With the recent election of reformist prime minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Ethiopia’s economy is set to liberalise after 27 years of state monopoly, opening up one of Africa’s fastest growing and underbanked markets to foreign investors. Charles Wachira reports.

Regional integration, a painstakingly slow process across most of Africa, has started to gain momentum in east Africa, removing some obstacles for investors.

While The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks ranking published every July gives an insightful and unique snapshot of the state of the global banking market, our ranking of those banks featuring just below the ranking gives an excellent indication of the way in which the market is heading, and which countries and regions are on the rise.

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.