In the heart of Brazzaville, overlooking the Congo River, stands a modern building that proudly houses the headquarters of the Sino-Congolese Bank for Africa (BSCA). As a significant outcome of deepened cooperation between China and the Republic of the Congo, BSCA has been dedicated to “running well the people’s own bank in the Republic of the Congo” since commencing operations in 2015. It actively champions the concept of inclusive finance, focuses on the local society, and serves the real economy, making contributions to Sino-Congolese economic and trade cooperation and financial connectivity and establishing itself as a model for the localization of Chinese-funded banks in Africa.
(Office Building of Sino-Congolese Bank for Africa in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo)
Expand coverage of financial services through inclusive finance
In the Republic of the Congo, financial services have long been exclusive to the wealthy. Maoland Olandzobo, deputy head of retail banking at BSCA, was quite frank about this: “In the past, banking services were a privilege of the elites in the Republic of the Congo. Bank accounts were exclusive to top-tier clients.”
This situation changed when the Sino-Congolese Bank for Africa was established. In June 2014, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) signed a cooperation agreement with Congolese partners to establish a joint venture bank, and one year later, BSCA commenced operations.
Adopting ABC’s customer-centric service philosophy, BSCA follows the “mass line” in financial services. Maoland Olandzobo stated, “We are delivering financial services to more ordinary Africans and introducing advanced practices from Chinese banks to Africa, such as the ideas of green finance, inclusive finance and digital finance, thereby enhancing competitiveness.” Now, ordinary people can open an account and have their own bank card with as little as 2,000 Central African CFA franc (FCFA) (approximately 24 yuan).
“Even the poorest Congolese can now possess their own bank cards.” Maoland Olandzobo said, “The bank is our hope; it is a symbol of development and prosperity.” He once studied in China and witnessed how BSCA has changed his homeland upon returning.
At present, over 90% of BSCA’s clientele comprises ordinary local individuals. This is one of the key features that distinguish this bank from other major commercial banks in the local region. As such, BSCA has helped enhance the penetration rate of inclusive financial services.
Moreover, BSCA has been working to build outlets and deploy self-service facilities. By the end of 2025, the bank had cumulatively put in place over 140 ATMs, the largest number among all banks in the region. In July 2025, the bank launched its banking service vehicles, equipped with service counters, intelligent service terminals and other devices, which was the first fleet of its kind in the Republic of the Congo, significantly enhancing the accessibility and coverage of financial services. Today, banking service vehicles bearing the BSCA logo can be seen in the streets of Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire and Oyo.
“Through our efforts, we have erected a landmark bank building, 24 self-service booths, and seven outlets in the country. They are not merely structures, but the hope of this country’s journey towards modernization,” stated Maoland Olandzobo.
Focus on the local market for steady business development
Since its inception, the bank has adhered to the overarching principle of “seeking progress while maintaining stability” in its operations. With its eyes firmly locked on the local market, the bank has grown into one of the most influential commercial banks in the Republic of the Congo. Rigobert Roger Andely, chairman of the bank’s board of directors, stated, “The long-cherished aspiration of the bank is to unlock the Republic of the Congo’s financial potential and deliver high-quality financial services to its clients.”
In terms of deposits, BSCA’s market share has been expanding. According to the latest data from the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), as of the end of November 2025, BSCA’s deposit market share reached 18.16%, making it one of the largest in the Congolese banking sector. It ranked second in terms of both government financing market share and real-economy financing market share.
Christian Yoka, Minister of Finance, Budget, and Public Portfolio of the Republic of the Congo, spoke highly of the bank, “BSCA has made significant contributions to the economic development of the Republic of the Congo and stands as a model of Sino-Congolese cooperation.”
BSCA adheres to a dual-drive strategy, serving major clients while emphasizing inclusive finance. It maintains close ties with the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of the Congo, major local enterprises such as the National Petroleum Company of Congo (SPC) and the National Electricity Company of Congo, and Chinese enterprises like China State Construction Engineering Corporation, China Road and Bridge Corporation, and China National Gold Group Corporation, providing all-round financial services including settlement and credit facilities. On the other hand, it vigorously expands individual clients to drive the comprehensive development of the retail banking business.
Moleka Mobindo Francisca, a local employee at BSCA, said, “The bank is open to everyone; small traders, company employees, and business owners can all open their accounts, put money here, get loans, or enjoy other financial services here. Many clients would smile genuinely when they get their first bank card ever in our bank.”
(The picture shows a customer conducting business at the counter of BSCA)
By the end of 2025, BSCA’s total deposits amounted to 525.156 billion FCFA ( 942 million USD) and a total of 362.358 billion FCFA (650 million USD ) was delivered as loans, with priority given to key sectors such as government-led infrastructure projects, energy, telecommunications, and construction.
In May 2025, BSCA opened its branch in Oyo and a business network was formed together with the branches in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, effectively expanding client service coverage and further enhancing the accessibility of financial services for the broad spectrum of corporate and individual clients in the Republic of the Congo.
An official from ABC stated that as the Chinese shareholder and strategic partner of BSCA, ABC will continue with the pragmatic cooperation with its Congolese counterpart to help BSCA better fit into the broader framework of China-Africa cooperation, improve the provision of financial services, deliver convenient, comprehensive, and high-quality modern banking services to more enterprises and people in the Republic of the Congo.
Seek product innovations to meet market demands
Innovation is the lifeblood of a bank. In recent years, BSCA has followed market demands closely, and worked hard for product and service innovations, delivering a range of financial products with local characteristics.
—UnionPay card services were brought in. As Sino-Congolese economic and trade ties grew, to meet practical needs, BSCA introduced UnionPay card services to the local market, becoming the first commercial bank in Central Africa to do so. UnionPay cards offer clients a more convenient, secure, and efficient payment option, and a total of over 55,000 cards had been issued by the end of 2025.
—The bank was the first to deploy cash deposit and withdrawal machines in the country. To deliver services more efficiently and more intelligently, BSCA took the lead in introducing cash deposit and withdrawal machines. Users could deposit and withdraw cash easily on one same self-service machine, which significantly reduced waiting time and allowed counter service capacity to be allocated to other more complex services.
—The bank was the first to launch private banking services. To improve the experience of individual clients, BSCA refined its client management by introducing a tiered approach and pioneered private banking services in the local market, which has been widely acclaimed.
—The financial market business and product portfolio were expanded. BSCA launched import bill financing, repurchase, and central bank refinancing services in its international settlement product category together with partners. It plans to launch more short-term asset allocation instruments step by step and carry out medium-to-long-term asset allocation with due prudence, thus exploring more innovative asset management products and models. In 2025, BSCA processed 4,093 outbound remittances totaling approximately339 million USD up 146 million USD year on year; and handled 1,047 inbound remittances totaling approximately 329 million USD, up 210 million USD year on year.
—Efforts were made for innovations in electronic banking services. BSCA has actively promoted electronic payment tools such as bank cards and online banking, enabling local residents and enterprises to have access to convenient modern financial services. By the end of 2025, the bank had opened 8,189 online banking accounts.
Over the past more than a decade, BSCA has grown from scratch to one of the commercial banks in the Republic of the Congo that are among the most localized, with the widest coverage of inclusive finance services, and most highly recognized for innovation capacity. Looking ahead, the bank will not only contribute to the development of a modern financial system in the Republic of the Congo, but also extend its reach beyond the country to serve Central Africa and even the whole of Africa. (Contributed by Liu Yulong)
