Rawbank

Rawbank was launched in 2002 by the Rawji family, which have a diversified set of business interests in the Democratic Rep. of Congo, that is commonly called Rawji Group. The family traces its roots in the DRC since 1902, and is owned by the Rawji brothers, namely Mushtaque, Zahir, Mazhar, Aslam and Murtaza. The history of the Rawji group begins at the beginning of the 20th century, when Merali Rawji (father of the Mushtaque siblings) settled in Kindu, then in Kalemie and later in Kisangani, in the eastern part of what was then the Belgian Congo. The family was initially heavily involved in the coffee and cocoa trading, which was a predominant export from Eastern Congo. In 1966, the family acquired Beltexco, a textile products distribution entity which had a national presence.

Operations

Its five-year strategy is centered on a digital-first strategy, to ensure it meets its targets of financial inclusion to the underserved population of the DRC.

As of March 20202, Rawbank was the largest commercial bank in DR Congo, with 34 percent of banking assets in the country and a base of nearly 500,000 clients. Rawbank was the first financial house in DR Congo to offer mortgages to the public in 2015. Rawbank offers specifically adapted products and services for each of its market segments, as well as providing the latest technologies for its clients. With the advent of mobile wallets, Rawbank launched IllicoCash, a fast growing mobile payments and digital banking application in the DRC market enabling financial inclusion in urban and rural areas.

Rawbank has a unique program named Lady's First, a program dedicated to supporting women in business by providing tailor made training, mentoring groups, and financial capabilities in order to scale businesses managed by women. This program supports the growth of women-led SME's but also has created partnerships with micro-finance institutions that are dedicated to gender empowerment for those that are the bottom of the pyramid.

Rawbank's international financial partners include the International Finance Corporation, Trade Development Bank, African Export-Import Bank, Arab Bank for Economic Development, and African Development Bank.