While access to financial services is indispensable for the facilitation of business operations, only the little information on the African financial sector has been made available in Japan with the limited number of cases for Japanese financial institutions to expand their operations to Africa.

The financial sector of Africa has not necessarily been developed sufficiently. However, due to its importance, various projects to develop the financial sector and improve financial infrastructures and services in Africa have been implemented, and they began to make decent results. The advancement of information and communications technologies and the diffusion of mobile phones enabled mobile remittance and banking, and achieved dramatic improvements in financial access. Efforts to improve financial access are also ongoing, including microfinance and support of public financial institutions for small companies. In the near future, Japanese financial institutions are expected to expand their operations to Africa and to participate in or acquire local banks.

This section will upload information about the development of the African financial sector mainly on the basis of the improvement in financial access for Japanese people and companies doing business in Africa, and will introduce cases studies of business opportunities for Japanese financial sector.

Financial Sector in Africa (Nomura Research Institute)

“Financial Sector in Africa (the first) Present condition of African economy and the banking industry”

(Reprinted from ”Chitekishisan Souzou (Creation of soft asset)”, October 2011) (in Japanese)

“Financial Sector in Africa (the second) How to exploit African financial market”

(Reprinted from ”Chitekishisan Souzou (Creation of soft asset)”, April 2013) (in Japanese)

Developing financial sector of Africa (AfDB Japanese staff)

Present condition of issue market of government obligation and government-guaranteed bonds in Africa

『International Sovereign Issuance in Africa：2013-14 A Rating Agency Perspective』

(Report of MOODY’S INVESTOR SERVICE)

Promotion of microfinance and financing facility for small-scale enterprises in Africa

JICA’s approaches for microfinance

Develop a wide range of human resources by ethical and case study training (JICA annual report of 2012) (in Japanese)

Financial service for enterprises engaged in African business

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ  (in Japanese)

Mizuho Bank  (in Japanese)

Standard Chartered Bank  (in Japanese)

Funds that invest in African business

Toyota Tsusho Corporation “Toyota Tsusho CSV Africa Pte.Ltd.”   (in Japanese)