 2026/27 borrowing plan
- July 2026's Kes 195.29 billion in tax revenue collection, gauging the start of the 2026/27 financial year & the broader fiscal framework
- Looking into the condensed 2027/28 budget cycle & what is earmarked to be Kenya's debut > Kes 5.0 trillion budget
I&M Group HY2026 Earnings | Business Redefined
A deep dive into I&M Group's HY2026 numbers with the Regional Chief Executive, Kihara Maina
August 27, 2026
Africa Capital Week 2026 | Business Redefined
A fortnight from now, the continent's leading capital markets stakeholders will converge in Nairobi for the inaugural Africa Capital Week. Taking place between 7th & 11th September & themed “Deepening Capital Markets to advance Africa’s Economic Sovereignty”, Africa Capital Week 2026 will bring together regulators, investors, policymakers, market players & thought leaders to connect, collaborate & shape the future of Africa’s capital markets. We take a look at the state of play in Africa's capital markets, the agenda of the conference & the roadmap ahead as domestic capital pools play an increasingly greater role in financing Africa's growth & development.
August 25, 2026
ABSA Bank Kenya HY2026 Earnings | Business Redefined
Absa Bank Kenya is the latest to join the high dividend tide at the Nairobi Securities Exchange having bumped its interim dividend 150.0% to Kes 0.50/share in its HY2026 earnings. A conversation with the bank's interim MD & CEO, Yusuf Omari for a deep dive into the HY2026 numbers.
August 19, 2026
Kenya's Special Funds Market | Business Redefined
Special Funds are the fastest growing class of Collective Investment Schemes in Kenya with assets under management having surged 134.84% y/y to close Q1 2026 at Kes 203.56 billion. Mansa-X by Standard Investment Bank dominates this space with four funds under its stable accounting for 75.23% of the market. We have a conversation with the man steering this >US$1.1 billion fund, Nahashon Mungai, to whip through the special funds landscape in general & Mansa-X in particular.
On the agenda:
- The fund's return profile, benchmarks used & underlying risk
- Investment play & the strategies being deployed
- Liquidity management in a >US$1.1 billion fund
- Global macros, shifting tides & impact on the fund
ABSA Bank Kenya HY2026 Earnings - | Business Redefined - CFO Chat
Absa Bank Kenya believes that engaging the volumes play will be critical in helping the business tide through the tide of margins compression that is piling pressure of banking sector earnings as being revealed by HY2026 numbers. Julians sat down with the Interim Chief Financial Officer, Diana Wangari and asked her just how much the bank can play to the cost of funding advantage (down to 2.8%) visible in HY2026 earnings as it sweats its deposits to keep the volumes momentum going (loan-to-deposit closed HY2026 at 88.0%). She argues that the bank is ahead of target in terms of rejigging its deposit book (CASA now 75.0% of book from 64.0% a year earlier) hence ample room to keep the cost of funds on a tight leash. Julians challenged her about the sag in the bank's top & bottom lines, she argues that it is incomplete to focus on that while ignoring the 21.7% ROE. She says that the bank took advantage of this season to pass on the 150.0bps decline in yields to pass on to borrowers.
August 19, 2026
Trends in East Africa's Investment Banking | Business Redefined
Over the last 10 months, at least Kes 52.7 billion (US$407.39 million) has been raised via bond issuances in what makes for a strong resurgence of corporate debt in Kenya's capital markets. The issuances have been significant not just for the oversubscription registered but more importantly the pricing & how much they have pushed the boundaries on corporate debt pricing mechanics. We sit down with Absa Bank Kenya's Director for Investment Banking in East Africa, Daniel Odongo, to dig into this in greater detail & assess the state of play.
August 13, 2026
Capital Raising & Deal Structuring | Business Redefined
The capital markets have been abuzz with activity lately with transactions spanning corporate debt, divestitures, asset backed issuances & off balance sheet financing. A key architect on the advisory side has been KCB Investment Bank which has been behind the Kes 204 billion partial divestiture in Safaricom Plc, the Kes 45 billion Talanta asset backed issuance & the Kes 24.0 billion acquisition of Bamburi Plc by Amsons Group. We speak to the Investment Bank's MD, Maurice Opiyo, to unpack the latest in East Africa's deals landscape.
August 11, 2026
Stanbic Holdings HY2026 Earnings | Business Redefined
We have a conversation with Dennis Musau, Chief Financial & Value Officer, Stanbic Bank Kenya & South Sudan to comb through the HY2026 earnings.
August 6, 2026