Equity Group hires 410 new employees in three-months to June

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – Equity Group Holdings added 410 employees in the three months to June this year, with its Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) operations accounting for more than half of the new hires.

The group’s half-year investor briefing shows that the total staff numbers rose to 14,265 in June from 13,855 in March, representing a 410-employee increase in the quarter.

“The group’s staff count rose to 14,265 in June 2026 from 13,855 in March, with its unit in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) posting the largest growth in employee count,” the briefing shows.

“The DRC reported the highest increase in staff numbers, adding 253 to 3,560 despite the number of branches operating in the mineral-rich country remaining flat at 81 over the same period.”

The DRC accounted for 253 of the 410 additional employees, taking its workforce to 3,560. The increase came without an expansion of its branch network, which remained at 81 outlets, suggesting the recruitment was driven by operations beyond physical branch expansion.

Kenya, the group’s largest market, added 34 employees during the quarter, taking its workforce to 7,505.

Across the group, employee numbers increased by 1,352 in the 12 months to June 2026, pointing to a renewed hiring drive after a period of workforce reductions during 2025.

The expansion comes as Equity continues to shift a growing share of its banking activity to digital channels.

The lender says 98.3 percent of transactions are now conducted outside branches, while 89.7 percent are processed through digital platforms.

Despite the greater reliance on technology, staff costs continued to rise, increasing 35 percent to Sh23.8 billion in the period. The increase coincided with a 32 percent rise in net profit for the six months to June to Sh43.7 billion.