Exclusive-Jamie Dimon charts JPMorgan expansion plan into Africa

By Nupur Anand

NEW YORK (Reuters) -JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. lender, plans to enter Kenya and Ivory Coast this year and grow its footprint in Africa, CEO Jamie Dimon told Reuters.

International markets are a growth area for JPMorgan, which has more than $4.2 trillion in assets and operates in over 100 countries. That compares with Citigroup, which does business in almost 180 countries and has the largest global footprint among U.S. banking giants. 

“We want to add a country or two (enter or deepen presence) in Africa, every couple of years or so,” Dimon said by phone from New York on Friday before departing on a trip to Africa. The countries and pace of expansion have not previously been reported.  

JPMorgan faces the challenge of differentiating its offering in disparate markets that are dominated by local and regional lenders, said Francis Mwangi, chief executive of Nairobi-based brokerage Kestrel Capital.

“To start off a commercial bank from scratch will have to take a bit of time and effort, especially in a market that is already overbanked,” he said, citing Kenya, which has 40 commercial banks serving a population of 50 million.

Large U.S. firms have traditionally struggled to compete on the continent because of geopolitical risks, Mwangi said, citing markets that were previously subject to U.S. government sanctions, such as Burundi.

Dimon will hold meetings in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa on the tour, Reuters reported last month. 

“This will allow us to be on the ground in these countries which gives you a lot more local knowledge and relationships,” Dimon said.

“And when you do it, you basically will cover the government, maybe some big government enterprises and the multinationals that are going in there with traditional banking services,” he added.

In Kenya and Ivory Coast, the bank will focus on commercial and investment banking, treasury services, and possibly some lending, Dimon said. In those two countries, it has no immediate plans to offer asset and wealth management (AWM) services, which are already available in South Africa and Nigeria.

“We are not doing AWM now but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t happen in the next few years,” Dimon said.     

JPMorgan’s earlier aspirations to enter Ghana and Kenya in the last several year were thwarted by regulators, according to media reports.

On Monday, the Central Bank of Kenya said it authorized JPMorgan to establish a representative office there.    

In the past, “the U.S. government was not very keen on banks expanding into different geographies, as this was just after the financial crisis,” Dimon said noting the U.S. is now more supportive. 

It is a positive move if U.S. financial institutions expand abroad, and the government should support such endeavors to compete overseas, he said, citing the broad footprint of Chinese companies and saying that U.S. companies should also be in these places.

Major global lenders have adopted differing strategies for individual sub-Saharan markets, targeting the fastest-growing areas while seeking to distinguish themselves from local and regional competitors. 

For instance, Standard Chartered (OTC:) has focused on Kenya. Its assets under management in the East African nation grew by a quarter last year to 185.5 billion Kenyan shillings ($1.4 billion), it said.

The expansion may not have a material impact on JPMorgan’s business in the near term, but it will be beneficial for the company and future leaders in the long run, Dimon said.

JPMorgan is among the top five international private banks by assets under supervision. 

In the last five years, about 700 bankers have been involved in expanding into 27 new locations worldwide, generating $2 billion in revenue for its commercial and investment bank, executives told investors in May.

JPMorgan’s profit beat expectations in the third quarter, fueled by gains in investment banking and rising interest payments, it reported on Friday.