Africa’s banking sector is delivering one of the strongest growth stories in global finance, even as it remains one of the world’s smallest.
The continent’s lenders posted faster growth in profits and capital than the global banking industry in 2025, highlighting their resilience despite representing less than one percent of global banking capital.
According to The Banker’s latest Top 1000 World Banks ranking, Africa’s banking industry “has grown rapidly over the years but remains small compared with those of other regions.” Despite accounting for around one-fifth of the world’s population, the continent’s banks account for “less than one percent of the total Tier 1 capital base” of this year’s rankings.
Yet the report says Africa’s biggest lenders continue to “punch above their weight,” with aggregate profit and Tier 1 capital growth “far above that of the aggregate for the Top 1000 as a whole.”
The figures highlight a striking paradox.
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