Only 34% of sub-Saharan Africans have a bank account, according to the World Bank—but that’s up from 24% in 2011, thanks in part to Equity Bank. The Kenyan lender has pioneered the expansion of financial services across the continent, including mobile banking (see also our No. 1 pick). Once a struggling mortgage financier, Equity pivoted to microfinance, bringing branches to the countryside and offering small loans to Africa’s unbanked. It’s now one of the continent’s largest financial institutions in terms of customers—with more than 10 million.
