Very few of Africa’s leading economies have emerged unscathed from the challenges of recent years. Lower commodity prices, cooling global growth and, in some cases, political instability have all exacted a heavy toll on key markets across the continent.
The Banker’s 2017 African banks ranking illuminates these trends clearly; only five lenders in the top 20 banks measured by Tier 1 capital registered an increase to their capital positions over the review period (to year-end 2015). This is mirrored in aggregate terms with a year-on-year 8% contraction in Tier 1 capital across all of the banks included in the ranking.
