cbe

USD
55.7444
56.8593
,
GBP
67.2742
68.6197
,
EUR
60.3991
61.6071
,
CHF
60.9734
62.1929
,
SEK
4.8329
4.9296
,
NOK
4.6491
4.7421
,
DKK
7.3299
7.4765
,
DJF
0.3122
0.3184
,
JPY
0.3429
0.3498
,
CAD
37.2068
37.9509
,
SAR
13.4497
13.7187
,
AED
13.7354
14.0101
,
XAF
0.012
0.0122
,
INR
,
KES
,
AUD
33.1801
33.8437
,
SDR
,
ZAR
,
CNY
7.0626
7.2039
,
KWD
172.3885
175.8363

awash

EUR
56.5106
57.6408
,
GBP
64.5257
65.8162
,
JPY
0.4037
0.4118
,
CHF
57.4629
58.6122
,
SAR
14.1527
14.4358

abyssinia

abay

USD
55.7444
56.8593
,
EUR
60.3991
61.6071
,
GBP
70.4442
71.8531
,
CHF
63.8465
65.1234
,
AUD
36.6631
37.3964
,
AED
15.1772
15.4807
,
CNY
7.804
7.9601
,
DKK
8.0993
8.2613
,
DJF
0.3122
0.3184
,
INR
0.6684
0.6818
,
JPY
0.3789
0.3865
,
KES
0.3632
0.3705
,
NOK
5.1371
5.2398
,
SAR
14.8616
15.1588
,
ZAR
2.9639
3.0332
,
SEK
5.3402
5.447
,
SDR
74.2906
75.7764

zemen

CAD
40.1728
40.9763
,
EUR
58.6912
59.865
,
GBP
67.4111
68.7593
,
SEK
4.9496
5.0486
,
USD
55.5052
55.5052

buna

USD
54.778
55.8736
,
EUR
60.4201
61.6285
,
GBP
67.3216
68.668
,
AED
13.4962
13.7661
,
SAR
13.2148
13.4791
,
CAD
37.5106
38.2608
,
CNY
6.9339
7.0726
,
USD
7.3374
7.4841
,
EUR
4.7259
4.8204
,
GBP
60.0815
61.2831
,
AED
0.3485
0.3555
,
SAR
4.8953
4.9932
,
CAD
170.2997
173.7057
,
CNY
33.2543
33.9194

nib

GBP
67.2742
68.6197
,
EUR
60.3991
61.6071
,
CHF
60.9734
62.1929
,
USD
55.7444
56.8593
,
CAD
37.2068
37.9509
,
AED
13.7354
14.0101
,
SAR
13.4497
13.7187

berhan

USD
53.4492
54.5182
,
EUR
58.0672
59.2285
,
GBP
62.7892
64.045
,
CAD
36.1521
36.8751
,
AED
13.1691
13.4325
,
YUA
7.1276
7.2702

wegagen

USD
55.6943
56.8082
,
GBP
67.15
68.493
,
EURO
61.0131
62.2334
,
CAD
37.0968
37.8387
,
AUD
33.3569
34.024
,
CHF
60.3518
61.5588
,
SEK
4.8352
4.9319
,
NOK
4.7282
4.8228
,
DKK
7.4063
7.5544
,
DJF
0.3121
0.3183
,
INR
0.6681
0.6815
,
KSH
0.3635
0.3708
,
JPY
0.3393
0.3461
,
SAR
13.438
13.7068
,
AED
13.7231
13.9976
,
ZAR
3.1723
3.2357
,
CNY
7.0459
7.1868
,
KWD
172.3665
175.8138

dgb

USD
55.7444
56.859288
,
GBP
70.4442
71.853084
,
EUR
60.3991
61.607082
,
CHF
63.8465
65.12343
,
CAD
41.1125
41.93475
,
AUD
36.6631
37.396362
,
SEK
5.3402
5.447004
,
NOK
5.1371
5.239842
,
DKK
8.0993
8.261286
,
DJF
0.3122
0.318444
,
INR
0.6684
0.681768
,
KSH
0.3632
0.370464
,
JPY
0.3789
0.386478
,
SAR
14.8616
15.158832
,
AED
15.1772
15.480744
,
ZAR
2.9639
3.023178
,
CNY
7.804
7.96008
,
KWD
180.5115
184.12173

enat

USD
53.1422
54.205
,
GBP
62.1342
63.3769
,
CHF
0
0
,
SEK
0
0
,
NOK
0
0
,
DKK
0
0
,
KES
0
0
,
JPY
0
0
,
DJF
0
0
,
CAD
0
0
,
AUD
0
0
,
SAR
0
0
,
AED
0
0
,
ZAR
0
0
,
CNY
0
0

addis

nbe

KWD
126.8085
129.34467
,
CNH
5.6258
5.738316
,
ZAR
2.6751
2.728602
,
AED
9.9063
10.104426
,
SDR
57.7908
58.946616
,
EUR
48.4016
49.369632
,
CAD
28.7765
29.35203
,
AUD
28.3265
28.89303
,
JPY
0.3389
0.345678
,
SAR
9.7001
9.894102
,
INR
0.5525
0.56355
,
DJF
0.2234
0.227868
,
KES
0.3664
0.373728
,
DKK
5.8896
6.007392
,
NOK
4.2714
4.356828
,
SEK
4.3114
4.397628
,
CHF
41.5822
42.413844
,
GBP
53.539
54.60978

dashen

USD
55.7444
56.8593
,
GBP
67.2742
68.6197
,
CHF
60.9734
62.1929
,
SEK
4.8329
4.9296
,
NOK
4.6491
4.7421
,
DKK
7.3299
7.4765
,
JPY
0.3429
0.3498
,
CAD
37.2068
37.9509
,
SAR
13.4497
13.7187
,
AED
13.7354
14.0101
,
EUR
60.3991
61.6071
,
DJF
,
INR
,
KES
,
AUD
,
ZAR
,
CNY
,
AED

oromia

lion

USD
55.716
56.8303
,
GBP
67.3251
68.6716
,
EUR
60.7026
61.9167

coop

USD
55.6943
56.8082
,
GBP
70.3141
71.7204
,
EUR
61.0131
62.2334
,
SAR
14.8486
15.1456
,
AED
15.1636
15.4669

gadaa

hijra

EUR
59.0833
60.265
,
USD
54.2297
55.3143
,
GBP
64.8713
66.1687
,
AED
13.3629
13.6302
,
KWD
168.849
172.226
,
SAR
13.3629
13.3481

Anticipated Foreign Bank Entry in Ethiopia Authorized 2023

Foreign Bank Entry in Ethiopia

Anticipated Foreign Bank Entry in Ethiopia are Authorized in 2023. Foreign bank entry into Ethiopia, long anticipated by some and feared by others, was legalized this year.

The decision to liberalize the banking sector was made by the Ethiopian Council of Ministers during its 13th regular meeting held on September 03, 2022. This verdict is one item in a string of liberalization the country has been enforcing since the appointment of PM Abiy Ahmed in 2018.

While this novel legislation allows interested foreign investors to engage in banking services in the country, its actual implementation will necessitate the passage of new laws. Many experts speculate that this will take a couple of years, in which time local banks can better ready themselves.

In spite of their capacity and willingness to enter the market, international competitors have been barred from doing so for fear of creating unrivaled competition. It is true, and likely, that foreign banks will have the upper hand due to their superior technology, experience, and capital.

With a combined shareholder number likely does not exceed one million and the protection afforded to them by the country’s policy, the stakeholders of domestic private banks have been earning a return on equity of between 20 to 50% per annum, far more than the 10% global average.

Following the entry of foreign banks, local financial institutions are sure to see a drop in revenue and profit as they lose the closed economy privilege afforded to them on those good old days.

The Current Banks, without the Foreign Bank Entry in Ethiopia

Ethiopia currently has 30 local banks, a significant increase from the 18 that were in operation last year. Even so, H.E Yinager Dessie (Ph.D.), Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), has earlier noted that the banks’ capital fulfillment and strength, rather than their large number, is the pressing issue at hand.

In accordance, NBE has increased its efforts to force mergers and acquisitions on local banks in order to ensure their survival in the face of foreign competition, and provide abundance bank vacancies for employees.

The Current Number of Banks in Ethiopia

Although there are many fears regarding this move, the Council of Ministers put forth several rationales for their decision to let foreign bank entry in Ethiopia local market. Among them are:

  • An Influx of new technology, knowledge, and skills into the sector
  • Provision of adequate financial services and increased foreign exchange inflows
  • Creation of job opportunities for the many unemployed and underemployed youth
  • Increasing the country’s financial sector’s global competitiveness, among other things.

A point that confused many after the legislation was announced was in what particular way foreign banks could invest in Ethiopia. Well, according to the National Bank of Ethiopia, foreign banks can come to Ethiopia in four ways.

Foreign Bank Entry in Ethiopia 4 Ways:

  • Opening a branch (es)
  • Opening a fully owned subsidiary
  • In a joint venture with one of the local banks
  • Lastly, opening commercial representative Office

Prior to this regulation, nine foreign banks have been operating in Ethiopia since 2015, as reported by Business Info Ethiopia.

The movement was initiated by the state-owned Turkish bank Ziraat, which was vying to be the first foreign institution to obtain a banking license in Ethiopia that year.

European Investment Bank, Standard Bank, Deutsche Bank, Commerz Bank, KCB Bank, Bank of Africa, Export-Import Bank of India, and Equity Bank are soon followed in the same footsteps.

Despite Ethiopia’s prohibition on full banking operations by foreign banks, such as direct lending and deposit-taking, the institutes were permitted to maintain a representative office in the country.

According to Afro Tender, this means that banks located in the country could not generate deposits or lend directly to Ethiopian companies and households. However, they could conduct research and credit assessments to allow lending from their respective countries’ headquarters.

While this arrangement has allowed these banks to study the Ethiopian market, the time to use the data they’ve accumulated in nearly a decade has finally come with the liberal policy adopted this year.