Inside The Life And Career Of Eva Ngigi Sarwari, Equity Bank Director Who Died Aged 45 In China

Eva Ngigi Sarwari, Equity Group’s director of payments and international banking, has died aged 45 while on a business trip to China, leaving behind a distinguished career spanning two decades in the banking and payments industry.

Sarwari also served as the managing director of Finserve Africa, a financial technology company associated with Equity Group. Her death was announced by colleagues on Tuesday, although the circumstances surrounding her passing and the cause of death had not been disclosed.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Eva Ngigi Sarwari,” her colleagues said in a statement.

Sarwari built an impressive career in financial services, earning recognition for her contribution to the development of electronic banking and digital payment systems in East Africa.

She began her banking career in 2005 when she joined Co-operative Bank as a relationship manager. During her time at the lender, she played an important role in helping customers transition to electronic banking platforms.

Her responsibilities included demonstrating electronic banking products, overseeing installations and training customers on how to use the systems. The experience laid the foundation for her subsequent leadership roles in the payments industry.

Sarwari later joined Visa, where she rose through the ranks to become senior director and country manager, a position she held between 2020 and 2024.

At Visa, she oversaw business operations covering Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia. Her responsibilities included developing and implementing strategies to grow the company’s business across the three East African markets.

Her work in the payments sector positioned her among the professionals contributing to the expansion of digital financial services across the region.

In January 2025, Sarwari joined Equity Group, where she was appointed director of payments and international banking. She was tasked with executing the lender’s payments strategy across Africa, supporting its ambitions to expand its financial services and strengthen its regional presence.

Her death marks the loss of an experienced banking executive whose career was defined by leadership, innovation and efforts to improve access to electronic financial services.

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