Banking turf wars: Small Four gain on Big Four

In 1897 when Standard Chartered established as the country's first bank, there was little sign that over a hundred years later, a one-man show would evolve into a free-for all affair.In the 115 years that have passed since Stanchart made its entry, the country's banking sector has grown to eight well-resourced and highly competitive entities, collectively boasting about P60 billion in assets as at July 30, 2012.

Leveraging off the resource miracle of the 1960 and 70s, the growth of the banking sector is an often overlooked economic phenomenon in Botswana. This is despite its central role in the ensuing wealth cycle that created today's modern, high per-capita income nation.