The Asian Banker Friday, 13 December 2024

The Strongest Banks Rankings

2021 2020
2019
2018

In this year’s The Asian Banker Strongest Banks By Balance Sheet evaluation, the top 10 strongest banks in Africa included four South African banks, three Egyptian banks, two banks from Mauritius and one bank from Morocco. Banks in South Africa and Egypt achieved the highest weighted average strength score at 3.43 and 3.16 out of five, respectively. The rankings are based on a detailed and transparent scorecard that evaluates commercial banks on six areas of balance sheet financial performance: ability to scale, balance sheet growth, risk profile, profitability, asset quality and liquidity.

The balance sheet growth in the South African banking sector accelerated in 2018. South African banks maintained adequate capitalisation and liquidity and sound asset quality. However, their average cost to income ratio stood at a high level of 58.1%, only lower than that of Nigeria. FirstRand, the strongest bank in Africa, posted lower cost to income ratio and gross non-performing loan (NPL) ratio compared to its South African peers.

Egyptian banks maintained solid liquidity buffers, and their average loan to deposit ratio reached only 42.5%. Their balance sheet growth decelerated in 2018, while overall capital levels increased slightly. The average cost to income ratio of Egyptian banks on the list increased from 27.5% in the prior year to 34.3%, but still the lowest among banks in the region.

In Africa, some weaker banks have been acquired following the consolidations, which has contributed to more resilient banking systems. Some changes in the rankings are expected in the near future, as the recent mergers and acquisitions drive in the region is expected to create larger and stronger banks.

For a full explanation of the evaluation criteria please click here.

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Strength Rank 2019 MEA 200 Rank 2019 Bank Country Assets YoY Growth in Loans YoY Growth in Deposits Loan to Deposit Ratio Capital Adequacy Ratio YoY Growth in Operating Profit Return on Asset Cost to Income Ratio Non-interest Income/Total Operating Income Loan Loss Reserves / Gross NPLs Gross Non-Performing Loan Ratio Liquid Assets / Total Deposits and Borrowings Aggregate Strength Score 2019
Score (17.5%) Score (2.5%) Score (2.5%) Score (7.5%) Score (12.5%) Score (5.0%) Score (7.5%) Score (7.5%) Score (7.5%) Score (12.5%) Score (12.5%) Score (5.0%)
16FirstRand South Africa5.04.55.02.5 3.0 1.0 5.0 3.0 5.0 3.0 3.0 4.5 3.68
23Standard Bank Group South Africa5.03.02.02.5 3.5 0.0 5.0 2.5 5.0 4.0 2.5 5.0 3.63
310National Bank of EgyptEgypt4.53.53.55.0 1.3 0.0 1.5 4.5 3.5 5.0 3.5 5.0 3.52
448Commercial International Bank Egypt2.04.03.05.0 2.3 4.5 5.0 5.0 1.5 5.0 2.5 4.5 3.43
519Banque Misr Egypt4.04.54.55.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 4.5 3.5 5.0 3.0 5.0 3.35
6193ABC Banking Corporation Mauritius0.04.02.55.0 4.0 1.5 4.5 3.5 3.5 5.0 4.0 4.5 3.33
712Nedbank Group South Africa4.52.02.01.5 3.0 1.5 4.5 2.5 5.0 3.0 3.0 3.5 3.28
885Capitec Bank Holdings South Africa1.02.54.04.5 5.0 0.5 5.0 4.5 4.5 5.0 0.0 5.0 3.25
9130Barclays Bank Mauritius Mauritius0.52.00.54.0 5.0 1.5 5.0 3.5 2.5 5.0 3.0 5.0 3.23
1017Attijariwafa BankMorocco4.52.51.51.5 2.5 0.0 4.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 2.0 4.5 3.21
1156QNB ALAHLI Egypt1.54.03.04.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 5.0 3.5 2.0 3.20
1277Guaranty Trust Bank Nigeria1.00.52.55.0 2.5 1.0 5.0 4.5 4.0 5.0 2.0 5.0 3.13
1351Zenith Bank Nigeria2.00.52.05.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 3.5 4.0 5.0 1.5 5.0 3.10
14125AfrAsia Bank Mauritius0.52.04.05.0 3.5 3.5 1.5 5.0 5.0 4.0 2.0 5.0 3.09
15135Credit Agricole - Egypt Bank Egypt0.04.04.05.0 2.3 0.5 5.0 5.0 2.5 5.0 3.0 5.0 3.07
16124Al Baraka Bank Egypt Egypt0.53.54.05.0 1.3 3.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 5.0 2.5 5.0 3.04
17105Bank of AlexandriaEgypt1.04.04.05.0 2.5 0.5 5.0 4.5 1.5 5.0 2.0 5.0 3.04
1861Access Bank Nigeria1.51.53.03.0 2.5 0.5 5.0 2.0 4.5 5.0 3.0 4.5 3.03
199Absa Group South Africa4.53.02.00.0 3.5 0.0 4.0 2.0 4.5 3.0 2.0 4.5 2.99
20110Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria0.53.52.55.0 2.3 0.0 5.0 2.0 4.5 5.0 2.5 5.0 2.94
21163Fidelity Bank Ghana Ghana0.04.51.55.0 2.5 4.5 5.0 2.5 3.0 5.0 1.5 5.0 2.91
2297HSBC Bank Egypt Egypt1.04.53.55.0 1.5 1.0 5.0 5.0 2.5 4.0 1.5 5.0 2.86
23113National Bank of Kuwait - EgyptEgypt0.53.05.03.5 2.0 1.0 5.0 5.0 2.5 3.5 3.0 5.0 2.85
23140Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank - Egypt Egypt0.05.05.04.5 0.5 3.5 5.0 4.5 2.5 5.0 3.0 2.5 2.85
23148GCB Bank Ghana0.04.53.55.0 2.5 3.5 5.0 2.0 2.5 5.0 2.0 4.0 2.85
23152Citibank NigeriaNigeria0.03.00.55.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 5.0 3.5 5.0 3.5 0.0 2.85
23168Bank One Mauritius0.03.53.54.5 2.0 5.0 4.0 4.0 3.5 4.0 2.0 4.5 2.85
2862United Bank for Africa Nigeria1.52.04.05.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 2.0 3.5 3.5 2.0 5.0 2.83
29137Stanbic Holdings Kenya0.03.04.03.0 4.0 3.5 5.0 3.0 5.0 3.0 1.0 5.0 2.80
3098Equity Group Holdings Kenya1.02.53.03.5 2.5 0.5 5.0 3.0 3.5 4.0 2.0 5.0 2.78
31187Bidvest Bank South Africa0.03.04.55.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 0.5 1.0 2.0 4.5 5.0 2.74
31200HBZ Bank South Africa0.03.52.55.0 3.5 0.5 5.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 3.5 5.0 2.74
33162Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait - Egypt Egypt0.05.05.04.0 2.0 5.0 5.0 3.5 2.5 2.0 3.0 4.0 2.70
34126Egyptian Gulf Bank Egypt0.52.52.55.0 1.5 0.5 2.0 4.0 1.5 5.0 3.5 4.5 2.65
34160Standard Bank (Mauritius) Mauritius0.05.04.55.0 5.0 3.0 5.0 4.5 4.0 0.0 0.0 5.0 2.65
34175Mercantile Bank Holdings South Africa0.02.03.01.5 5.0 2.0 5.0 2.5 4.0 2.5 2.5 4.0 2.65
37197Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Ghana0.02.53.05.0 2.5 4.5 5.0 4.5 5.0 1.5 2.5 0.0 2.64
3887KCB Group Kenya1.02.52.02.5 2.5 0.5 5.0 3.5 3.5 3.5 2.0 4.5 2.63
3925Banque Centrale PopulaireMorocco4.02.51.52.0 0.0 0.0 2.5 2.5 4.0 4.5 1.5 4.5 2.60
4034Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur Morocco3.51.51.01.5 2.0 0.0 2.5 2.5 3.0 4.0 1.5 4.0 2.53
41186SBM Bank (Kenya) Kenya0.05.05.05.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 0.0 3.0 3.5 0.0 4.5 2.51
42150NIC Group Kenya0.01.51.52.5 5.0 1.5 5.0 4.0 2.5 2.5 1.0 4.5 2.49
42178SBI (Mauritius) Mauritius0.00.50.50.5 5.0 0.5 5.0 5.0 2.0 3.0 2.0 5.0 2.49
44107Fidelity Bank Nigeria0.53.04.52.0 2.0 0.0 4.5 1.0 3.5 5.0 2.0 5.0 2.48
44184Access Bank (Ghana) Ghana0.01.03.55.0 2.5 5.0 4.5 3.0 4.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 2.48
46104SBM Bank (Mauritius) Mauritius1.01.01.54.5 3.5 3.0 0.5 5.0 3.5 2.0 1.0 5.0 2.46
47167Bank of Baroda (Kenya) Kenya0.01.55.05.0 2.5 0.5 5.0 5.0 0.5 3.0 1.5 4.5 2.45
48171CalBank Ghana0.04.54.53.0 2.3 1.0 5.0 4.0 2.0 3.5 1.5 3.5 2.41
49117FCMB Group Nigeria0.51.54.03.0 1.5 0.0 3.5 1.0 4.0 5.0 2.0 5.0 2.40
49190Republic Bank (Ghana) Ghana0.05.04.55.0 2.5 4.0 4.0 1.5 4.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 2.40
51180Citibank Kenya Kenya0.00.50.55.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 4.5 4.5 0.0 3.0 5.0 2.39
52169Zenith Bank (Ghana) Ghana0.01.01.05.0 2.5 3.5 5.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 0.5 0.0 2.38
52176Prime Bank Kenya0.01.04.55.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 3.0 3.5 1.5 2.0 5.0 2.38
54142I&M BankKenya0.03.05.03.0 2.3 1.0 5.0 5.0 3.5 2.5 0.5 4.5 2.37
55122Diamond Trust Bank Kenya Kenya0.51.52.04.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 3.5 2.0 3.0 2.0 3.0 2.35
56198First Atlantic Bank Ghana0.05.00.55.0 2.5 3.5 3.5 1.0 5.0 2.5 0.5 5.0 2.34
57138Standard Chartered Bank KenyaKenya0.01.01.55.0 2.3 0.0 5.0 3.0 3.5 3.0 1.0 5.0 2.33
58164Wema Bank Nigeria0.03.55.04.0 1.8 5.0 2.0 0.5 3.5 3.5 2.0 4.0 2.32
5952FBN Holdings Nigeria2.00.52.55.0 1.0 0.0 3.5 2.0 3.5 3.5 0.0 5.0 2.29
60166Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Ghana0.01.04.55.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 4.0 3.5 2.0 0.0 5.0 2.26
61103Ecobank Nigeria Nigeria1.01.53.54.0 1.3 0.0 4.5 2.0 4.0 3.0 0.5 5.0 2.23
62179Grindrod Bank South Africa0.02.50.54.5 0.0 0.5 4.0 2.5 2.5 3.5 4.0 3.5 2.23
63156Union National Bank - Egypt Egypt0.04.53.05.0 1.3 1.5 2.0 5.0 2.5 3.0 1.5 3.0 2.22
64185Societe Generale Ghana Ghana0.04.02.53.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 2.5 3.5 3.5 0.0 5.0 2.21
65149Ecobank Ghana Ghana0.05.03.55.0 2.3 2.0 5.0 3.0 3.5 1.0 0.0 5.0 2.21
6695Credit du MarocMorocco1.02.01.01.0 1.5 2.0 3.5 2.5 2.5 4.5 1.5 4.0 2.20
66182MauBank Mauritius0.00.51.05.0 4.0 5.0 0.5 0.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 2.20
68108Societe Arabe Internationale de BanqueEgypt0.51.01.55.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 2.5 5.0 4.0 4.0 2.19
69165Stanbic Bank Ghana Ghana0.04.54.54.5 2.3 0.5 5.0 3.0 4.5 1.0 0.0 5.0 2.18
70127HSBC Bank (Mauritius) Mauritius0.51.50.53.0 5.0 3.0 3.5 5.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 5.0 2.14
71129Standard Chartered Bank NigeriaNigeria0.50.50.55.0 2.5 0.0 5.0 3.5 4.0 1.0 0.0 5.0 2.11
72191BCP Bank (Mauritius) Mauritius0.03.02.50.0 3.5 5.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 4.0 2.08
73102Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt Egypt1.03.53.05.0 2.0 2.5 5.0 3.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 5.0 2.05
7468Arab African International BankEgypt1.51.51.05.0 0.0 1.5 5.0 5.0 3.5 0.0 0.0 5.0 2.04
75196Albaraka Bank South Africa0.02.03.52.5 3.5 1.0 3.0 1.0 2.0 0.5 3.5 4.5 1.99
76174Sasfin Holdings South Africa0.04.01.00.0 4.0 1.0 2.5 1.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 4.5 1.96
77120Bank Audi EgyptEgypt0.52.54.55.0 0.0 3.5 5.0 5.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 4.5 1.94
78143Commercial Bank of Africa Kenya0.02.51.04.5 1.8 0.5 5.0 3.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 1.84
79114Union Bank of Nigeria Nigeria0.51.02.05.0 2.0 0.0 4.0 0.0 4.0 1.5 0.0 5.0 1.83
79181Arab Banking Corporation - Egypt Egypt0.03.52.05.0 2.5 0.0 4.5 3.0 2.5 0.0 0.0 5.0 1.83
81131Emirates NBD Egypt Egypt0.54.52.54.0 1.5 0.0 5.0 4.0 2.5 0.0 0.0 4.0 1.81
82155Barclays Bank of GhanaGhana0.05.05.04.0 0.0 0.5 5.0 4.5 3.5 0.0 0.0 5.0 1.80
8374Mauritius Commercial Bank Mauritius1.54.02.04.0 0.0 1.5 5.0 4.5 3.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.76
8473Societe Generale Marocaine de BanquesMorocco1.53.51.50.0 0.0 1.5 3.5 3.0 3.0 4.0 0.5 0.0 1.74
85141Suez Canal BankEgypt0.04.54.05.0 1.5 0.5 2.5 3.0 3.5 0.0 0.0 5.0 1.73
8688Credit Immobilier et Hotelier Morocco1.03.53.50.0 1.0 4.0 2.0 2.5 3.5 2.0 1.5 0.0 1.71
87177Al Salam Bank-AlgeriaAlgeria0.05.05.00.0 0.0 5.0 5.0 4.5 3.5 0.0 0.0 4.5 1.70
88134Sterling Bank Nigeria0.52.03.02.5 1.3 0.0 2.0 0.0 3.5 2.0 2.0 4.5 1.69
89145Standard Chartered Bank (Mauritius) Mauritius0.04.03.54.0 0.0 2.0 5.0 4.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 5.0 1.63
90183United Bank for Africa (Ghana) Ghana0.00.51.05.0 0.0 0.0 5.0 5.0 2.5 0.0 0.0 5.0 1.60
91195BANK OF AFRICA - KENYA Kenya0.00.50.53.5 1.5 2.5 1.0 0.0 5.0 2.5 0.0 4.5 1.59
92132Barclays Bank of Kenya Kenya0.52.03.02.0 2.0 1.0 5.0 3.0 3.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.53
93194Prudential Bank Ghana0.04.04.04.5 0.8 0.0 1.0 0.5 3.5 2.0 0.0 4.5 1.48
94188Family Bank Kenya0.01.51.01.5 2.3 5.0 1.0 0.5 3.5 1.5 0.0 2.5 1.39
9583Banque Marocaine pour le Commerce et l'IndustrieMorocco1.02.02.00.0 3.0 0.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 0.0 0.0 3.0 1.33
96192Ecobank Kenya Kenya0.00.51.05.0 2.3 0.0 0.5 0.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 5.0 1.28
97170National Bank of KenyaKenya0.01.01.55.0 0.3 0.0 0.5 1.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 4.5 1.21
98189Unity BankNigeria0.05.00.55.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 1.13
9969Groupe Credit Agricole du MarocMorocco1.53.02.50.5 1.3 0.0 1.5 2.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 1.12
100199Guaranty Trust Bank (Kenya) Kenya0.01.01.54.0 2.5 2.5 0.5 0.5 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.10

Note: 5 = Highest score, 0 = Lowest score
Source: Asian Banker Research