IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wbk/wbrwps/10632.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Banking in Africa : Opportunities and Challenges in Volatile Times

Author

Listed:
  • Beck,Thorsten
  • Cull,Robert J.
  • Mare,Davide Salvatore
  • Valenzuela,Patricio

Abstract

This paper surveys existing literature and data to take stock of the current state of banking systems across Sub-Saharan Africa. It documents different dimensions of the development of the banking systems in the region and compares Africa’s banking systems to those of comparable low- and lower-middle-income countries outside the region. The paper also discusses the progress in policies and institutions underpinning financial deepening and the results of specific innovations to reach traditionally unbanked segments of the population, such as innovative branch expansion programs, mobile banking, and new financial products. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper discusses government support for financial systems and banking sector performance during crises. Overall, the survey shows a picture of achievements and challenges, with progress along some fronts but other challenges persisting even as new ones arise, including the turning of the global financial cycle in 2022/23 and increasing geopolitical tensions.

Suggested Citation

  • Beck,Thorsten & Cull,Robert J. & Mare,Davide Salvatore & Valenzuela,Patricio, 2023. "Banking in Africa : Opportunities and Challenges in Volatile Times," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10632, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10632
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099021012072314723/pdf/IDU02ba078c809b2404f9d09f800ec70c22d6e0e.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pascaline Dupas & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Robinson & Diego Ubfal, 2018. "Banking the Unbanked? Evidence from Three Countries," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 257-297, April.
    2. Suri, Tavneet & Bharadwaj, Prashant & Jack, William, 2021. "Fintech and household resilience to shocks: Evidence from digital loans in Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    3. Sumit Agarwal & Thomas Kigabo & Camelia Minoiu & Andrea F. Presbitero & André F. Silva, 2023. "Serving the Underserved: Microcredit as a Pathway to Commercial Banks," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 105(4), pages 780-797, July.
    4. Eberhardt, Markus & Presbitero, Andrea F., 2021. "Commodity prices and banking crises," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    5. Dean Karlan & Robert Osei & Isaac Osei-Akoto & Christopher Udry, 2014. "Agricultural Decisions after Relaxing Credit and Risk Constraints," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(2), pages 597-652.
    6. Luc Laeven & Fabian Valencia, 2020. "Systemic Banking Crises Database II," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 68(2), pages 307-361, June.
    7. Feyen,Erik H.B. & Alonso Gispert,Tatiana & Kliatskova,Tatsiana & Mare,Davide Salvatore, 2020. "Taking Stock of the Financial Sector Policy Response to COVID-19 around the World," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9497, The World Bank.
    8. Cull, Robert & Spreng, Connor P., 2011. "Pursuing efficiency while maintaining outreach: Bank privatization in Tanzania," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 254-261, March.
    9. Gin, Xavier & Yang, Dean, 2009. "Insurance, credit, and technology adoption: Field experimental evidencefrom Malawi," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 1-11, May.
    10. Pelletier, Adeline, 2018. "Performance of foreign banks in developing countries: Evidence from sub-Saharan African banking markets," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 292-311.
    11. Issa Faye & Thorsten Beck & Thouraya Triki & Samuel Munzele Maimbo, 2011. "Financing Africa : Through the Crisis and Beyond," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2355.
    12. Augusto de la Torre & Erik Feyen & Alain Ize, 2013. "Financial Development: Structure and Dynamics," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 27(3), pages 514-541.
    13. Beck, Thorsten & Cull, Robert & Jerome, Afeikhena, 2005. "Bank privatization and performance: Empirical evidence from Nigeria," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(8-9), pages 2355-2379, August.
    14. Pascaline Dupas & Jonathan Robinson, 2013. "Savings Constraints and Microenterprise Development: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Kenya," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 163-192, January.
    15. Cull, Robert & Gine, Xavier & Harten, Sven & Heitmann, Soren & Rusu, Anca Bogdana, 2018. "Agent banking in a highly under-developed financial sector: Evidence from Democratic Republic of Congo," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 54-74.
    16. Inessa Love, 2003. "Financial Development and Financing Constraints: International Evidence from the Structural Investment Model," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 16(3), pages 765-791, July.
    17. Nava Ashraf & Dean Karlan & Wesley Yin, 2006. "Tying Odysseus to the Mast: Evidence From a Commitment Savings Product in the Philippines," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(2), pages 635-672.
    18. Blumenstock, Joshua E. & Eagle, Nathan & Fafchamps, Marcel, 2016. "Airtime transfers and mobile communications: Evidence in the aftermath of natural disasters," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 157-181.
    19. Stijn Claessens & Neeltje Van Horen, 2014. "Foreign Banks: Trends and Impact," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(s1), pages 295-326, February.
    20. Panizza, Ugo, 2024. "Bank ownership around the world," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    21. Franklin Allen & Elena Carletti & Robert Cull & Jun QJ Qian & Lemma Senbet & Patricio Valenzuela, 2021. "Improving Access to Banking: Evidence from Kenya [A matter of experience? Understanding the decline in group lending]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 25(2), pages 403-447.
    22. Miriam Bruhn & Inessa Love, 2014. "The Real Impact of Improved Access to Finance: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(3), pages 1347-1376, June.
    23. Pierre Bachas & Paul Gertler & Sean Higgins & Enrique Seira, 2021. "How Debit Cards Enable the Poor to Save More," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 1913-1957, August.
    24. Prina, Silvia, 2015. "Banking the poor via savings accounts: Evidence from a field experiment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 16-31.
    25. Cecilia Briceno-Garmendia & Vivien Foster, 2010. "Africa's Infrastructure : A Time for Transformation [Infrastructures africaines]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2692.
    26. Pelletier, Adeline, 2018. "Performance of foreign banks in developing countries: evidence from sub-Saharan African banking markets," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 86368, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    27. Esther Duflo & Michael Kremer & Jonathan Robinson, 2011. "Nudging Farmers to Use Fertilizer: Theory and Experimental Evidence from Kenya," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(6), pages 2350-2390, October.
    28. Giné, Xavier & Goldberg, Jessica, 2023. "Experience in financial decision-making: Field evidence from Malawi," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    29. Aghion, Philippe & Angeletos, George-Marios & Banerjee, Abhijit & Manova, Kalina, 2010. "Volatility and growth: Credit constraints and the composition of investment," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 246-265, April.
    30. Patrick Honohan & Thorsten Beck, 2007. "Making Finance Work for Africa," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6626.
    31. Simone Schaner, 2017. "The Cost of Convenience?: Transaction Costs, Bargaining Power, and Savings Account Use in Kenya," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 52(4), pages 919-945.
    32. Alessandro Tarozzi & Jaikishan Desai & Kristin Johnson, 2015. "The Impacts of Microcredit: Evidence from Ethiopia," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 54-89, January.
    33. Thorsten Beck, 2015. "Cross-Border Banking and Financial Deepening: The African Experience," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 24(suppl_1), pages 32-45.
    34. Chamboko, Richard & Cull, Robert & Giné, Xavier & Heitmann, Soren & Reitzug, Fabian & Westhuizen, Morne Van Der, 2021. "The role of gender in agent banking: Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    35. William Jack & Tavneet Suri, 2014. "Risk Sharing and Transactions Costs: Evidence from Kenya's Mobile Money Revolution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(1), pages 183-223, January.
    36. Feyen, Erik & Alonso Gispert, Tatiana & Kliatskova, Tatsiana & Mare, Davide S., 2021. "Financial Sector Policy Response to COVID-19 in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    37. Valentina Hartarska & Robert J. Cull (ed.), 2023. "Handbook of Microfinance, Financial Inclusion and Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 19107.
    38. Riley, Emma, 2018. "Mobile money and risk sharing against village shocks," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 43-58.
    39. Michael Fuchs & Thorsten Beck & Dorothe Singer & Makaio Witte, 2014. "Making Cross-Border Banking Work for Africa," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 20248.
    40. Pierre Bachas & Paul Gertler & Sean Higgins & Enrique Seira, 2018. "Digital Financial Services Go a Long Way: Transaction Costs and Financial Inclusion," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 108, pages 444-448, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Singh, Nirvikar, 2018. "Financial Inclusion: Concepts, Issues and Policies for India," MPRA Paper 91047, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Mukherjee, Sanghamitra Warrier & Bergquist, Lauren Falcao & Burke, Marshall & Miguel, Edward, 2024. "Unlocking the benefits of credit through saving," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    3. Pierre Bachas & Paul Gertler & Sean Higgins & Enrique Seira, 2021. "How Debit Cards Enable the Poor to Save More," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 1913-1957, August.
    4. Léon, Florian & Zins, Alexandra, 2020. "Regional foreign banks and financial inclusion: Evidence from Africa," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 102-116.
    5. Spantig, Lisa, 2021. "Cash in hand and savings decisions," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 1206-1220.
    6. Catia Batista & Pedro C. Vicente, 2018. "Is mobile money changing rural Africa? Evidence from a field experiment," NOVAFRICA Working Paper Series wp1805, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics, NOVAFRICA.
    7. Giulia Bettin & Claudia Pigini & Alberto Zazzaro, 2020. "Financial inclusion and poverty transitions: an empirical analysis for Italy," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 164, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    8. Zins, Alexandra & Weill, Laurent, 2018. "Do Pan-African banks have the best of both worlds?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 665-681.
    9. Batista, Catia & Vicente, Pedro C., 2020. "Improving access to savings through mobile money: Experimental evidence from African smallholder farmers," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    10. N'dri, Lasme Mathieu & Kakinaka, Makoto, 2020. "Financial inclusion, mobile money, and individual welfare: The case of Burkina Faso," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3).
    11. Kass-Hanna, Josephine & Lyons, Angela C. & Liu, Fan, 2022. "Building financial resilience through financial and digital literacy in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(PA).
    12. Grohmann, Antonia & Klühs, Theres & Menkhoff, Lukas, 2018. "Does financial literacy improve financial inclusion? Cross country evidence," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 111, pages 84-96.
    13. Catia Batista & Sandra Sequeira & Pedro C. Vicente, 2022. "Closing the Gender Profit Gap?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(12), pages 8553-8567, December.
    14. Karlan, Dean & Zinman, Jonathan, 2018. "Price and control elasticities of demand for savings," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 145-159.
    15. Pascaline Dupas & Anthony Keats & Jonathan Robinson, 2019. "The Effect of Savings Accounts on Interpersonal Financial Relationships: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Rural Kenya," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(617), pages 273-310.
    16. Lasse Brune & Xavier Giné & Jessica Goldberg & Dean Yang, 2016. "Facilitating Savings for Agriculture: Field Experimental Evidence from Malawi," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(2), pages 187-220.
    17. Issa Faye & Thorsten Beck & Thouraya Triki & Samuel Munzele Maimbo, 2011. "Financing Africa : Through the Crisis and Beyond," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2355.
    18. Somville, Vincent & Vandewalle, Lore, 2023. "Access to banking, savings and consumption smoothing in rural India," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    19. Ky, Serge Stéphane & Rugemintwari, Clovis & Sauviat, Alain, 2021. "Friends or Foes? Mobile money interaction with formal and informal finance," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1).

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10632. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Roula I. Yazigi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dvewbus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.