KIGALI — NCBA Bank Rwanda on Thursday launched two new digital banking platforms aimed at expanding its reach among individual customers and businesses, as competition intensifies in Rwanda’s rapidly growing financial technology sector.
The bank unveiled NCBA NOW, a mobile banking app for personal customers, and NCBA ConnectPlus, a platform designed for businesses and corporate clients, during a high-profile event at the Kigali Convention Centre.
The launch, which featured media briefings, guest speakers and performances by Rwandan artist Ariel Wayz, reflected the bank’s effort to position itself as a leading digital banking player in East Africa.
NCBA NOW is designed to allow customers to make payments, manage their finances and pay bills such as electricity, taxes and mobile money services without visiting a bank branch. The app is intended to provide what the bank described as faster, smarter and more convenient banking.
NCBA ConnectPlus, meanwhile, targets businesses seeking greater control over their financial operations. The platform offers real-time visibility into transactions, stronger governance features and tools intended to simplify corporate banking.
“We wanted to make sure that as we unveil our new solutions, we truly provided you with an opportunity to address all the needs that you have as a business,” said Maurice Toroitich, Managing Director of NCBA Bank Rwanda.
Toroitich said the new products were developed after the bank listened to customers’ changing needs, particularly the demand for more accessible and efficient digital services.
Teddy Ndayambaje, Head of Corporate Banking at NCBA Rwanda, said ConnectPlus was designed to give businesses “greater control, stronger governance and real-time visibility into financial operations.”
“Banking should adapt to your business and not the other way around,” he said.
The launch comes as banks across Rwanda and the wider East African region invest heavily in digital platforms to meet rising demand for remote banking services.
Rwanda has become one of Africa’s most active markets for mobile money and digital financial services, driven by high mobile phone penetration and government efforts to promote a cashless economy.
NCBA said the new platforms build on its broader digital innovation strategy across East Africa, where the bank has been rolling out similar services in markets such as Tanzania.
For consumers, the shift means everyday banking activities — from paying utility bills to transferring money — can increasingly be done from a smartphone. For businesses, it offers the promise of managing accounts, monitoring transactions and authorizing payments in real time.
The bank’s launch campaign carried the slogan “The Time Is Now”, underscoring its ambition to make digital banking a central part of its growth strategy in Rwanda.
