Central Africa: Bgfibank Holding to Launch IPO On Bvmac At $130 Per Share This Month

TLDR

BGFI Holding Corporation (BHC) will go public on July 31, 2025, through an initial public offering (IPO) on the Central African Stock Exchange (BVMAC)
The offering will be priced at 80,000 FCFA (approximately $130) per share and will cover 1,573,536 shares -- equivalent to 10% of BHC's total capital
The IPO is the second most expensive in BVMAC history, behind Bange Bank's 2022 listing at 206,220 FCFA per share

BGFI Holding Corporation (BHC), the parent company of the BGFIBank group, will go public on July 31, 2025, through an initial public offering (IPO) on the Central African Stock Exchange (BVMAC).

The offering will be priced at 80,000 FCFA (approximately $130) per share and will cover 1,573,536 shares -- equivalent to 10% of BHC's total capital. Following the listing, the company's total outstanding shares will exceed 15.7 million.

The IPO is the second most expensive in BVMAC history, behind Bange Bank's 2022 listing at 206,220 FCFA per share. While the pricing reflects BHC's scale and institutional reputation, it also raises concerns about affordability and accessibility for small retail investors in a market still in its early stages of development.

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Key Takeaways

The high share price of BHC's IPO has renewed attention on retail access in Central Africa's stock markets. BVMAC CEO Louis Banga Ntolo says the exchange is preparing to introduce stock splits to lower entry barriers. A stock split, for example, could turn a 2,500 FCFA share into five 500 FCFA shares--making investing more accessible without affecting total shareholder value. BVMAC currently has only around 10,000 investor accounts, but Ntolo sees vast untapped potential. He cites discussions with the Bayam Sellam women's association in Cameroon, which represents 3 million informal traders. With lower-priced shares, millions more could begin investing, fueling liquidity, financial inclusion, and long-term capital market growth in the region. The BHC IPO could be a turning point -- if paired with reforms to democratize access.

Read the original article on Daba Finance.