Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Nigeria and San Francisco, the payments and remittances firm has grown to become one of Africa’s largest start-ups, with a valuation of $3bn as of 2022.
Gulf lenders thrive while Egyptian banks feel the pressure.
While AI solutions and ISO 20022’s rollout offer some relief, the challenges to correspondent banking remain acute in an era of ever greater de-risking.
As Saudi Arabia begins issuing technical certifications to banks and fintechs, the UAE’s open banking framework remains some way off.
Access Holdings’ group managing director talks about the group’s acquisition strategy, the impact of Nigerian economic reforms on the country’s banking sector, and the future of digital assets in Africa.
Mohamed Siad Doualeh, Djibouti’s ambassador to the US, talks about debt restructuring efforts, the impact of regional conflict in Ethiopia and Sudan, and the country’s efforts to position itself as a regional financial hub.
After being caught out seven years ago, Nigerian lenders are better prepared to absorb the impact of the naira’s recent devaluation.
Al Rajhi Bank’s growth sees it top Saudi Arabia’s performance tables, even as SNB remains the country’s largest lender.
The country’s big four all reported positive results for 2022, in spite of gathering economic storm clouds.
UBA is the only Nigerian lender in this year’s Top 1000 World Banks ranking to record a rise in Tier 1 capital and profits.
Significant crises in key markets such as Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa burdened lenders in this year’s ranking
GCC lenders enjoyed a stellar 2022, with Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi Bank among the standouts
After many years in the shadow of the UAE, Saudi Arabia’s start-up and venture capital ecosystem is growing rapidly.
This year, the awards have taken a more granular approach, in an effort to celebrate innovation across individual sharia-compliant banking activities, while also recognising the best Islamic banks on a regional and global level.
The director of the IMF’s African department speaks about the economic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa, the funding squeeze faced by much of the continent, and the necessity of increased spending on climate change adaptation.
Credit growth is set to ease in 2023 as the country’s mortgage market cools, while tighter liquidity increases funding costs, writes John Everington.
Mohammed Bin Abdullah Elkuwaiz, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority, on the surge in local listings, and the regulator’s plans for tokenised and virtual assets.
Halfway through the country's Vision 2030 programme, Saudi Arabia has made significant progress in its economic reform programme. Yet efforts to further boost the private sector and attract foreign investment face stiff challenges.
The governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait talks about the impact of slowing economic growth on the local banking sector, CBDCs and other digital initiatives, and the country’s nascent green finance initiatives.
Rising interest rates are set to support profitability even as soaring inflation undermines asset growth.