About Us
Berhan Bank S.C was formed in accordance with Article 304 of the Commercial Code of Ethiopia with the objective of operating in the banking industry. This objective has been ensured in Article 3 of the Memorandum of Association of the Company. The Bank was registered and licensed by the National Bank of Ethiopia on 27th June, 2009 with an authorized capital of Birr 300 million and subscribed capital of Birr 154.7 Million divided into shares of 1000 Birr par value each.
Our History
INAUGURATION
This was the year the vision of our founders came to fruition. Berhan Bank was inaugurated and launched its operation on October 3, 2009, opening its first branch in Bole, Addis Ababa. From the onset, we were the first local bank to operate using a core banking solution, fully automating and networking our branches.
GROWTH
We achieved a commendable gross profit of Birr 26 million while our total deposits and assets grew by 211.6 percent and 140.8 percent respectively from our 1st year of operation. Our branch network grew to 12 branches.
Apart from operational achievements, we initiated the establishment of Berhan Insurance Company and also became the first bank to interface with the National Payment System (NPS) launched by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE).
RECOGNITION
With a more than doubled customer base, we began gaining prominence in the industry, reaping a high profit of Birr 46.5 million, a 79 percent growth from the preceding year.
CONTINUING DOWN THE ROAD OF SUCCESS
Our journey down the road of success continued. Our number of staff crossed the 400 mark and our total number of branches grew to 27. To further build our customer base, through our various loan products, we financed businesses operating, most notably, on domestic trade and service, construction, import/export, manufacturing, hotel, and tourism to further build our customer base.
Meanwhile, in a bid to further boost up our esteemed customers’ convenience, we signed agency agreements with Money Gram.
EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGIES
From the onset, we have been adamant about investing in state-of-the-art technology to enhance efficiency and better serve our customers. Hence, in the year, membership agreement has been signed with Premium Switch Solution (PSS) while simultaneously the implementation of Berhan Card services is realized. We also partnered with Western Union, Dahabshiil and Taran Express international remittance service providing companies. Profits continued to soar, registering a remarkable 74 percent growth in gross profit during the year.
A YEAR OF CHANGE
As we stepped into our fifth year of operation, we welcomed four new Board members and revised our organizational structure to enhance efficiency and accommodate the growing number of staff. A new 5-year strategic plan was designed to continue down our path of success with new spirit and determination.
Our paid-up-capital crossed the Birr 500 million mark, exceeding regulatory requirements ahead of time. Our branch network expanded to 72 branches along with our staff size grew beyond 1,000. During the year, we also commenced relationships with Trans-Fast and RIA Money Transfer
A YEAR OF REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
A year surrounded by bounty of formidable achievement, in which the Bank scored a record in all performance areas. During the year, the Bank has managed to raise its profit by 163% amassing a profit margin of Birr 364.5 million. By opening 33 more branches, the Bank has increased its branch network to 103. The total asset and paid-up capital have also astonishingly increased by 72% and 27.8% respectively.
A YEAR OF ADVANCEMENT
This is a yet another triumphant fiscal year in virtually all areas. The year marks an astounding 91% and 77.8% growth registered in the total and paid-up capital respectively. The year also set another record in the branch expansion with an addition of 56 new branches to reach 161 fully operational branches. With this the bank has amassed Birr 471.4 million profit margin showing 34% growth. In the year, the bank has won Deloitte’s ‘Best Company to Work for Survey 2016’ in which over 377 employees from every category (non-clerical-managerial posts) have actively participated and assured that Berhan Bank remains their most preferred company and they want to commit their effort towards making its vision a reality. Moreover, in the year, the bank has introducing 7 more new deposit products and in the same fiscal year, in an effort to keep on enhancing the trade transaction, a membership agreement has been signed with Ethiopian Commodity Exchange.
A YEAR OF CONSOLIDATION
The year has seen the Bank witness another considerable advancement in the Bank’s technological wing. Hence, in a bid to excel its service quality and remain competent enough in developing and implementing new banking services, a state-of-the-art data center has been established and is made ready to be brought to operation.
Moreover, following the completion of the tenure of the long serving Board Members, in line with the directives set forth by the NBE, in its 8th Annual General Assembly, the Assembly has elected eight new Board of Directors. The year has also seen a major structural change where it has introduced two vice presidential posts and subsequent major structural revisions. The new structure is developed with an intent to serve customers with utmost efficiency among others.
The year has also seen the Bank’s paid up capital surge over Birr 1.7 Billion; its outstanding loan portfolio hit another record of Birr 7.2 Billion from 5.4 Billion in the previous similar period.
A YEAR OF REBRANDING
The Bank was celebrating its 10th anniversary. Over the course of the years, the Bank pursued its mission through the combined and passionate efforts exerted by the entire community of the Bank. Rebranding the look of the Bank guides into the promising future, and the logo saw considerable departure from the past, yet preserving our core institutional values which are truly inspirational. The financial year 2018/19 marks significant operational and financial accomplishment and the Bank’s performance reflect the competitive strengths embedded in the Bank’s business model. The paid-up capital of the Bank at the end of 2018/19 fiscal year reached Birr 2 billion from Birr 1.7 billion of previous year’s position. The Bank opened 18 more new branches. During the fiscal year, the Bank has successfully converted and transited from IAS 39 to IFRS 9.
A YEAR OF SUCCESS THROUGH ADAPTATION
In this fiscal year, there was a lot of uncertainty in the financial industry; however, the bank unveiled an astounding achievements. Across the world, social and economic instabilities were caused by the outbreak of the Corona Virus Pandemic. The Pandemic affected every country and every individual regardless of border, economic and technology development status, race and age although the degree of the impact may vary from one to another.
Despite all of the problems experienced during the fiscal year, the Bank performed well in key operating areas. As a result, the Bank registered a gross profit of Birr 707.5 million that is 22 percent increment compared to the previous year’s record of Birr 580 million. Success of such a high record of gross profit despite the various challenges is a clear indication of the commitment and collaboration of staff, management and Board of Directors of the Bank. It also highlights the Bank’s capacity to flexibly adapt its strategies to fit to emerging challenges and opportunities.
A YEAR OF CHALLENGE AND PROSPECT
The financial year 2020/21 was a challenging business year for the financial industry as a result of the events emanating from the economic and political uncertainties prevailing in the country. These had undesirable impact on the country’s economic growth. These overlapping challenges had ultimately affected the operation of the Bank, and the banking industry at large. However, the Bank has shown growth in key industry performance indicators. Consequently, its deposit reached Birr 21.7 billion in financial year 2020/21, increasing by 30.7 percent from prior year’s position. Number of deposit customers exceeded 1.1 million recording a growth of 46.9 percent compared with same period last year. The loan stock reached Birr 17.8 billion increasing by 40.1 percent compared to prior year’s performance. In the same way, the Bank’s total asset has reached Birr 26.9 billion growing by 26.1 percent from last year’s position. The total capital increased by 9.4 percent reaching Birr 3.7 billion and the paid-up capital reached Birr 2.9 billion, increasing by Birr 455 million (18.6%) from last year’s position.
Regaining Stable Financial Ground
The year 2021/22 has been a transition period for our Bank after passing through a turbulent business year where external and internal encounters unfolded for a certain period of time. Among the major works accomplished during the period under review was resolving non-performing loan cases and reducing claims of guarantee cases thereby enable the bank to reposition itself in a stable financial ground.
Consequently, our bank registered a gross profit before tax of birr 583.4 million, 72.8% above last year’s profit and raised its paid up capital to birr 3.2 billion. Moreover, the bank expanded its physical presence opening more than 60 branches, adopted various e-banking products and implemented several strategies to increase its market share.
A Year of significant Asset Growth
The financial year 2022/23 was most challenging year for the bank in particular and for the financial industry, in general, due to events emanating from the economic and political uncertainties that prevailed in Ethiopia and the world at large.
Amidst these internal and external pressures, our bank has displayed a promising result in the captioned year. In the 2022/23 fiscal year, our bank’s deposit reached birr 33.8 billion, growing by birr 7.75 billion or 29.8% from the previous year’s position. The number of deposit customers surpassed 2 million and the bank’s loan stock reached birr 28.9 billion, recording a growth of 26.4% and 30.3% respectively from prior year’s performance. The year has also seen significant improvement in total asset, thereby it reached birr 45 billion from birr 33.1 billion recording an increase of 36.2% from last year’s position.
A Year of Renaissance
The fiscal year 2023/24 was a turning point for Berhan Bank to regain foothold in the industry and was an inspiring year as the Bank concluded stronger than it started, and it did come as another year of enormous change and commendable financial return to shareholders.
The bank went about the process of implementing reforms under the theme “Transforming within through Total Mobility” after carefully identifying and addressing the gaps. As a result, the bank’s profit before tax has reached to birr 1.51 billion, which shows 149.2% increment from 2022/23 fiscal year. The exceptional momentum of change and the strengthening of the Bank’s operations across all areas have been unprecedented and are all evidence to the fact that the Bank has stood resilient over its formidable performance challenges.
Vision
To be the Preferred Bank in Customer Experience and Integrity
Mission
To provide superior banking services that exceed customers’ expectations and maximize shareholders’ value through state-of-the-art banking technology and high-caliber staff.
