Largest Commercial Banks in Africa

Using data from African Business’ survey on ‘Africa’s Top 100 Banks in 2022′ , we visualized the data of the top banks in Africa by Tier 1 capital. The comprehensive list of these banks can be found on African Business’ survey report.

Commercial Banks Branches (CBB) per thousand in Africa

According to data from the World Bank, the number of commercial bank branches per thousand people in Africa varies widely by country. As of 2021, here are the countries with the highest and lowest number of commercial bank branches per thousand adults:

Highest Number of Commercial Bank Branches:

1. Cabo Verde
2. Seychelles
3. Mauritius
4. Morocco
5. Tunisia

Lowest Number of Commercial Bank Branches:

1. Tanzania
2. Sao Tome and Principe
3. Somalia
4. Sudan
5. Libya

Trends in Commercial Bank Branches in Select African Countries (2004-2021)

Year by year, some countries experienced a fluctuation in the number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults.

Below are notable trends in select countries:

Increasing Commercial Bank Branches:

• Cabo Verde: The commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults increased from a range of 16.5-42.1 between 2004 and 2021, making it the highest ratio in 2021.
• Tunisia: Ranked second highest in 2021, Tunisia’s commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults increased from 11.8 to 22.3 between 2004 and 2021.
• Morocco, Ghana, Mauritania: These countries also saw an increase in commercial bank branches, with ratios above 10.0 in 2021.

Decreasing Commercial Bank Branches:

• Seychelles: Despite being the second highest in 2021 (39.7), Seychelles experienced a decline from its peak of 54.4 in 2015.
• Mauritius: Mauritius had a peak of 22.5 in 2014, but declined to 15 in 2021.
• Namibia: The ratio of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults in Namibia declined from a peak of 15.5 in 2016 to 9.34 in 2021.
• Nigeria, Zambia: These countries also witnessed a decline in commercial bank branches from their respective peaks.

Factors Influencing Commercial Bank Branches:

The number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults is influenced by factors such as crises, population growth, business environment, government policies, and investment conditions. Different countries face unique circumstances that impact the expansion or reduction of commercial bank branches within their populations.

Please note that this information is based on available data from the World Bank and reflects the trends observed in commercial bank branches in Africa.

•  Chad has the lowest with 0.85 banks, indicating a low banking presence.
• Eastern African countries have moderate levels, ranging from 1.39 to 3.37 banks per thousand people.
• Western African countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Guinea, have moderate to high levels, ranging from 2.68 to 4.24 banks per thousand people.
• Southern African nations, such as South Africa and Angola, show moderate to high levels, ranging from 2 to 9.34 banks per thousand people.
• Northern African countries have moderate to high levels, ranging from 3.69 to 22.15 banks per thousand people.
  Countries like São Tomé and Príncipe, Cabo Verde, and Equatorial Guinea have the highest levels, ranging from 39.65 to 42.07 banks per thousand people.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.