Former Visa Kenya country manager Eva Ngigi-Sarwari has died aged 45 while on a business trip to China, leaving behind a distinguished career in banking, digital payments and financial services.
Her death was confirmed by colleagues on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in news that has sent shockwaves through Kenya’s banking and financial technology sectors. The cause of death had not been disclosed by the time of publication.
Ngigi-Sarwari most recently served as managing director of Finserve Africa, Equity Group’s digital financial services subsidiary, while also holding a leadership role in payments and international banking at the group.
She joined Equity Group in January 2025 as group director for payments and international banking before taking over as Finserve Africa’s managing director in April 2026.
Her appointment placed her at the centre of the group’s digital financial services business at a time when banks and fintech companies across Africa are expanding digital payments, cross-border transactions and financial inclusion initiatives.
A career spanning two decades in banking and fintech
Ngigi-Sarwari built a career spanning more than 20 years across some of the region’s leading financial institutions, steadily rising through banking, transaction services, digital payments and venture building.
Before joining Equity Group, she served as Visa’s senior director and country manager for Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia from September 2020 to December 2024.
In that role, she led growth strategies across the three markets, working in a payments ecosystem undergoing rapid change as businesses and consumers increasingly adopted digital financial services.
Her professional journey began at Co-operative Bank of Kenya in 2005. She later worked at Stanbic Bank before joining Standard Chartered Kenya, where she headed transaction banking for commercial banking.
She subsequently joined SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s venture-building arm, gaining experience in developing new financial services and technology-driven business models before moving to Visa.
Her career reflected the growing intersection of traditional banking, financial technology and digital payments across African markets.
Her contribution to Africa’s digital financial services sector
Ngigi-Sarwari’s leadership journey unfolded alongside a major transformation in how Africans access and use financial services.
Mobile money, digital wallets, electronic payments and cross-border transactions have become increasingly important to businesses and individuals, creating new opportunities for financial institutions to expand access and build more connected markets.
Women leaders such as Ngigi-Sarwari have taken on influential roles in shaping this changing financial landscape, bringing experience in strategy, commercial banking, technology and regional market development.
Her move from Visa to Equity Group also reflected the growing competition and collaboration between banks, payment networks and fintech businesses seeking to serve Africa’s expanding digital economy.
Her death leaves a significant void in the financial services sector, where experienced leaders play an important role in guiding digital transformation and the development of new payment solutions.
As colleagues, friends and the wider banking community mourn her passing, her professional legacy remains tied to a career spent helping shape the institutions and systems through which businesses and consumers transact.
African Women Network extends its condolences to her family, friends, colleagues and everyone affected by her passing.
May her family and loved ones find strength and comfort during this difficult time.
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