Africa’s Top 100 Banks 2025: Southern Africa’s big beasts grow

Group 1: South African Banking Dominance - South African banks dominate the top six positions in Southern Africa's banking sector, with no other banks from the country making it into the top rankings despite the emergence of digital-first banks [1] - Standard Bank is the largest bank in Africa, while Absa Bank has shown significant growth in Tier 1 capital, increasing from $4.7 billion to $5.6 billion [2] - The combined capital of the Top 20 banks in the region increased from $37.4 billion to $40.4 billion, with growth concentrated among the largest banks [2] Group 2: Performance of Lower-Ranked Banks - Banks in the lower half of the rankings have experienced a less favorable year, with Standard Bank Namibia securing the 20th position with $228 million, similar to Absa Bank Botswana's $226 million last year [3] - The biggest non-South African bank is Mauritius Commercial Bank, which increased its capital from $1.4 billion to $1.5 billion, with six banks from Mauritius in the Top 20 [4] Group 3: Economic Context and Future Prospects - The absence of Zimbabwean banks in the rankings is attributed to economic decline, although a forecasted 6% GDP growth could allow them to re-enter if conditions improve [5] - Mauritius is positioning itself as a banking hub, leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area to enhance its role in international trade [6] Group 4: Technological Advancements - Mauritius Commercial Bank operates in multiple countries and has embraced technology, being the first in its country to launch a mobile banking app [7] - MCB has upgraded to a unified Temenos banking software system and is utilizing AI-powered credit scoring to improve lending and manage bad debt levels [8]