The banking landscape in Africa is at a crossroads, with nearly half of the continent’s financial institutions identifying fintechs and telecommunications companies as significant threats, according to the most recent African Banker annual report.
With the rapid digital transformation across industries, the banking sector in the continent is being compelled to adapt or risk being sidelined.
Disruption in the African banking landscape
The survey included 153 African banks, with approximately 40% signaling high concern over the rise of fintechs and telcos in the financial ecosystem. Meanwhile, a significant 69% saw artificial intelligence (AI) as the most critical technology shaping the banking industry’s future.
However, despite recognizing the looming revolution, only a little over a quarter of the banks reported spending more than $3 million annually on digital transformation and innovation.
The prior year’s report revealed that 74% of banks considered cybersecurity as one of the crucial trends for the future. However, it seems the disruptive potential of fintechs and telcos is now becoming the focal point of their worry.
A statement from African Banker Magazine highlights the groundbreaking role fintechs, digital-first banks, mobile money, and agency banking are playing in the continent’s banking sector.
The magazine underscores fintechs’ prominence in the industry, backed by their share of the total capital raised by African tech startups in 2022.
The Fintech surge in Africa
A February report published by Bitcoin.com News disclosed that African fintechs had amassed $1.45 billion in 2022, an approximately 40% increase compared to the $1.04 billion raised in 2021.
Fintechs also represented just under half of the total 5,200 firms, according to a citation from management consultants McKinsey in the African Banker’s report.
Despite the majority of banks acknowledging the essential role of digital technology, it appears few are developing strategies centered around it.
The report pointed out that while a mere 4% of banks viewed digital technology as just one factor among many or unimportant, only 51% regarded it as the most crucial factor.
This lack of action was underscored by the mere 28% of survey respondents who confirmed that their institutions invested more than $3 million annually in digital transformation and innovation.
Aside from grappling with the competitive pressure from fintechs and telcos, African banks are also wrestling with hostile regulatory environments, data sovereignty issues, and a scarcity of skilled labor, which they identified as significant threats.
In this digital era, the banking sector in Africa appears to be in a state of flux, pushed by the rising tides of fintech and telecommunications. As traditional banks on the continent grapple with this new reality, it remains to be seen how these institutions will respond to remain relevant in this fast-evolving financial landscape.
