Bank establishment and acquisition

If your business has outgrown the small and medium enterprise segment and you are required to structure and safeguard significant volumes of capital, while existing foreign banking institutions are no longer operationally suitable for high-value transactions, there is a possibility to establish or acquire a licensed banking institution in Africa.

This structure may, subject to applicable regulatory frameworks, provide solutions for capital safeguarding, international settlement operations, including SWIFT transactions, and related banking infrastructure needs.

Most jurisdictions operate under established regulatory frameworks aligned with international banking standards and are subject to supervision by national central banking authorities and financial regulators.

We have successfully completed the establishment of four banks across four separate jurisdictions, each subject to distinct regulatory and documentation requirements. Additionally, two of these institutions maintain registered branches in Moscow. All banks have been structured with shareholders holding Russian passports.

We provide a full scope of services for the establishment and acquisition of banking institutions within African jurisdictions, subject to applicable legal and regulatory approval processes.

Marketing

Marketing
(brand, date of establishment, number of open branches and representative offices, key services);

Financials
(size of share capital, net profit, total assets, equity, client funds);

Pricing
(including commissions).

Timelines

Project timelines depend on the initial inputs and the documentation that the shareholders are able to provide.

In any case, regardless of the jurisdiction in which the bank is being acquired or newly established, the process typically takes between 3 and 6 months.

Requirements

In order to establish or acquire a bank and maintain its license, prior approval from the local financial supervisory authorities is required for the specific legal or natural person. It is essential to carefully review the jurisdiction’s regulatory framework, as foreign ownership of 100% of a banking institution may be legally restricted.

In accordance with regulatory procedures, applicants must be prepared to undergo a stringent KYC process, including the presentation of the intended business model, confirmation of the source of funds for share capital contributions, and submission of all required documentation.

Please note that the share capital requirements for banks in African jurisdictions typically start from EUR 1 million and may reach several hundred million euros, depending on the country and licensing category.

In order to arrange a detailed consultation regarding the establishment or acquisition of a bank, we require the following preliminary information:

What are the objectives of the acquisition? Which regions are preferred for the branch network (e.g., Russia, Europe, or offshore jurisdictions)?
Who will be the future shareholders? What is their residency and citizenship status? Do they have prior experience in banking management or ownership?

Share Capital

We provide services for the structuring and formation of bank share capital of up to USD/EUR 2 billion.