South Africa’s Lulalend has been nominated for the Fintech of the Year category at the African Banker Awards 2023. The awards, which take place during the annual meetings of the African Development Bank, recognise exceptional individuals and organisations driving the continent’s rapidly transforming financial services sector.
Lulalend, a provider of SME services, has been shortlisted for their work improving access to working capital for small businesses across South Africa.
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“We are thrilled to be shortlisted,” said Tom Stuart, chief marketing officer for Lulalend. “It is a testament to the hard work all of our people put in every day to improve the access SMEs across South Africa have to vital working capital. By enabling these businesses to grow and thrive, we’re proud to be contributing to South Africa’s economic and social development.”
The other nominees for the African Banker Awards 2023 include:
- Banker of the Year: Admassu Tadesse (Trade and Development Bank), Alykhan Nathoo (Ecobank), James Mwangi (Equity Group Holdings), José Carlos Reis da Silva Júnior (Banco Nacional de Angola), and Togo Uchida (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation).
- African SME Bank of the Year: ABSA Bank, Commercial International Bank (Egypt), CRDB Bank (Tanzania), Ecobank, and Zenith Bank (Nigeria).
- Investment Bank of the Year: Absa Corporate and Investment Bank, FBNQuest Merchant Bank (Nigeria), Goldman Sachs, Renaissance Capital, and Standard Bank.
- Retail Bank of the Year: ABSA Bank, Banque Populaire du Rwanda, Equity Bank (Kenya), Nedbank, and Standard Bank.
- Innovation in Banking: CIB Egypt, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Ecobank, M-PESA Foundation, and Standard Bank.
- Deal of the Year: China Construction Bank’s USD 2.4 billion financing of Angola’s Namibe Desenvolvimento Industrial, Mozambique’s USD 30 billion liquefied natural gas project financing, and the USD 100 million African Infrastructure Investment Managers-backed Azura-Edo Independent Power Project in Nigeria.
- Socially Responsible Bank of the Year: ABSA Bank, CIB Egypt, Equity Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank.
- Trade Finance Bank of the Year: ABSA Bank, African Export-Import Bank, Standard Bank, Trade and Development Bank, and Zenith Bank.
This year’s awards ceremony, taking place on Wednesday, 24 May in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, will spotlight SMEs, women, and gender. A new category has been introduced to recognise efforts towards bolstering financial inclusion of women across the continent.
The awards gala is poised to accentuate the theme of gender equity in the industry, as demonstrated by the substantial proportion of female candidates vying for the coveted title of Banker of the Year.
