Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) , the largest bank in the country, has shown interest in Côte d’Ivoire MCB, Mauritius’ oldest and largest lender with nearly $20 billion in assets as of June 2025, is considering launching operations in Côte d’Ivoire. If it goes ahead, MCB would become the first Mauritian bank to enter the Ivorian market.
It could be recalled that in 2016, both countries signed a number of partnership agreements to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. Mauritian investments in Côte d’Ivoire have grown from around $593 million in 2012 to more than $1 billion today. More than 120 Mauritian companies already operate in the country across sectors, including finance and manufacturing services.
MCB is aware of the challenges of their ambitions as banks typically look for growing economies with increasing financial activity, and where other banks are going. Côte d’Ivoire ticks several of those boxes. The country recorded a banking penetration rate of 33.6% in 2024, making it one of the most banked markets in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). It also accounts for roughly a third of all banking assets in the eight-country bloc. In 2025, Zenith Bank, Nigeria’s largest bank by market valuation, announced plans to strengthen its presence in the country and in other Francophone markets.