Continental expansion: What to expect from Africa’s big banks in 2025 & beyond
Zenith, Access Bank, MCB and AFG lay out their market entry plans for this year, while weighing the threat – and opportunity – of rising intra-African competition. By Oliver Nieburg Speaking on the WebT show “African Banks, Pan-African Banks” at the Africa CEO Forum 2025, banking chiefs revealed timelines for major market entries and strategies […]
Access Bank & Bank of Africa: How to create an African Meta or NVIDIA
Cultivating Africa’s own corporate giants comparable to Meta, NVIDIA, and America’s Magnificent Seven holds the key to the continent’s economic leap forward. Leaders from Nigeria’s top banking group, Access Holdings, and Morocco’s Casablanca-based Bank of Africa say this can be achieved by nurturing fast-growing gazelle companies. Africa is now home to over 300 companies which […]
Ecobank CEO Jeremy Awori: ‘We don’t always have to look outside to get money’
African financial institutions should look to local sources of financing rather than always turning directly to the West, but pension, sovereign and investment fund rules may need revising for this to be realised, according to the CEO of Ecobank Group. Speaking at the Africa Financial Summit – AFIS 2024’s opening panel on 9 December 2024, […]
A new era of African banking: Regional champions in the driving seat
Register Google agenda A spike in international banking divestments (Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, Société Générale) in Africa could pave the way for local regional champions but may strip domestic banks of global networks. While African banks such as Coris, Vista Group and Access Bank have expanded in the wake of recent departures, a subdued international presence […]
Alternative data: A saving grace for African financial inclusion but a ‘perfect storm’ without controls
Mobile phone data has the potential to unlock credit and other financial services, boosting financial inclusion. But its use must be subject to careful consideration, according to participants in a webinar organised by AFIS. By Oliver Nieburg Mobile money has been instrumental in reaching the unbanked, particularly in East Africa with financial inclusion in Kenya […]
Should CEO tenure limits be imposed in Africa’s banking sector?
Age and term-restricted tenures for CEO and Board positions in banking are not widespread in Africa despite actions taken by governments like those of Tanzania and Kenya to impose them upon the finance sector. By Shane Starling As for any position of power from CEOs to presidents, tenure restrictions such as term limits aim to […]
Diaspora banking: A niche category blossoming in the digital era
Remittances from sub-Saharan African migrants to their origin countries accelerated 7% in 2021. As more expatriates send money or seek to invest back home, African banks, such as UBA and NCBA Group, have been overhauling their diaspora account offerings, betting the small segment will become a key category. By Kingsley Kobo and Oliver Nieburg Africa […]