Eva Ngigi-Sarwari built a reputation as a key architect of digital financial services in East Africa, with defining achievements at Visa and later at Equity Group Holdings and its subsidiary Finserve Africa. Her work centered on expanding electronic payments, strengthening cross-border infrastructure, and advancing financial inclusion before her death at age 45 in October 2026.
Ngigi-Sarwari joined Equity Group Holdings in January 2025 as Group Director for Payments and International Banking. In that role she led the implementation of the group’s payments strategy across its African markets.
Key accomplishments included designing working capital and cash management solutions tailored for governments, supranational and multilateral bodies, development institutions, and corporate clients. She also advanced digital financial infrastructure that supported seamless cross-border money movement and drove broader digital transformation efforts aimed at greater financial inclusion.
In April 2026 she took on the additional position of Managing Director of Finserve Africa, Equity’s digital financial services and payments arm. There she directed the subsidiary’s commercial strategy and operations, shifting its focus toward expanding autonomous, API-driven payment integration tools for businesses across East and Central Africa.
Her concurrent leadership of both roles positioned her at the center of Equity’s push to scale complex corporate transaction capabilities and fintech frameworks. In March 2026 her contributions earned recognition in Just Ivy Africa’s “Women Who Move Money” series, highlighting her role in strengthening regional financial systems. She was also listed among Kenya’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in the C-Suite.
Before Equity, Ngigi-Sarwari spent more than four years at Visa as Senior Director and Country Manager for Kenya, South Sudan, and Somalia (September 2020–December 2024). She drafted and executed Visa’s core growth strategies in these markets, leading a sustained effort to transition businesses from cash to electronic payments.
She expanded the company’s operational footprint and compliance frameworks into challenging regulatory environments in Somalia and South Sudan, establishing stronger cross-border market presence. Her strategic leadership at Visa solidified her regional influence and contributed to repeated recognition among Kenya’s top C-suite women.
Earlier experience in transaction banking at Standard Chartered, Stanbic, Co-operative Bank, and SC Ventures provided the foundation for her later focus on large-scale digital money movement. Across these institutions, Ngigi-Sarwari consistently advanced commercial growth, strategic partnerships, and innovative digital solutions.
Her tenure at Equity and Finserve, though relatively brief, marked a clear progression from traditional banking toward scalable, technology-driven payment systems serving both institutions and underserved markets. Colleagues and industry observers noted the lasting imprint of her work on regional digital finance infrastructure.