As trade and co-operation has increased across east Africa, so has cross-border banking, with Kenyan lenders leading the way. But although this move is spreading new technologies and services while increasing competition, are there sufficient supervisory structures in place? James King investigates.

Kenya’s Equity Bank is determined to launch a new mobile banking product that has the potential to shake up an industry dominated by the creator of M-Pesa, Safaricom. Experts say that while Equity could present serious long-term competition for Safaricom, it has its work cut out. 

Ecobank’s reputation took a battering last year as it became mired in a well-publicised corporate governance crisis. Its new chief executive, Albert Essien, has restored some calm, and he tells Paul Wallace how he hopes to make the kind of returns that will entice more international investors to buy its stock.

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

Africa’s underdeveloped economies and financial sectors have proved a barrier for central banks implementing monetary policy and prudential regulation. But recent years have seen significant progress, thanks in no small part to central banks’ growing independence from governments.

Standard Chartered already has one of the largest African businesses among banks from outside the continent, but it still wants to increase its operations there substantially in the next few years. Diana Layfield, its chief executive for Africa, tells Paul Wallace how.