Several foreign banks have recently left the African continent. These include Barclays, Bnp Paribas and Standard Chartered. Beyond the consequences on competitiveness, these massive departures hide many reasons, according to specialists.

After Barclays and Bnp Paribas, Standard Chartered is selling its African subsidiaries. In a statement published last week, it expresses its intention to withdraw completely from "seven markets in Africa and the Middle East and to cease its retail banking activities in two markets, including Côte d'Ivoire". These departures, analyzes the financial expert Meïssa Lô, are caused by the lack of value creation, solid and competitive companies at the national and international level, the absence of large-scale innovative projects as well as the low rate of banking in some States, an average of between 10 and 15%. He also cites the difficulty of coping with the many structural and cyclical challenges and the breakthrough of local banks that accentuates competition.