Correspondent and nostro account limits across African markets
This rule differs from market to market. Below is each African market's published position on correspondent (nostro) balance cap, as stated in the cited official instrument — the record, not a verdict. Rules, not rates — no exchange rate is recorded.
Where a rule is set at union level it appears once: the CEMAC (Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l'Afrique Centrale) rule applies in all 6 member states, the WAEMU (UMOA/UEMOA) rule in all 8.
The comparable axis is the normalized facet correspondent (nostro) balance cap — which makes each market's rule comparable on one table, market to market, without flattening the differences between them.
Facet id (as used by the Afriset MCP): xborder:CORRESPONDENT_NOSTRO_CAP
The record, market by market
| Market | The record | Source | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEMAC Crossing the union border CameroonCentral African RepublicChadCongo-BrazzavilleEquatorial GuineaGabon | The foreign currency a credit institution retains after retrocession is destined to cover only its current needs, as defined by the BEAC; unjustified correspondent holdings are ceded to the central bank (no numeric ceiling, unlike WAEMU's 5% cap). Verbatim"La proportion des devises restantes est destinée à couvrir uniquement les besoins courants des établissements de crédit tels que définis par la Banque Centrale, sans préjudice de l'application des dispositions relatives aux positions de change prévues par la réglementation bancaire en vigueur." | Instruction n°003/GR/2019 relative à la rétrocession des devises à la BEAC par les établissements de crédit (en application des arts. 38 et 40 du R. 02/18) | 2019-06-10 |
| WAEMU Crossing the union border BeninBurkina FasoCôte d'IvoireGuinea-BissauMaliNigerSenegalTogo | A licensed intermediary's current-needs foreign-currency holdings with correspondents outside the union may not exceed 5% of its customers' sight deposits; the excess must be ceded to the BCEAO the same day. (5 percent of customer sight deposits) Verbatim"Il ne peut, en tout état de cause, excéder cinq pour cent de l'encours des dépôts à vue de la clientèle de l'intermédiaire agréé. Les avoirs excédant les besoins courants de l'intermédiaire agréé doivent être cédés, le même jour, à la BCEAO." | Instruction n°12/07/2025/RFE … avoirs détenus auprès des correspondants bancaires installés hors de l'UEMOA au titre des besoins courants en devises des intermédiaires agréés (abrogates 10-07-2011/RFE) | 2025-08-01 |
The record as published in each cited instrument, as of its source date — not legal or compliance advice. The record can change — a new rule can appear or an existing one lift — so verify current status with the regulator. Rules, not rates: no exchange rate is recorded here.
Maintained: this official source is re-checked on a weekly schedule — last checked 2026-08-04 · changed 2026-08-04.
Related
Cross-border rules by market