While access to financial services is indispensable for facilitating business operations, little information on the African financial sector has been made available in Japan with the number of cases limited for Japanese financial institution’s expansion into Africa.

The African financial sector has not necessarily been developed sufficiently.However, as important items for private sector development, various projects for developing the financial sector and improving financial infrastructure and services in Africa have been implemented and begun to produce good results. The advancement of information and communications technologies and the diffusion of mobile phones have enabled mobile remittance and banking, achieving dramatic improvements in financial access. Efforts to improve financial access have also been ongoing, including microfinance and public financial institutions’ support for SMEs and petty enterprise companies. In the near future, Japanese financial institutions are expected to expand into Africa and participate in or acquire local banks, as they are doing in Asia now.

This section will provide information about African financial sector development mainly from the viewpoint of improving financial access for Japanese people and companies doing business in Africa and introducing model cases of business opportunities for Japan’s financial sector and business people.

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)