Eva Ngigi Sarwari, managing director of Finserve Africa and Equity Group’s director of payments and global banking, has died elderly 45 whilst on a trade shuttle to China, in line with a observation from her colleagues.
Her dying cuts brief a occupation that spanned over twenty years in banking and bills, from introducing consumers to digital banking at Co-operative Financial institution of Kenya to leading Visa’s business across three East African markets.
“It’s with nice unhappiness that we announce the passing of our expensive pal and colleague, Eva Ngigi Sarwari,” her colleagues stated within the observation on Tuesday.
They described the scoop as a “unexpected and profound surprise” and stated they’d make additional updates as main points become to be had. The observation didn’t divulge the reason or date of her dying.
Sarwari joined Fairness in January 2025 as staff director for bills and global banking, with duty for executing the financial institution’s bills technique throughout Africa. In April 2026, she become managing director of Finserve Africa, the group’s payments and digital financial services subsidiary, overseeing its technique, business path and operations.
The jobs introduced her again right into a banking staff after greater than 4 years at Visa, the place she served as senior director and nation supervisor from September 2020 to December 2024. Her position coated 3 neighbouring markets, together with Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia.
The appointments introduced in combination enjoy accrued throughout native banks, a global banking staff and one of the crucial international’s greatest card networks.
Earlier than Fairness, Sarwari spent greater than 4 years at Visa as senior director and nation supervisor for Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia. From September 2020 to December 2024, she was once liable for growing and imposing the corporate’s expansion technique in the ones markets.
She joined Visa from SC Ventures, Same old Chartered’s venture-building arm, the place she served as a enterprise lead right through 2020. That position adopted greater than seven years in Same old Chartered’s transaction banking trade.
As head of transaction banking for business banking from July 2017 to January 2020, she contributed to shaping the financial institution’s technique for Kenya and East Africa, with duty for income expansion, product relevance and virtual transformation. Prior to now, as a most important in transaction banking, she labored with building organisations and public-sector shoppers throughout East Africa.
Sarwari moved to Same old Chartered in November 2012 after simply over two years at Stanbic Financial institution Kenya, the place she controlled gross sales of transactional services and products.
She started her banking occupation at Co-operative Financial institution of Kenya in June 2005. As a dating supervisor, she helped convey consumers onto digital banking methods, demonstrating merchandise, overseeing installations and coaching customers. It was once sensible paintings that might run thru her next occupation.
“Our ideas and prayers are with Eva’s circle of relatives, pals and co-workers right through this hard time,” the observation added.
True scale calls for transferring past surface-level integrations to powerful execution. We’ve filtered the noise out of Moonshot 2026, optimising the convention strictly for high-calibre connections between startup founders, world monetary operators, undertaking leaders and people rewiring Africa’s technical frameworks. Get 20% off Early Bird tickets for a limited time.
