Non-bank financial service providers: FinTech and BigTech companies
Non-bank players pioneered the provision of digital financial services in most African markets. Newer and often smaller FinTech companies are either competing or cooperating with established technology firms (BigTech companies) that have also begun to provide digital financial services. The importance of these new providers is increasing. Through offering an expanded range of services, these providers have been largely filling gaps of unmet demand, and so have not disrupted competition, particularly as traditional providers have invested heavily in or partnered with FinTech companies (Benni, 2021; Economist Intelligence Unit, 2020; He et al., 2017;
Sahay et al., 2020).
The services offered by mobile money are now diverse. Until 2019, mobile money was mainly used for money transfers that were cashed out through an agent by the receiver, with sending and receiving remittances playing a large role (Ahmad et al., 2020; IMF, 2020b). In some cases, these growing operators may compete with traditional banks, which could pressure banks into expanding their own digital offering. However, FinTech companies will also continue to cooperate with traditional banks, particularly as regulation limits the services that either party can offer. Today, mobile money operators are increasingly seeking out partnerships with banks, government agencies, utility firms and merchants to increase their range of services and ensure interoperability between various services. In return they offer a well-established and wide agent network, universal mobile phone penetration and access to a larger customer base. There is still a large growth potential for mobile money and other FinTech solutions (Disse and Sommer, 2020; GSMA, 2021a; Sahay et al., 2020; Sy et al., 2019). For instance, in 2019 it was estimated that around 45% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa had a mobile phone and 26% used mobile internet. These numbers are expected to grow to 50% and 39%, respectively, by 2025.
Furthermore, the mobile technologies and services contributed 9% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa in 2019 (GSMA, 2020b).
Alternative credit solutions, such as those offered by marketplace lending platforms and mobile money providers, are becoming increasingly important in some African economies. In 2019, $4.043 billion in alternative credit (excluding crowdfunding) was provided in African countries, with Kenya (51%), Ghana (24%) and Tanzania (15%) accounting for the majority of this sum. Cornelli et al., 2020 found that, in 2018, African countries recorded the world’s four highest amounts of alternative credit as a percentage of total domestic credit: 6.2% in Tanzania, 3% in Kenya, 2.6% in Ghana and 2.5% in Uganda. China ranked fifth (1.9%).
Figure 4: Total alternative credit as percentage of domestic financial sector credit in 2018 (top ten countries)
Source: Cornelli et al., 2020. Alternative credit includes both FinTech and BigTech credit but excludes crowdfunding.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Tanzania Kenya Ghana Uganda China Indonesia Korea,
Republic of United States of
America
Russian
Federation United Kingdom
Other digital financing sources are becoming more popular but still mostly serve households. These include donation and reward-based crowdfunding, crowd-led microfinance, peer-to-peer lending models and property investments (Ziegler et al., 2018). Most (88%) alternative financing (including crowdfunding) invested in Africa is raised from platforms based outside the continent. Of the total alternative finance investments, only 32%
($58.04 million) go to businesses (Ziegler et al., 2018, using data for 2016), with other finance raised benefiting, for example, individuals or charitable activities. Local providers of crowdfunding are more likely to adapt to local infrastructure, such as payments through mobile money, and focus more on financing for small and medium businesses (Disse and Sommer, 2020).
Banks
The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures imposed in response spurred a shift towards digitalisation in Africa’s banking sector, as elsewhere. In the EIB Banking in Africa survey, 2021, the majority of surveyed banks reported a shift towards digitalisation as a result of the pandemic, which most believe will be permanent. Banks recognise the importance of digitalisation and plan to invest to grasp the opportunities it brings. African banks reported plans to spend an average of $5 million (equivalent to 1.26% of reported assets) on digitalisation over the next 12 months, with West and Central African banks expecting to invest more than this average. A number of banks also reported an interest in receiving support from international financial institutions for further digitalisation of products and processes, seeing this as a priority area where they could benefit from technical assistance.
Improving customer experience for existing customers is the main driver for digitalisation, with 77% of banks reporting this as the most important driver. Over half of surveyed banks cited attracting new customers as the second most important factor pushing them to digitalise, followed by lowering operating costs (ranked third most important by 44%). Facilitating compliance with regulation is ranked as the least important driver of digitalisation, although the discussion below indicates that new technologies could play a role here. Over 70% of surveyed banks offer their private and business clients information about digital services or advice and training on how to use the digital services on offer.
Figure 5: Drivers of digitalisation (% of surveyed banks)
Source: EIB Banking in Africa survey, 2021.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
4th driver 3rd driver 2nd driver 1st driver
Improve customer experience for existing customers Attract new customers
Lower operating costs
Facilitate compliance with regulation
Digital applications are widespread, with 93% of surveyed banks offering at least one digital application.
Around 80% of banks enable customers to access their traditional banking services digitally, either using their phone (mobile banking) or online (internet banking); 78% already offer their own mobile banking app. More than 50% of surveyed banks provide mobile wallets19. In West Africa, 87% of banks offer at least one digital application, the most common being either internet or mobile banking. Southern Africa has the largest proportion of banks offering digital applications, with approximately four out of five banks doing so, compared to around three out of five across sub-Saharan Africa. The service offering also differs by region. Southern Africa leads in contactless services (64.3% compared to 54.8% for the whole sample), mobile apps (85.7% compared to 77.8% overall) and mobile wallets (64.3% compared to 56.5% overall). In East Africa, mobile banking dominates the service offering, with 90% of banks providing this application (compared to 69.4% for the whole sample).
Meanwhile, three out of the surveyed Central African banks offer internet banking only, and only one offers a mobile app, mobile wallet and contactless services.
Figure 6: Provision of digital applications (% of surveyed banks)
Source: EIB Banking in Africa survey, 2021.
Banks in sub-Saharan Africa offer digital services to retail clients and to firms in support of economic activities.
Regarding the provision of digital services, transferring money domestically is the most common service offered to clients across all regions, provided by approximately 90% of surveyed banks. Looking at digital services for companies, around 80% of banks enable their clients to pay suppliers and bills as well as receive payment from customers. Services such as applying for a credit card, opening a bank account, and applying for or restructuring a loan are still not offered digitally by the majority of surveyed banks.
19 Mobile wallets allow customers to store cash in an easily accessible yet secure, encrypted format, and can be used for payments and purchases. The money is generally held by a third party working in partnership with a bank.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Mobile application Internet banking Mobile banking (USSD code enabled) Mobile wallet Contactless services
Yes No, but plan to introduce No No answer
Figure 7: Provision of digital services (% of surveyed banks)
Source: EIB Banking in Africa survey, 2021.
Physical transactions still account for the majority of money flows, but surveyed banks reported that approximately 30% of transactions use digital channels. The retail sector is leading the integration of digital transactions, with over 40% of transactions now digital for more than 37% of surveyed banks, followed by the corporate sector (>40% of transactions for 31% of surveyed banks) and small and medium enterprises (>40% of transactions for 26% of surveyed banks). Banks in Southern Africa report higher volumes of digital transactions.
Across customer groups, digital transactions are more common in middle-income countries than in low-income countries, and regional differences exist. For example, more than one-third of small and medium firms in Southern Africa conduct over 40% of their transactions digitally, compared to only one-quarter in West Africa.
Figure 8: Customer transactions using digital channels
Source: EIB Banking in Africa survey, 2021.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Apply for a credit card Apply for, extend or restructure a loan Open a bank account remotely Transfer money internationally Pay for goods in shops Receive payments from customers Pay bills or suppliers Transfer money domestically
Yes No, but plan to introduce No No answer
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Retail SMEs Corporates
< 20% 20 - 40% 40 - 60% 60 - 80% > 80% No answer
Going forward, addressing concerns around cybersecurity and improving information technology (IT) infrastructure are priorities to support digitalisation in the banking sector. Cybersecurity is the most common constraint identified by surveyed banks across all regions: on average, more than 74% of surveyed banks believe it is at least a moderate constraint. Inappropriate existing IT infrastructure and competition from telecom and FinTech companies are identified by 53% of the surveyed banks as at least moderate constraints. Less than 50%
of surveyed banks cite regulatory and know your customer requirements, human resources in IT, or lack of funding as constraints. Finally, lack of demand and uncertainty over future technological developments are perceived as constraints by only about 20% of the banks.
Figure 9: Factors constraining digitalisation
Source: EIB Banking in Africa survey, 2021.
The EIB survey findings are largely confirmed by other studies. For example:
- 98% of CEOs across Africa believe the pandemic will advance digitalisation (Deloitte, 2020).
- A worldwide survey of banking executives20 found that improving customer experience is the main reason for banks implementing artificial intelligence (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2020). This is consistent with the EIB finding that improving the experience of existing customers is the main driver of digitalisation.
- The same survey reports that the main focus of technology investments is cybersecurity (prioritised by 35% of respondents), which confirms the concerns raised by sub-Saharan African banks in the EIB survey.
- A study by McKinsey & Company estimates that around 9% of personal loans are sold digitally in developing markets, compared to 53% in developed markets (Jurd de Girancourt et al., 2020). Similarly, the EIB study found that applying for, extending and restructuring a loan is not commonly offered as a digital service in sub-Saharan Africa.
- In OpenWay Consulting and Ovum, 2020 survey, 69% of banks and 75% of merchants in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania indicated they will invest in payment infrastructure in the next two years.
20 Of the surveyed executives, 16% are based in Africa and the Middle East.
0 20 40 60 80 100
Lack of demand for digitalised procedures/online services Uncertainty about future technological developments Lack of or unclear or uncertain regulatory requirements Know your customer requirements Lack of funding to invest in IT infrastructure or human…
Competition from telecom and FinTech companies Existing IT infrastructure not appropriate Limited expertise and knowledge of IT (human resources) Cybersecurity challenges/concerns about cybersecurity
Very severe constraint Major constraint Moderate constraint Minor constraint Not a constraint No answer