Standard Chartered reported a US$10 million loss in 2025 following the sale of its banking operations in Cameroon and The Gambia to Nigeria’s Access Holdings, according to its annual report published on February 24.
The British lender recorded a US$5 million loss in Cameroon and a further US$5 million in The Gambia, reflecting accounting adjustments linked to the disposals.
Despite the loss, the bank said the divestment reduced its overall risk exposure and strengthened its capital position. The exit from Cameroon alone cut approximately US$300 million in risk-weighted assets (RWAs) within its Corporate & Investment Banking division. By lowering RWAs, the group improved its capital ratios and freed up resources for business lines it considers more strategic.
The 2025 losses were markedly smaller than those recorded in 2024, when Standard Chartered booked a US$172 million loss related to its exit from Zimbabwe, largely driven by foreign exchange effects, and a further US$26 million loss on its withdrawal from Angola.
The latest disposals are part of a multi-year restructuring strategy aimed at narrowing the bank’s geographic footprint and focusing on markets that generate higher returns. Standard Chartered has been scaling back from countries deemed non-core, particularly smaller African markets, while doubling down on international banking corridors linking Africa with Asia and the Middle East. These trade and investment corridors are viewed as offering stronger growth prospects and profitability.
Following the latest exits, Standard Chartered now operates in 11 priority African markets, including Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya and Mauritius. These markets are considered strategically aligned with the bank’s cross-border corporate and institutional banking model.
Analysts say the divestments highlight a broader trend among international banks reassessing their African operations in response to regulatory pressures, capital requirements and shifting profitability dynamics. By concentrating on larger, more interconnected economies, Standard Chartered aims to optimize capital allocation and strengthen returns for shareholders.
The group is expected to present the next phase of its growth strategy during an investor update scheduled for May 2026. Market participants will be watching closely for further signals on whether additional exits or investments in core African markets are planned.
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While the $10 million loss reflects short-term accounting costs, the bank maintains that the disposals enhance its long-term financial resilience and strategic focus.
Standard Chartered has operated in Africa for more than 160 years, building a footprint across more than a dozen markets with a strong focus on corporate, institutional and trade finance. However, in recent years the London-headquartered lender has undertaken a broad restructuring programme aimed at improving returns, simplifying operations and strengthening capital efficiency.
The strategy has involved exiting smaller or less profitable markets while concentrating on what it calls “high-return corridors” — cross-border trade and investment flows linking Africa with Asia and the Middle East. These corridors are central to Standard Chartered’s global model, given its historical strength in facilitating international commerce between emerging markets.
As part of this repositioning, the bank has divested operations in several African countries. In 2024, it recorded a US$172 million loss related to its exit from Zimbabwe, largely due to foreign exchange effects, and a further US$26 million loss from its withdrawal from Angola. The 2025 sale of its units in Cameroon and The Gambia to Access Holdings fits within this broader retrenchment strategy.
Although such disposals often result in short-term accounting losses, they can significantly reduce risk-weighted assets (RWAs), a key metric used to determine how much capital banks must hold against potential losses. By lowering RWAs, banks improve capital ratios and free up resources for expansion in higher-growth or more profitable segments.
Across Africa, several international lenders have reassessed their presence in recent years, citing regulatory complexity, currency volatility and relatively modest returns in smaller markets. At the same time, regional banking groups such as Access Holdings have expanded aggressively, acquiring assets from departing foreign banks to deepen their continental footprint.
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Standard Chartered now operates in 11 core African markets, focusing on economies that serve as regional trade hubs or offer strong connectivity to global markets. The bank is expected to outline the next phase of its strategic priorities in May 2026, as investors assess how effectively the geographic refocus supports profitability, capital strength and long-term growth.
