African Banker Awards is a annual industry award recognizing excellence in Finance. Organized by African Banker magazine (IC Publications), it covers the Middle East Africa region. Established in 2007.
The African Banker Awards were launched in 2007 by African Banker magazine (published by London-based IC Publications, the group behind African Business) and are held under the high patronage of the African Development Bank, with the ceremony staged each year during the AfDB's Annual Meetings β Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, in 2026, which marked the program's 20th edition. Winners are chosen by an independent judging panel of eight senior figures, including SouthBridge's Frannie LΓ©autier, tech entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong and Fairfax Africa Fund's Zemedeneh Negatu.
Categories cover the individual African Banker of the Year, banks by capital size, regional bank awards, development finance institutions, fintechs, sustainable banking, SME banking, a women-focused AFAWA Bank of the Year, and three deal-of-the-year awards for infrastructure, equity and debt. The 2026 edition drew more than 250 entries across nine entry categories, producing a 55-strong shortlist and 18 winners on the night. Because the ceremony sits inside the AfDB Annual Meetings, winning puts an institution in front of the continent's central bankers, finance ministers and DFI leadership β the most concentrated audience in African finance.
Nominations open early in the year through the program's online entry platform (africanbankerawards.awardstage.com), with the shortlist announced in early May and winners revealed at the late-May ceremony. Entry fees are not published; contact the organizers via the awards site for current entry requirements. Strong entries pair growth and profitability metrics with evidence of innovation and financial-inclusion impact, and pan-African groups should tailor submissions to show performance across markets rather than a single flagship geography.