Reforms and a large unbanked rural population are behind new strategies at Zambia’s otherwise stable banks. 

Zambia is beset with problems stemming from the commodities price drop, the effects of a severe drought and rampant public spending. But is an IMF loan the solution? 

As Zambia experiences weak credit growth and stubborn inflation, the country’s central bank governor talks to The Banker about its recovery strategy.

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.

Africa’s central banks have amassed huge foreign reserves over the last decade, but they typically invest the majority of them in low-yielding developed world assets. They should look to put them to work in Africa instead.

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.