# Rawbank

Rawbank is a regulated financial institution based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The bank was created on 2 May 2002, and has grown to become the DRC's largest universal bank with total assets of US$4.9 billion as of December 2023.
As of 2022, the bank had over 1,800 employees, and serviced over 500,000 corporate, SME, and retail clients through its network of 110 branches, 500+ ATM's, as well as its digital banking platforms and applications.

## History

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.
The directors of this group of companies are descendants of the founder (Merali Rawji). They grew up in the Belgian Congo, and went to Europe to complete their education. In the early 1990s, the war rocked the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but the Rawji group continued to maintain & expand their business activities. They set up in the capital, Kinshasa, and continued to diversify their portfolio of activities with the following;
* Prodimpex S.A.; Importer & distributor of a series of automotive products and accessories. Represents exclusively General Motors, BMW, Isuzu, Yamaha and others.
* Marsavco S.A., acquired from Unilever; Marsavco is an integrated palm oil processing plant which produces soaps, detergents, margarine, and refined cooking oils; these are subsequently distributed throughout & marketed under proprietary brands.
* CIMKO; the DRC's largest cement manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 1.2 million metric tons.
* RawSur, the first private insurance company in the life & non-life segments*
* Parkland, actively engaging in real estate development, construction & distributing concrete derivatives to the DRC construction industry.
* Proton SA is an electrical engineering & services which produces copper wiring & cables used in electricity transmission. Its wide range of products cater to heavy industrial uses or light residential purposes.
The family has been present in the DRC for 4 generations and continues its entrepreneurial drive to provide the best products and services to the Congolese consumers.

## Operations

Rawbank is a universal bank catering to multi-nationals, local corporates, SMEs, retail, and public institutions. It is a member of the SWIFT interbank network. Rawbank currently has 110 branches geographically spread throughout the country, hosts a network of 500+ ATMs, and is a principal member of the Visa & MasterCard, and represents Moneygram International in the DRC. Rawbank SA remains committed to providing financial services through traditional distribution channels, as well as through its digital channels. 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 customer 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, & African Development Bank.

## Branch Network

As at the end of 2021 Rawbank operated 110 branches (includes branches and sub-branches), across the Democratic Republic of Congo. as well as 400+ ATM's. With the launch of DRC's first digital banking solution dedicated for retail customers (IllicoCash) Rawbank has deployed over 2,000 agency banking points throughout the country.