Eva Ngigi Sarwari, managing director of Finserve Africa and group director of payments and international banking at Equity Group, has died at 45 while on a business trip to China. Her colleagues announced the news on Tuesday, describing it as a "sudden and profound shock." The statement did not disclose the cause or date of her death, and colleagues said further updates would follow as details became available.
Sarwari's career in banking stretched across more than two decades, touching nearly every corner of the industry. She began introducing customers to electronic banking at Co-operative Bank of Kenya, then built her experience across local banks and an international banking group before joining Visa in September 2020. As senior director and country manager, she led Visa's growth strategy across Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia until December 2024.
She joined Equity Group in January 2025 as group director for payments and international banking, tasked with executing the bank's payments strategy across Africa. In April 2026, she stepped into the role of managing director at Finserve Africa, the group's payments and digital financial services subsidiary, where she oversaw its strategy, commercial direction and operations.
The colleagues who worked alongside her clearly felt her absence the moment the news broke. What her full legacy at Finserve Africa might have looked like, given how recently she had taken the helm, is a question the industry will sit with for some time.
Originally published by TechCabal.