Bank Credit: Gabon Has the Highest Cost at 21.06% in the CEMAC Zone
The conditions for accessing banking services in Central Africa reveal deep structural disparities between the financial markets of the community. Analyses published by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) place the Gabonese economy at the top of the most expensive credit markets in the sub-region.
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The real cost indicator, which aggregates the nominal interest rate, commissions, file fees, and insurance premiums, is twice as high as the level of 8.38% found in Cameroon. The markets in Brazzaville, Malabo, and Bangui have intermediate levels of 10.66%, 11.19%, and 14.04%, respectively. The high cost of financing in Libreville is due to the weight of ancillary charges, which account for 43.16% of the total credit cost, compared to a regional average of 31.75%.
The detailed analysis of the banking customer base highlights increased pressure on the household and large enterprise segments. The cost of borrowing for individuals jumped to 26.32% by the end of 2025, representing a comparative deterioration from the 18.98% rate recorded twelve months earlier. Large corporate structures face similar conditions, with an average effective annual rate (TEG) of 26.39%, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) paradoxically benefit from more favorable conditions, with an average rate of 18.27%. The tariff surge has not slowed the dynamics of credit distribution, with the overall production of new loans increasing by 36.3% to reach 548.9 billion FCFA in the fourth quarter of 2025. The enterprise sector accounts for the bulk of the funding, with 320.3 billion FCFA allocated, including 258.4 billion FCFA for large industries and 61.9 billion FCFA for SMEs.
The profile of Gabonese financial commitments is characterized by a high concentration of maturities and actors. Short-term credit lines, with a duration of less than one year, account for 88% of new volumes distributed, to the detriment of long-term loans for heavy investments, which are limited to a low rate of 1.6%. The market configuration consecrates the dominance of the leading institution BGFIBank, which captures 57.18% of the market share in the production of new financing, relegating the Union Gabonaise de Banque (UGB) to second place with a market share of 17.26%. The banks' preference for short-term treasury loans limits the impact of the financial sector on national industrial diversification.
Asaba
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