Bankable Assets : Africa Faces Many Obstacles in Developing Financial Systems

Sound, deep, and efficient financial
sectors are vital for high sustained, private sector-led
growth. But financial sectors in their current form pose
major problems for the economies of sub Saharan Africa
(SSA). Insufficient access to credit by small and medium-
sized enterprises constrains their ability to expand and
limits countries' growth potential. Most households
cannot build formal savings, so their ability to escape
poverty by investing in education or housing is limited.