Author: The Editorial Staff

At the invitation of the President of the Bank, Mr. Ould Tah, more than fifty representatives from regional banks, stock exchanges, venture capital and private equity funds are taking part in the first structured meeting between the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and the continent’s stock markets on November 18 and 19. This initiative marks...

The Senegal-Morocco Circle of Friendship and Fraternity (CESEMAF) held a decisive General Assembly on Saturday, November 15, 2025 in Dakar, resulting in the renewal of its governance and the adoption of a triennial action plan (2026-2028). Beyond the statutory exercise, the meeting marks a new stage in revitalizing the strategic axis linking Senegal and Morocco, two countries whose relationship is distinguished by its consistency, historical depth, and African scope. Opening the proceedings, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Senegal, Hassan Naciri, recalled the “almost millennial anchoring” of the ties between the two nations, based on an exceptional human,…

Six weeks before the end of the year, the verdict is clear: 2025 is emerging as one of the worst years for crypto crime. Since January, hackers and fraudsters have stolen $2.5 billion, $800 million more than in 2024, making it the third highest total in history. Even more troubling: losses are increasing while the...

Guinea-Bissau raised 8.08 billion CFA francs on the UMOA-Titres market in a mixed auction of BAT 336 days and OAT 3 years, fully served at the desired amount. Although the coverage is high (171%), indicating continued technical demand, the operation stands out for its limited rates, reflecting the perceived risk on the Guinea-Bissauan signature. The...

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and AFG Holding SA have formalised a strategic partnership aimed at significantly accelerating private sector growth across the ECOWAS region. The agreement, signed on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, establishes a dedicated facility in the amount of EUR 50 million to support private enterprises through AFG Holding SA’s subsidiaries operating in the ECOWAS zone, namely AFG Bank CI SA and AFG Bank Guinea. During the signing ceremony, Dr George Agyekum Donkor, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EBID, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable…

Startups fueling with debt. Fintech no longer a dream. Happiness lies in agriculture, food, and essential services. Young companies more attractive than fast-growing enterprises. Southern Africa attracts big investments. West Africa is active but undervalued. North Africa climbing the mountain. The market regains a stable pace The private equity market in Africa is entering its...

FINACTU announces a major advancement in the implementation of the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin, a central financial instrument dedicated to the protection of the planet’s largest carbon sink. After supporting the Development Bank of Central African States (BDEAC) in the strategic, legal, and operational structuring of the mechanism, the firm is now entering...

According to S&P Global Ratings, Ivorian banks appear as the main providers of liquidity to the Senegalese Treasury in the regional market, but their direct exposure remains “contained”. Official figures are clear: subscriptions from institutions based in Abidjan on Senegalese debt in local currency have tripled in one year, reaching 1,800 billion FCFA in September...

Featured in Financial Afrik issue 125. Besides their status as former heads of state or current presidents, what do Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Faure Gnassingbé, Patrice Talon, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Georges Weah, Alassane Ouattara, Alpha Condé, Ibrahim Traoré, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, and Brice Oligui Nguema have in common? They have all flown on Mahamadou Bonkoungou’s...

S&P Global Ratings upgraded Nigeria’s outlook from stable to positive on November 14, 2025, while confirming the sovereign rating at ‘B-/B’. The agency highlights the impact of reforms initiated since 2023: exchange rate liberalization, subsidy removal, increasing tax revenues, gradual rise in oil production, and the commissioning of the Dangote refinery. Growth is now expected...

S&P Global Ratings reaffirmed Rwanda’s sovereign rating at ‘B+/B’ on November 14, 2025, with a stable outlook. The agency applauds the resilience of a low-income economy driven by robust growth – averaging 7.3% over 2025-2028 – and a debt structure that is still largely concessional, with nearly 80% coming from bilateral and multilateral lenders. At...

S&P Global Ratings maintains Ivory Coast’s sovereign rating of ‘BB/B’ with a stable outlook, confirmed on November 14, 2025. President Alassane Ouattara’s re-election for a fourth term, in a context of weakened opposition, ensures continuity of economic policy focused on public investment, industrialization, and upgrading agricultural and extractive value chains. The country benefits from a...

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Senegal’s long-term foreign currency sovereign rating to ‘CCC+’ on November 14, 2025, from ‘B-‘ previously, while maintaining the local currency rating at ‘B-‘. The agency also placed the country under CreditWatch developing, reflecting a fragile situation and limited visibility on short-term refinancing capacity. With public debt at 119% of GDP at...

The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) published, on November 13, 2025, the updated list of institutions authorized to offer Instant Payment (PI) services to the public through the Instant Payment System (SPI). This publication marks a new step in the operationalization of the financial inclusion and modernization of payments strategy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). The PI-SPI network, designed to ensure real-time transmission of interbank retail payments, now includes more than 70 approved actors in the eight countries of the Union. These actors include both commercial banks, electronic money institutions, and microfinance institutions. The…

Bridge Bank Group Côte d’Ivoire (BBGCI) is preparing its listing on the Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM) of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Contacted by Financial Afrik, Yerim Sow, founder of the bank, confirmed the information. The operation, currently being structured, comes at a time when we are witnessing strategic adjustments of banking...

The strength of the banking system largely relies on the level of capital required of credit institutions. In Africa, regulators are gradually increasing thresholds to strengthen financial resilience, attract institutional investors, and reduce systemic risk. A comparative analysis of the latest regulatory requirements shows significant variations between regions and countries, with levels expressed here in...

“This eurobond is a strategic gain in terms of financial management” Appointed in January 2025, Christian Yoka, Minister of Finance, Budget, and Public Portfolio of the Republic of Congo, has just successfully led the country’s first international market outing in twenty years. Congo has raised $670 million in a context where many African states still struggle to access it. Driven by restored macroeconomic trajectory and affirmed budget discipline, he details for Financial Afrik the logic behind this strategic operation and the prospects for cleaning up Congolese debt. Minister, it has been twenty years since Congo last entered the international financial…

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, November 7, 2025 — Rawbank, a leading bank in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been designated as the “Safest Bank in the DRC” by Global Finance Magazine in its 2025 edition of the World’s Safest Banks ranking. In this ranking, Rawbank also ranks 3rd among the safest banks in the African continent. Rawbank is currently the only financial institution in the country with an international rating. This distinction confirms the strength of Rawbank, the quality of its governance, and the trust of its clients and partners. An international recognition of Rawbank’s resilience and performance…

The HPS group is about to reach a new technological milestone with the imminent launch of Agentic AI (also known as Agentic Commerce), an intelligent assistance solution designed to automate and optimize high value-added tasks. The goal is to provide companies with a digital co-pilot capable, among other things, of facilitating payment operations and streamlining...

Kinshasa, November 7, 2025 – Rawbank confirms its status as a pillar of the Congolese financial system and a continental reference. The New York magazine Global Finance, considered one of the most demanding global barometers of banking stability, has just awarded the Congolese institution the title of “Safest Bank in the Democratic Republic of Congo”...

In a highly anticipated political day, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko mobilized thousands of supporters at the Léopold Sédar Senghor stadium on Novembre 8, 2025. Facing an energized crowd, he vigorously denounced the financial management of previous governments. “Anyone who denies hidden debt should go to prison,” he declared, reminding that the existence of these unaccounted...

As of November 7, 2025, 1,526 Malian containers were stranded at the Port of Dakar, according to information published by Maliweb.net. Their evacuation to Mali is paralyzed by the strict application, by Malian authorities, of the ban on oversized and non-compliant heavy trucks, in accordance with regulation n°14/2005/CM/UEMOA on axle loads that came into effect...

S&P Global Ratings revised Uganda’s sovereign rating outlook to “positive” from “stable” on November 7, 2025, while confirming its long-term rating at B-/B. The rating agency applauds the superior growth momentum compared to similar economies, as well as the expected ramp-up of major oil projects by the end of 2026. The transfer and convertibility rating...

In a report dated October 2025, Fitch Ratings estimates that the “very significant” budget deficit projected by Gabon for 2026 will make it difficult to reach an agreement with the IMF. In its analysis, the agency deems unrealistic the ambitions of public spending, particularly the increase of 570% in investments and a projected deficit of...

Interview with Abou Bacry Ly, President of GDM-AGRICONCEPT and member of the High Council of Investment Interview by Mayo Sow, Nouakchott. “I have decided to return to Mauritania and invest with my own funds.” With this confident statement, Abou Bacry Ly, President of GDM-AGRICONCEPT and member of the High Council of Investment, summarizes a strategic and personal choice: to transform Mauritanian agriculture through innovation, agro-ecology, and local private investment. On the sidelines of Les Rencontres Africa, an event organized in Nouakchott in partnership with Financial Afrik, he, who has worked throughout his career between Africa and Europe, serving major modernization…

Abidjan Terminal, the concessionaire of the first container terminal at the Port of Abidjan, received on November 2, 2025, two new quay cranes (STS – Ship To Shore), intended to strengthen and modernize its handling equipment fleet, bringing the total number of quay cranes owned by Abidjan Terminal to seven (7). Financed to the tune of 14.6 billion CFA francs, these two latest generation cranes have a reach of over 47 meters and a lifting capacity of over 65 tons, allowing them to efficiently handle vessels berthing at its quays. Equipped with an OCR system for the automatic identification of…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded a two-week mission in Dakar on November 6, 2025, in the perspective of a new financing agreement with Senegal. Led by Edward Gemayel, the delegation assessed the progress made by the authorities in debt management and budget transparency, as the country seeks to move on from the hidden debt...

The countdown has begun for African financial institutions. The deadline for the mandatory adoption of the ISO 20022 standard as part of the SWIFT CBPR+ program is approaching, with a deadline now less than three weeks away. This international standard modernizes the exchange of financial messages by providing richer and standardized data, essential for interoperability,...

It’s a turning point for the Guinean mining industry. Just three months after its creation, Nimba Mining Company (NMC), the first 100% national mining company, made its first shipment of 200,000 tonnes of high-quality bauxite from the port of Kamsar this morning. This rapid launch confirms the country’s desire to take control of the valorization...

The Republic of Congo is making its comeback on international financial markets after nearly 20 years of absence, raising $670 million through a new eurobond at 9.875% maturing in November 2032. The repayment will be made in five equal tranches between 2028 and 2032. This market operation, led by Citigroup and rated CCC+ by Fitch...