Pan-Africa focused banking group, Atlas Mara is to pursue a digital banking strategy to grow its footprint and consolidate its operations on the continent as regional banks rush to embrace mobile and other internet banking platforms.

Bob Diamond on Tuesday announced the appointment of John Staley as CEO of Atlas Mara. The company has banking operations in Zimbabwe, Botswana as well as Zambia and elsewhere across Sub-Saharan Africa.

"His (Staley) appointment reflects the ambitions of the Company, including to build out a leading IT infrastructure, and to utilise digital products and channels to accelerate the pursuit of the Company's (growth) strategy," said Diamond.

Staley worked at Equity Bank as chief of finance and innovation until the end of last year. Other banks that are pursuing digital banking switches across Africa include Barclays Africa, Ecobank and Standard Chartered.

During the year to the end of December 2017, Atlas Mara "enhanced electronic channels, including mobile and internet banking" in Rwanda, a key market that has seen a massive rise in e-commerce and uptake of digital payment solutions.

In Zimbabwe, Atlas Mara adds, the bank re-introduced internet banking to bring its BancABC unit up to speed with rival operators such as Barclays Zimbabwe.

According to a study by McKinsey & Company, released in March this year, nearly 50% of African banking executives under its banking executive survey cited "digital as their number one priority (while) an additional 40 percent cited it as very important''.

In line with this, banks in Africa are now expected to "digitally transform their existing operations, to increase their share of digital sales and transactions to beyond 60 to 70 percent".

Moreover, models such as partnerships between banks and telecom companies as well as arrangements between banks and FinTech firms are expected to take root across Africa, tapping into experiences in South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe.