Mauritian banks have navigated the country’s economic slowdown well by growing their local loan books as well as their overseas operations. And the latter have been boosted by Africa’s economic buoyancy, which bankers say Mauritius should exploit to become a hub for investments into the continent.
Standard Chartered already has one of the largest African businesses among banks from outside the continent, but it still wants to increase its operations there substantially in the next few years. Diana Layfield, its chief executive for Africa, tells Paul Wallace how.
Ghana has a rapidly growing economy and can count itself as one of Africa’s most mature democracies. But the credibility of its fiscal management was badly damaged last year when it posted a huge budget deficit. Seth Terkper, its minister of finance and economic planning, tells Paul Wallace how he plans to cut it.
Africa’s agricultural sector may still be underdeveloped, but it is growing as investors increasingly seek to exploit local and regional sources of demand and develop the continent’s processing capacity. A greater provision of banking services is also helping.
Oil looks set to dominate Angola's economy in the medium term and potentially longer if pre-salt discoveries prove as lucrative as optimists hope. But new regulations in the US and Europe could shake up the industry, while the government hopes to develop gas exports and the mining sector.
Angola has recovered quickly from its slump four years ago and regained its position as one of the world’s most buoyant economies. But despite that, the country's ruling party will have to adapt to the changing expectations of Angolans, for many of whom peace is no longer enough.
Life for Angola’s banks is getting harder, thanks in no small part to falling interest rates and new taxes. But, as the country's economy continues to perform impressively, growth opportunities will remain. The challenge will be to make sure that this growth is sustainable.
In the three years since Arunma Oteh was brought in to head Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission and tasked with rebuilding the country's capital markets, much progress has been made. But she still has plenty to do if she wants to fulfil her bold ambitions.
Nigeria’s banking sector has become highly concentrated over the past 10 years, with the biggest five lenders now dominating market share. But executives at smaller firms are not worried. They insist that innovation and nimbleness, not to mention the huge scope for growth in Nigeria, will see them make up for their lack of size.
Eurobond issuance from sub-Saharan Africa is still dwarfed by that from elsewhere in the world. But more and more African sovereigns are tapping the market as investors clamour for exposure to the rapidly growing region, where local bond markets are also developing quickly.
The economic changes that have taken place over the past few years have forced banks to fine-tune their business and expansion strategies, not just to stay competitive – or regain their competitive advantage – but to also keep abreast with new technologies and changing demands from clients.
Analysts are predicting a strong showing from Nigeria’s banks as they announce their 2012 results, perhaps demonstrating once and for all that they are over their 2009 crisis. They cannot rest on their laurels, however, as 2013 could be far tougher for them.
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Nigeria’s central bank governor, says critics of his tight monetary policy forget how unstable the country’s financial system was just three years ago. He also tells The Banker that he will not stand for a second term, saying the job he was tasked with is almost done.