The changing density of branches and ATMs in Southern Africa

Similar branch density can coexist with different ATM density

South Africa recorded 7.98 branches per 100,000 adults in 2024, Botswana 7.95 and Namibia 7.91. In the same year, Namibia had 67.24 ATMs per 100,000 adults, 21.28 more than South Africa and 29.31 more than Botswana. The two series measure different kinds of facilities. Source 1 Source 2

South Africa’s ATM density declined from its mid-2010s level

The ATM density was 66.25 per 100,000 adults in 2015 and 45.96 in 2024. The branch density also fell, from 10.04 to 7.98. These are rates relative to the adult population. A falling rate can result from a smaller network, a growing adult population or both. Source 1 Source 2

Lesotho and Mozambique had near-matching branch counts per adult

Their 2024 branch densities were 3.53 and 3.49 respectively. Lesotho had 13.79 ATMs per 100,000 adults compared with 7.29 in Mozambique. Zambia recorded 2.51 branches and 7.70 ATMs per 100,000 adults, the lowest branch figure in this group. Source 1 Source 2

National facility density leaves local access open

The data describe how many facilities exist relative to the national adult population. They do not show travel distance, cash availability at an ATM, digital banking use or the share of adults who own an account. A map pin locates a country for comparison and does not indicate a particular branch or machine. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Sources

• IMF Financial Access Survey via World Bank, commercial bank branch density
• IMF Financial Access Survey via World Bank, ATM density
• World Bank economy metadata, capital city coordinates