The central bank governor of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa says that the advantages of the CFA franc’s peg to the euro greatly outweigh the disadvantages, but he believes deeper integration among its six members is needed for them to realise their potential in the long term.

African banks are increasingly looking outside of their domestic markets, and many of the continent's biggest lenders are now active in multiple countries, buoyed by greater access to vast unbanked populations and a more stable political environment.