Given South Africa’s history and economy, financial inclusion is a serious issue for the country. It is committed to making up for the disparities of the apartheid era and it wants and needs to improve the lives of its poorer citizens, as much for the economy as for the sake of the people themselves. As such, the country has worked for more...
The South African banking sector is well regulated and capitalised, as well as efficiently run. Its institutions are not only the top in the region by many measures, but rank highly globally and are potentially competitive in the developed world. Regulatory changes are set to further improve banking in South Africa in terms of soundness,...
With both performance and assets outstripping the continent’s other large emerging markets in Egypt, Nigeria and Morocco, South Africa’s banking sector is the biggest and most developed on the continent. The country’s largest banks have branch networks across the region and – unusually for many African institutions – they also have the ability to finance capital-heavy projects...
After the 2008 global financial crisis, the G20 group of countries – of which South Africa is a member – saw the need to reinforce a stable financial system and asked the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to create a new banking regulation framework.
Bank penetration increased from 67% in 2012 to 75% in 2013, with an additional 3.5m people having access to formal banking services. The rollout of the South African Social Security Agency – adding 1.9m people – spurred much of this growth. Of the 16m South Africans who receive social grants, 93% are now registered on the new social security system, which requires a bank...
Following the success in Kenya of Safaricom’s M-Pesa programme, a mobile money scheme that now handles roughly 10% of Kenya’s GDP on an annual basis, mobile financial services have become increasingly popular in Africa. Though the results have been mixed, the fundamentals of the mobile phone as a financial tool are sound. In South Africa, mobile penetration is in excess of 100...
Stay updated on how some of the world’s most promising markets are being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and what actions governments and private businesses are taking to mitigate challenges and ensure their long-term growth story continues.
Register now and also receive a complimentary 2-month licence to the OBG Research Terminal.
Register Here×