Stanbic Bank Kenya has launched an advisory-led proposition aimed at supporting family-owned businesses with governance, succession planning, working capital, growth capital, wealth continuity and cross-border expansion.
The announcement was made during the bank’s Family-Owned Business Executive Breakfast held in Nairobi, bringing together multi-generational enterprises, family principals, privately owned business leaders and ecosystem stakeholders for discussions on legacy, control and sustainable growth.
The proposition is designed to respond to the evolving needs of family-owned businesses, many of which are transitioning from founder-led operations into professionally governed, multi-generational institutions. Stanbic Bank said the offering recognises that decisions within family enterprises often go beyond financial performance, touching on ownership structures, family relationships, employees, reputation and future generations.
Speaking at the forum, Florence Wanja, East Africa Regional Head of Business and Commercial Banking at Stanbic Bank, said family-owned enterprises require financial partners who understand both the business and the family behind it.
“For family-owned businesses, it is never just business. It is livelihood, identity, reputation and continuity. These businesses are legacy institutions, and their next phase of growth requires trusted partners who understand both the enterprise and the family behind it,” said Ms Wanja.
Family-owned businesses remain central to Kenya’s enterprise economy, supporting employment, trade, entrepreneurship, innovation and intergenerational wealth creation. Their importance is reflected in Kenya’s broader MSME sector, which employs more than 15 million people and contributes about 30 percent to national value added, according to the Kenya Bankers Association and JICA MSME Survey Report.
Stanbic Bank said its Family-Owned Business proposition will provide practical advisory and financial support in areas including leadership succession, capital readiness, ownership structuring, regional expansion, international trade, multi-currency operations and long-term wealth continuity.
“Our role is not to start with a product. Our role is to start with the family’s ambition, the business’ growth path and the legacy that needs to be protected. Stanbic is the bridge between family and enterprise, and between local success and global opportunity,” Ms Wanja said.
As part of the broader offering, the bank also introduced its Offshore Proposition, targeting family-owned businesses and family principals seeking international banking solutions, foreign-currency capabilities, wealth diversification, succession structuring, cross-border transactions and access to global financial opportunities.
Stanbic Bank said the offshore solution complements its wider family business proposition by helping enterprises manage international growth, currency exposure, succession planning and wealth diversification more strategically.
“Offshore is not about complexity. It is about control. For family-owned businesses, it creates the ability to diversify, protect wealth, structure succession and participate in global opportunities while remaining anchored in local trust,” said Ms Wanja.
The launch comes at a time when family businesses globally are facing pressure to strengthen governance, trust, purpose and long-term sustainability. PwC’s 11th Global Family Business Survey, which covered 2,043 family business leaders across 82 countries, found that 43 percent of family businesses reported double-digit sales growth in the previous financial year, up from 21 percent in 2021.
Stanbic Bank Kenya said the proposition will be especially relevant for enterprises preparing for generational transition, professionalisation, capital raising, regional growth and international expansion.
“Legacy is not static. Each generation has a responsibility to renew it. The businesses that will endure are those that preserve their values while building the structures, capital base and global outlook needed for the future,” Ms Wanja said.
Stanbic Bank Kenya, part of Standard Bank Group, said it will continue engaging family-owned businesses through advisory platforms, sector conversations and tailored financial solutions that support long-term growth, continuity and cross-border expansion.