NCBA bank branch expansion supports hybrid banking, deepens inclusion, boosts SMEs, and strengthens local economic growth.
Lately, with digital banking and the rise of fintech, one might assume that physical bank branches are a thing of the past. However, modern banking is more complex, especially in countries like ours, and brick-and-mortar locations remain a critical part for modern banking. Far from being rendered obsolete, physical branches remain key for banks to enhance financial inclusion, customer experience and to build trust.
As some of us can remember, physical branches functioned primarily as transaction hubs, facilitating deposits, withdrawals, and loan applications. However, with the advent of mobile and internet banking, many of these routine transactions have moved to digital. Branches are now becoming experience centres for the more complex services like wealth management, financial guidance and SME financing. These are personalized services that require a level of human interaction and so face to face service delivery is still with us. The branch, though, has become less about processing transactions and more about delivering value through expertise and relationship building.
In recent years, the NCBA Group has emerged as a formidable force in East Africa’s banking sector. Through strategic expansion by increasing innovations and physical branches, NCBA has not only become a driver of financial growth in the region but also a catalyst for social and economic growth of the people. One of the most visible indicators of NCBA’s growth has been its deliberate expansion of its branch network. Between 2023 and 2024, the Group increased its number of branches from 104 to 118, opening new outlets in key urban areas across Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. These efforts have been complemented by the rollout of 476 new agency banking agents in Kenya.
The way bank branches have changed over time shows how important it is to adapt. Even though digital banking has simplified how services are offered, physical branches are still needed. Today’s smartest banks aren’t choosing between digital or physical; they’re using both to stay connected to their customers.
Furthermore, NCBA’s expansion has not been limited to increasing its footprint but also relevant services. It has also included efforts to tailor its services to local needs by offering products such as asset financing, SME credit lines, and retail banking solutions that are responsive to the needs of local economies.
NCBA’s new branches not only bring services closer to customers, but also create employment, stimulate local enterprise, and support local and regional trade through accessible financing solutions and SME banking services. For local entrepreneurs and informal traders, access to in-person financial guidance can mean the difference between success and failure in business.
NCBA’s success suggests that in the Kenyan context where digital finance is growing alongside brick and mortar, the future of banking is hybrid. People need the convenience of digital, and also branches which are local pillars of economic activity.
As the banking landscape continues to change, NCBA remains relevant, competitive, and well aware of the realities of the markets they serve. The bank’s strategic expansion is proof that the growth of modern banking is not just about technology, but also physical presence and being in touch with the people. This deepens customer trust, banks more unbanked communities hence inclusion, and supports local economies.
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