Mauritius, one of Africa’s most open economies, is suffering from Europe’s woes. But rather than attempting to isolate the country, its finance minister is trying to diversify its export markets and develop new industries. 

The Bank of the Year winners from Africa.

The Arab Spring uprisings have brought change on an unprecedented scale to north Africa over the past couple of years, but what impact have these changes had upon the region's appetite for Islamic finance?

Islamic finance is increasingly being viewed as a credible alternative to conventional finance, but Hussain Al-Qemzi, group chief executive of Dubai-based Noor Investment Group and chief executive of Noor Islamic Bank, recognises that Islamic institutions must work together if they are to compete with conventional banks.

To maintain its phenomenal growth rates, Islamic finance is increasingly looking beyond sukuk and property investment to growth areas such as renewable energy and healthcare. 

The steady growth of sharia-compliant assets suggests banks believe in the future of the sector, but the dismantling of the largest cross-border Islamic window raises questions about whether global banking groups can make a success of the business.

Malaysia leads the world in providing a sharia-compliant environment for savings. CIMB Islamic's Badlisyah Abdul Ghani charts the rise of Islamic finance since its founding in the country 50 years ago.

South Africa’s banks are among the world’s best regulated, and though a sluggish economy is straining revenue growth, expansion in to the rest of Africa and a rapid increase in unsecured lending are providing some respite.

South Africa’s capital markets have been resilient amid a surge of negative news emanating from the country following the killing of 34 miners in August. But many bankers say the situation could deteriorate quickly if economic growth does not pick up or if labour unrest is not calmed. 

The global financial crisis caused many corporates to review their treasury operations, with a large number reducing banking partners and signing up to shared technology platforms. Such changes, combined with the introduction of new regulations, such as the Single European Payments Area, have left many banks rethinking their global transaction services.