Just as a middle class has emerged in South Africa over the past decade, consumer debt has become a central feature of the retail banking market. While household wealth has risen significantly since 1994, reaching R3.5trn ($426.65bn) by 2012, indebtedness has accelerated too. By November 2012 the system counted some 19.6m active individual...
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Articles & Analysis | Balancing the unsecured: Indebtedness rises alongside overall wealth from The Report: South Africa 2013
Oil production retains its key role in the economy, however plans are under way to encourage diversification away from hydrocarbons towards an economy that is more knowledge based. The political climate has been characterised of late by a number of disputes, often resulting in either the resignation of the government or the dissolution of parliament, which has contributed to the slow progress of some projects.
Chapter | Capital Markets from The Report: Cote d'Ivoire 2013
Regionalism is a feature not only of Francophone West Africa’s monetary regime and banking sector, but also of its financial markets. The bond market is dominated by sovereign issues from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, the two largest economies in the region. The equity market has two capitalisations – Sonatel and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated – while most of the companies listed from Côte d’...
After decades of turbulence, the Ivoirian banking sector is experiencing something of a renaissance. Like the economy, Côte d’Ivoire’s banking sector was growing robustly until a crisis brought on by enthusiastic lending struck in the early 1980s. Bank defaults during this period cast a long shadow, paving the way for a steady increase over the years in cash transactions. The subsequent unrest...
A leading cocoa producer and exporter of low-cost power, Côte d’Ivoire is one of the more economically diverse and mineral-rich countries in West Africa. The country is a member of ECOWAS and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa, as well as party to several international trade agreements, which help improve macro stability.
The collapse of a leading Mongolian bank has underscored both the weaknesses and strengths of the banking system, with an apparent failure of corporate governance prompting a swift reaction from regulatory authorities.