The banking sector in Africa is integrating green finance from within. It relies on existing institutions to circumvent the cost and complexity of autonomous green banks. The result is a strategic and locally rooted model that addresses the continent's climate finance deficit

African banks are increasingly integrating green finance instruments into their operations, an early but strategic step towards creating green banks and resolving the continent's climate finance gap. According to the information, “most banks in Africa are increasingly adopting regulatory and sectoral guidelines and are recruiting more ESG professionals to integrate sustainable finance practices and foster ecological development and transition.” A study looked at 25 banks in eight African countries, such as Cameroon, Gabon, Gabon, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. The evaluation found that only 11% of these banks scored above 50% in green finance readiness. South Africa (50.1%) and Kenya (43.7%) lead the continent, thanks to active regulatory frameworks. Nigeria (30%), Tanzania (37.7%), and Ghana (28%) are also showing progress, thanks to sustainable national banking initiatives and frameworks

Although individual banks such as Stanbic Zambia and Ecobank Senegal are taking voluntary steps in ESG reporting and risk assessment, countries such as Namibia (21.1%) and Zambia (21.1%) and Zambia (19.3%) are lagging behind, largely due to weaker regulatory bases.