Press room

Within just six months, two leading British business publications independently named the same Kazakh bank the country's Best Retail Bank, while a Dubai-based publication recognized it as the Best Bank for SMEs. What explains this rare convergence of opinion, and what does it say about Kazakhstan's banking sector?

There is an unwritten rule in finance: one award may say something about a bank, but several independent awards reveal something about the market in which it operates. When a financial institution receives three international accolades from different judging panels, it is more than coincidence. It means experts in different countries, applying their own evaluation methodologies and without consulting one another, have reached remarkably similar conclusions.

This is precisely what happened with Halyk. Over the past few months, the bank has received three major international awards, two of them in the same category. The UK's Global Banking & Finance Review and World Business Outlook independently named Halyk Kazakhstan's Best Retail Bank 2026, while Dubai-based International Business Magazine recognized it as Kazakhstan's Best Bank for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. 

Why International Experts Chose Halyk

Awards in retail banking are not granted simply for size. They recognize how deeply a bank is integrated into customers' everyday lives and how effectively it makes financial services simple, accessible, and convenient.

Today, Halyk's SuperApp is used by 8.5 million monthly active users, making it an essential part of everyday life for millions of people across Kazakhstan. A significant share of the country's employed population receives salaries through Halyk cards, while the bank holds the largest retail deposit portfolio in Kazakhstan. Most customers can now open deposits or apply for consumer loans entirely online, without visiting a branch.

For international judging panels, these indicators point to more than scale. They demonstrate that Halyk has successfully combined market leadership with technological maturity and broad accessibility. Despite evaluating the bank independently and using different methodologies, both judging panels arrived at the same conclusion.

What Businesses Gain

The award from International Business Magazine highlights another aspect of Halyk's performance: how the bank serves entrepreneurs. Here, the numbers speak for themselves. Over the past year, Halyk's loan portfolio for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) grew by more than 25%, with nearly all loans now issued through digital channels. At the same time, Halyk maintains around half of Kazakhstan's corporate lending market and processes payments for the majority of the country's largest taxpayers.

"The title of 'Best Bank for SMEs' reflects tangible achievements: digital services, online lending, and an infrastructure that entrepreneurs across the country rely on every day. We have moved beyond thinking in terms of 'products for businesses' and instead focused on building an ecosystem where businesses can grow with ease," says Alfiya Zheksenbai, Managing Director for Digital Lending to Corporate Clients and Individual Entrepreneurs at Halyk Bank.

In essence, these three awards recognize two of the bank's core strengths from different perspectives: its leadership in retail banking and its systematic approach to serving businesses.

Why These Awards Matter for Kazakhstan 

Perhaps the most significant aspect of these awards is the company Halyk now keeps. Previous recipients of the Global Banking & Finance Awards include HSBC, Standard Chartered, DBS Bank, and Bank of America. Among the institutions recognized by International Business Magazine in 2026 are the National Bank of Egypt, Attijariwafa Bank, and Standard Chartered.

This means that a Kazakh bank is being evaluated using the same benchmarks as some of the largest financial institutions in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East – and it measures up.

That is the real signal these awards send. When independent judging panels in London, Dubai, and Asia reach the same conclusion about a bank from Kazakhstan, the story is no longer about a single institution. It reflects the broader progress of Central Asia's financial sector, demonstrating that it has reached a level of maturity recognized internationally, without allowances being made for its regional origin.

About the Awards

The Global Banking & Finance Awards®, presented by the UK-based publication Global Banking & Finance Review, have recognized excellence in innovation and industry development among financial institutions since 2011.

International Business Magazine, headquartered in Dubai, is an international business publication that annually recognizes outstanding companies and financial institutions across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

About Halyk

Halyk is Kazakhstan's largest bank, with total assets exceeding KZT 21 trillion and net profit of more than KZT 1.058 trillion in 2025. The bank serves one of the country's largest customer bases through its digital channels and a nationwide network of more than 530 branches. Halyk also operates in Georgia and Uzbekistan and holds investment-grade credit ratings from Moody's (Baa1), Fitch (BBB-), and S&P (BBB-).