African banks finally waking up to the needs of SMEs and the unbanked Published by Imara Africa Securities team on 18 November 2011 The banking penetration level in most of Sub-Saharan African markets (excluding South Africa) remains relatively low at about 10%.
Africa’s deepening financial sector Published by Claude Harding on 17 October 2011 The deepening of Africa’s financial sector is both a result of, and a driver of, the strong macroeconomic gains reflected across several of the continent’s core markets over the course of the past decade.
Why Absa decided to invest in Mozambique’s insurance industry Published by Jaco Maritz on 23 August 2011 South African banking group Absa sees strong potential in Mozambique’s insurance sector.
Meet the Boss: Richard Hudson, CEO, FNB Tanzania Published by Jaco Maritz on 11 August 2011 ‘Meet the Boss’ is How we made it in Africa’s new interview series, where we pose the same 10 questions to CEOs and executives across the continent.
Interview: Why FNB decided to enter the Tanzanian market Published by Jaco Maritz on 5 August 2011 South Africa’s FNB recently started with operations in Tanzania. How we made it in Africa asks CEO Richard Hudson about how the bank plans to crack this new market.
Africa has a large market for low-cost insurance products Published by Imara Africa Securities team on 3 August 2011 “Companies have to realise that insurance policies cannot simply be a low-value replica of what they provide for the higher-income market.”
Investment case for Africa now stronger than ever, says Ecobank Published by Femi Adewunmi on 29 June 2011 “Direct foreign investment in the continent is forecast to reach US$150 billion by 2015.”
Why Standard Bank’s head of agric banking decided to relocate to Nigeria Published by Jaco Maritz on 24 June 2011 “The move was based on the market growth opportunity that exists in West Africa, and Nigeria specifically.”
Time is getting short to invest in African financial services Published by Femi Adewunmi on 23 June 2011 Companies looking to enter Africa’s financial services space need to move quickly as the window of opportunity is rapidly closing.
Mobile banking proving popular in Botswana Published by Jaco Maritz on 21 June 2011 Mobile money and mobile banking are increasingly proving to be the ideal channels to access cash in Africa.
Mobile banking catching on in South Africa Published by Jaco Maritz on 5 June 2011 Close to 2 out of every 10 South Africans are now using their phones to transfer cash to family and friends.
Learning about business in Africa from the sidelines a “waste of time” Published by Claude Harding on 22 May 2011 The only way to gain a real understanding of Africa’s business environment is to participate in an active and committed fashion.
Nigerian banks turning their focus towards agriculture Published by Jaco Maritz on 17 May 2011 “The fact that you have a bank that has its origins in investment banking looking seriously at agriculture, is a positive development.”
The emergence of African cross-border banks, and the new risks they hold Published by Imara Africa Securities team on 15 May 2011 While the continent has had a long presence of international banks, the emergence of Africa-based regional lenders has significantly increased cross-border banking activity.