The Banker Magazine, a prestigious and well sought-after London-based leading Financial Times publication, announced Bank Windhoek as the winner of its annual Bank of the Year award.

This prestigious event was hosted virtually in London, the United Kingdom. The awards are regarded as the industry standard for banking excellence and recognise global financial institutions that have outshone their peers in performance, strategic initiatives, and response to the pandemic. 

Bank Windhoek, the awards said, was named Namibia’s best-performing bank in a challenging economic climate, exacerbated by the pandemic. The judges took note of the bank’s strong financial performance and innovative initiatives, such as the introduction of the new Mobile Banking App, listing the country’s first Sustainability Bond, a first for commercial, financial services institutions in southern Africa.

The relevant information was collected by the award’s research team and judged by a panel of editors. “The process takes over five months to complete and for these reasons, The Banker’s Bank of the Year accolades is in our view the most coveted and widely regarded award in the global banking industry,” said Bank Windhoek’s Managing Director Baronice Hans. 

The awards’ judges shared that the recipients of the awards have not only successfully managed the pressures of running operations remotely but have taken care of their customers and staff in these demanding times. 

Hans said that the collective success resulted from the dedication, resilience, teamwork, and tenacity of the Bank Windhoek, Capricorn Group teams, the board, and the bank’s customers. “With our founders’ entrepreneurial foresight and pioneering spirit embedded in our culture, we have a unique and proud heritage as a relationship-driven Namibian bank,” she said. “We believe that solid relationships based on ethical principles are the currency of business today and pride ourselves in being connectors of positive change.”

Hans concluded by dedicating the Banker’s Bank of the Year award to the bank and Capricorn Group employees, who passed on during 2021. “We honour their dedication and commitment,” she said.  The last time Bank Windhoek won the Banker’s Bank of the Year award was in 2019.