Côte d'Ivoire Financial Services

Agriculture accounts for almost one-fourth of GDP and more than 50% of the nation’s export revenue. The country is the world’s largest producer of cocoa beans and the biggest exporter of cashew nuts. It also grows a wide range of cash crops, such as rubber, palm, cotton and coffee as well as food crops.

Founded in 1998 the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) is the stock exchange for the UEMOA zone. Initially composed of 35 companies listed on its equity sub-fund, the stock exchange grew to 45 companies at the end of 2017, 35 of which were Ivorian. In addition to this, the stock exchange boasted 37 bond lines.

Côte d’Ivoire’s strong economic growth since 2012 has driven a sharp expansion in the insurance sector, with premium rising almost 40% between 2013 and 2017. While the main actors have remained the same, the last few years have seen an influx of foreign and local players entering the market. If the increased competition has sometimes resulted...

The banking sector has played a key role in financing reconstruction in Côte d’Ivoire since the end of the decade-long political and military crisis in 2011. As a result, stellar economic growth – which has averaged 8.8% since 2012 – has driven a solid banking expansion in the country, with the number of banks and branches growing steadily...

Facing rising competition from telecoms companies, traditional banks are investing significantly to upgrade their digital platforms, while some have launched their own mobile services. Mobile banking is growing by the day, as the range of products available to consumers continues to rise.

Regulators have faced challenges ensuring that all sector players are financially sound, as insurance markets across the Inter-African Conference of Insurance Markets (Conférence Inter-africaine des Marchés d’ Assurances, CIMA) have seen an influx of new competitors. To provide continuous high-quality services to their clients and to avoid...