Financial Services

While Gabon’s banking sector is one of the more developed in the Economic Community of Central African States (Communauté Économique et Moné- taire de l’Afrique Centrale, CEMAC), penetration lags behind its sub-Saharan African peers. Banking assets accounted for a mere 21% of GDP in 2012, according to the IMF, while the private sector’s ratio of...

Whilst still concentrated, the market is becoming increasingly contested, with foreign banks establishing a presence, as well as the emergence of domestic institutions. The sector is gradually feeling the impact of this growth through greater reach and more product differentiation. With the Bank of Central African States’ (Banque des États de l'...

As with many of Africa’s emerging markets, a number of challenges face Gabon’s insurance sector, including low insurance awareness, a small domestic client base and declining oil production. And yet, the Gabonese market remains one of the largest in the sub-region, and it is set to expand in the coming years as the demand for personal insurance...

In June 2013 we held debates concerning two central themes: firstly, access to finance, and secondly, institutional, regulatory and structural reforms. As a result, we have drawn and suggested many conclusions and recommendations to the main economic and financial players of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (...

Economic growth, paired with proactive marketing efforts by insurers, has helped to expand the market for personal insurance lines. Although the domestic market is limited to a population of 1.5m, Gabon has a higher per capita income than most other countries in the sub-region, suggesting market depth. The development of the insurance sector has...