Ghana’s banking sector is entering a new phase of competition, where customer experience – not balance sheet size is increasingly determining who wins.

The 2025 KPMG West Africa Banking Industry Customer Experience Survey shows a tightly contested market across retail, SME, and corporate banking, even as expectations from customers continue to rise.

In retail banking, Standard Chartered Bank retained the top spot with a Customer Experience (CX) score of 82.9, driven by strong digital reliability and transaction security. Zenith Bank followed closely with 82.2, while Stanbic Bank ranked third at 81.8.

Prudential Bank placed fourth with a score of 80.4, and Absa Bank completed the top five at 80.2, highlighting how tightly matched the segment has become.

The SME banking segment revealed both progress and pressure points. Access Bank emerged as the leading SME bank with a CX score of 82.6, narrowly ahead of Absa Bank at 82.5. CalBank ranked third with 82.3, followed by Stanbic Bank at 81.6. Standard Chartered Bank placed fifth with a score of 81.4.

Despite strong performances at the top, KPMG notes that slow loan processing, complex documentation and turnaround time remain major sources of frustration for small and medium-sized businesses.

Corporate banking recorded the strongest year-on-year improvement. Stanbic Bank led the segment with a CX score of 88.8, a notable increase from 2024, reflecting stronger resolution and relationship management. Ecobank followed in second place with 84.5, while Absa Bank ranked third at 83.7. Zenith Bank and GCB Bank tied for fourth position, each recording a CX score of 82.7.

Overall, the survey indicates a clear shift in Ghana’s banking landscape. Digital platforms are now a basic expectation, not a competitive edge.

As experience scores converge, the next phase of competition will be defined by speed, effective problem resolution and meaningful personalisation in a market where customers are becoming harder to impress.