Amid the broader surge in competition law activity across Africa in 2025, the financial sector appeared comparatively quiet on the surface.
Beneath the surface, regulators began positioning themselves for closer scrutiny of digital lending, payment systems and the increasingly intertwined relationships between banks and fintechs.
With new consumer protection rules taking shape, major investigations still unresolved, and accelerated consolidation reshaping market structures, the stage is set for financial services to become a significantly more active arena for competition oversight in 2026.
Our analysis of these developments, and the outlook for 2026, are available here.
