Financial Sector Development in Africa : Opportunities and Challenges

• Main Authors: Beck, Thorsten, Maimbo, Samuel Munzele
• Format: Publication
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC: World Bank 2013
• Subjects: ACCESS TO CREDIT; ACCESS TO FINANCE; ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES; ACCESS TO LOANS; ADVERSE MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT; ADVISORY SERVICES; AFFORDABILITY; AFFORDABLE HOUSING; AGRICULTURAL FINANCE; AGRICULTURAL SECTOR; APPLICATION COSTS; ATMS; AVERAGE BALANCES; BANK ACCOUNT; BANK ACCOUNTS; BANK LOAN; BANK LOANS; BANK OFFICE; BANKING CRISES; BANKING SERVICE; BANKING SERVICES; BANKING SUPERVISION; BANKS; BEST PRACTICE; BOND; BORROWER; BORROWING; BORROWINGS; BUSINESS ACTIVITY; BUSINESS ADVISORY; BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT; BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES; BUSINESS MANAGEMENT; BUSINESS PEOPLE; BUYER; CALCULATIONS; CAPITAL ADEQUACY; CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS; COLLATERAL; COLLATERAL REQUIREMENT; COLLATERALS; COMMERCIAL BANK; COMMERCIAL BANKS; COMMERCIAL FINANCE; CONSULTING FIRM; CONSUMER PROTECTION; CONTRIBUTION; CONTRIBUTIONS; COOPERATIVES; CREDIT BUREAUS; CREDIT COOPERATIVES; CREDIT HISTORIES; CREDIT HISTORY; CREDIT INFORMATION; CREDIT INFORMATION SYSTEM; CREDIT RATING; CREDIT RATING AGENCIES; CREDIT RATINGS; CREDIT REGISTRIES; CREDIT RISK; CREDIT UNIONS; CREDIT-WORTHINESS; CUSTOMER SERVICE; DEPOSIT; DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS; DEPOSIT BALANCE; DEPOSIT BALANCES; DEPOSIT MOBILIZATION; DEPOSITOR; DEPOSITORS; DEPOSITS; DEVELOPMENT FINANCE; DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN; DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT; DOUBLE BOTTOM LINE; ECONOMIC GROWTH; ECONOMIES OF SCALE; ENTREPRENEURS; EQUITY INVESTMENT; EXCLUSION; FEMALE BORROWERS; FEMALE CLIENTS; FINANCES; FINANCIAL ACCESS; FINANCIAL CAPACITY; FINANCIAL COSTS; FINANCIAL CRISIS; FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE; FINANCIAL INNOVATION; FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION; FINANCIAL LITERACY; FINANCIAL MARKET; FINANCIAL MARKETS; FINANCIAL PENETRATION; FINANCIAL POLICY; FINANCIAL PRODUCT; FINANCIAL PROVIDERS; FINANCIAL REFORM; FINANCIAL REGULATION; FINANCIAL REGULATORS; FINANCIAL RESOURCES; FINANCIAL SECTOR; FINANCIAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT; FINANCIAL SECTOR REFORM; FINANCIAL SECTORS; FINANCIAL SERVICES; FINANCIAL SERVICES AUTHORITY; FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY; FINANCIAL STABILITY; FINANCIAL SUPPORT; FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY; FINANCIAL SYSTEM; FINANCIAL SYSTEMS; FLEXIBLE REPAYMENT; FORMAL BANK; FORMAL FINANCE; FUNDING SOURCE; GENDER; GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION; GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS; GOVERNMENT POLICY; GROUP LOANS; GUARANTEE SCHEME; HOUSEHOLD INCOME; HOUSEHOLDS; HOUSING FINANCE; HOUSING LOANS; HUSBANDS; INFORMATION ABOUT CREDIT; INFORMATION SHARING; INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY; INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING; INTEREST RATE; INTEREST RATES; INTERNATIONAL BANK; INTERNATIONAL BANKING; INVESTMENT BANK; KEY CHALLENGES; LACK OF CREDIT; LENDERS; LOAN; LOAN DOCUMENTATION; LOAN FACILITIES; LOAN FACILITY; LOAN OFFICERS; LOAN PORTFOLIO; LOAN PROCESSING; LOAN REPAYMENT; LOAN REPAYMENT RATES; LOAN REPAYMENTS; LOAN SIZE; LOANS TO WOMEN; LOW-INCOME; MARKET ANALYSES; MARKETING; MEDIUM ENTERPRISE; MEDIUM ENTERPRISES; MFI; MFIS; MICRO ENTERPRISE; MICRO-FINANCE; MICROCREDIT; MICROFINANCE; MICROFINANCE INSTITUTION; MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS; MINIMUM BALANCE; MONEY TRANSFER; MONTHLY PAYMENT; MORTGAGE; MORTGAGE DEBT; MORTGAGE LOAN; NECESSARY COLLATERAL; NEW MARKETS; OPERATING COSTS; OUTREACH; PAYMENT SERVICES; PENETRATION RATE; PENETRATION RATES; PENSION; POINT OF SALE; PRIVATE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS; PRIVATE INVESTMENT; PRIVATE INVESTORS; PROFITABILITY; PUBLIC POLICY; REALITY CHECK; REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS; REMITTANCES; REPAYMENT; REPAYMENT PERIOD; RETAIL BANKING; RISK AVERSION; RISK MANAGEMENT; RURAL BANKS; RURAL BRANCH; RURAL CLIENTS; RURAL FINANCE; SAVINGS; SAVINGS PRODUCTS; SECONDARY MORTGAGE MARKETS; SECURITIES; SENIOR; SMALL INVESTORS; SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP; SOCIAL FUND; SOCIAL NETWORK; SOURCE OF INCOME; START-UP; START-UPS; STOCK EXCHANGE; TAX INCENTIVES; TRANSACTION; TRANSACTION COSTS; UNFAIR COMPETITION; UNION; URBAN POPULATION; VOLUNTARY DEPOSIT; WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Africa's financial systems face challenges across many dimensions, as discussed in the report financing Africa: through the crisis and beyond. The analysis in that report was based partly on several detailed background papers that are included in this volume. The next six chapters are written by experts in their respective areas and provide an in-depth analysis of these challenges and present possible solutions. In this introduction, the authors provide an overview of the different chapters and how they are related to each other and the main volume. The three chapters in first part focus on key challenges concerned with access to financial services, including financial and operational deficiencies in the microfinance market, reaping the benefits from the technological revolution of retail banking, and deepening and broadening agricultural finance across Africa. The three chapters thus each cover different aspects with a different focus, ranging from an institutional approach to a focus on innovation as a driver of financial broadening to an important element of financial infrastructure to a specific sector. The second part includes the fourth chapter, it involves documents the sizable need for additional housing in many African countries, based on these countries' continuous population growth and an ongoing urbanization trend. The third part includes fifth chapter, which discuss the repercussions of regulatory reforms in Europe and North America for African regulators as well as local challenges. The fourth part includes the sixth chapter, which is the final chapter of this volume. It discusses the politics of financial sector reform in Africa and, more specifically, the space needed for an activist role for government to help create the markets and coordination mechanisms necessary for financial markets to deepen and broaden.