Bange Bank Plans to Expand into CAR

By Albert FALL | LNC

(Bangui, August 24, 2026 | LAMINE MÉDIA) The Central African Republic (CAR)—a country with limited banking sector activity—is preparing to welcome a new operator. Following the entry of Coris Bank (a Burkinabe bank), Bange, the Equatoguinean state-owned bank, is seeking to establish a presence in the CAR, a market that comprised four institutions at the end of 2025. Bange already operates in Equatorial Guinea (naturally) and Cameroon. To this end, a delegation led by the bank's Chairman of the Board, Martin Crisanto Ebe Mba, was received on Wednesday, August 19, by the CAR’s Minister of Finance and Budget, Hervé Ndoba. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the regulatory, operational, and institutional requirements associated with this planned expansion. The parties also emphasized the need for consultation with competent authorities to ensure the project complies with the legal and prudential framework of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). Finally, Ebe Mba announced the imminent arrival in Bangui of a technical reconnaissance mission from the bank. This mission is tasked with continuing discussions with relevant government bodies and institutions, as well as assessing the technical, regulatory, and operational conditions necessary for the bank's establishment. Bange was founded in 2006 in Equatorial Guinea, which holds a majority stake in the bank; for several years, the bank has been pursuing a regional expansion strategy. Within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) zone, Bange acquired a major bank in Benin and rebranded it as Bange Bank Benin. In 2023, it acquired a 69.87% stake in CCEI Bank Benin as part of its initial expansion into that market. Bange is also present in Cameroon, where it launched operations in October 2021 through Bange Bank Cameroon; it also operates in Spain. It is worth noting that this expansion into the Central African Republic is just one of many; notably, last July, the Burkinabe group Coris Bank International announced plans to open a branch in the country. A delegation led by Mamadou Sanon, the group's Africa regional director, even visited Bangui as part of the preparations. As a reminder, at the end of 2026, the Central African banking market comprised only four institutions. Since June 2026, Afriland First Bank—a banking group owned by Cameroonian businessman Paul Fokam Kammogne—has been present in the country via a branch with a capital of CFA 2.15 billion. Thanks to the economic department of LAMINE MEDIA Bangui for the information.

For: LAMINE MEDIA (in FR and GB)

Date: 24 August 2026

Copyright ©: 2013 - 2026 All rights reserved: LAMINE MEDIA

BACK