The chief executive officer of Equity Group Holdings, Dr James Mwangi, has called for bold and purposeful leadership to shape Africa’s future, saying the continent must take a more active role in the global economy.
Speaking at the Rotary District 9214 Conference and Assembly 2026 held at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Mwangi said the current global economic system was designed in the late 1940s without Africa’s participation.
He said Africa now faces a defining moment and must shift from being excluded in global decision-making to actively influencing its direction.
Mwangi said organisations such as Rotary International have a role to play in driving transformation by promoting values-based leadership across the continent.
Drawing from Equity’s experience, he said businesses must integrate social impact into their operations to remain sustainable.
Mwangi noted that about 40% of loan defaults are linked to health-related shocks, which has pushed the group to invest in healthcare through the Equity Group Foundation.
He said the foundation has established more than 150 medical centres under the Equity Afya network to improve access to healthcare and support community resilience.
Mwangi also highlighted the group’s investments in education and financial inclusion, saying it has awarded more than 60,000 scholarships and trained over 2.4 million women and young people in financial literacy.
He said the bank has also supported millions of farmers and small businesses through capacity-building programmes aimed at improving incomes and expanding economic opportunities.
Mwangi said these initiatives are part of a broader strategy focused on creating shared prosperity by ensuring that institutional growth goes hand in hand with community development.
He added that the group allocates 2% of its annual revenue to social programmes and continues to invest in environmental sustainability, including tree planting and clean energy distribution.
Mwangi said partnerships would be key in driving inclusive growth and positioning Africa to take a stronger role in the global economy.
