Your cookie choices

We use necessary cookies to make this site work. With your permission, analytics cookies help us understand usage and marketing cookies support advertising.

You can reject non-essential cookies and still use the site. Change your choices anytime in Cookie settings.

Cookie settingsCookie policy

Bank of Africa Mer Rouge review

Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Our verdict

Bank of Africa Mer Rouge is a Djibouti bank whose Classic savings account suits savers holding local currency who want easy access and a monthly fee of DJF 0. The easy access balance starts at DJF 10,000, so it suits savers with a lump sum rather than those starting small.

Key facts

Best for
Free, easy-access savings in Djibouti francs for savers with a lump sum to start.
Rate type
Variable↗
Term
36 months↗
Minimum deposit
DJF 10,000↗
Access terms
Free deposits and withdrawals at any time; interest credited each 31 December↗
Monthly fee
DJF 0↗
Account kind
Easy access↗
Legal entity
BANK OF AFRICA - MER ROUGE↗
Headquarters
Djibouti↗
Founded
2011↗
Support channels
Phone, Email↗
Pricing model
No monthly fee
Official website
boamerrouge.com

Loans

Lender type
Direct lender↗
Eligibility
Pret Personnel: account holder of a BANK OF AFRICA checking account with irrevocable salary domiciliation, maximum 60 years old at the end of the credit, mandatory death and disability insurance↗
Loan types
Personal, Secured, Car, Student↗
Features
Travel

Credit cards

Rewards type
None↗
Perks
Global assistance service↗

Debit cards

Card type
Debit↗
Card network
Visa↗

Mortgages

Fixed period
20 years↗
Maximum loan to value
80% to 100%↗
Purpose
Purchase↗

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 7 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
Google Play

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The Classic account carries a DJF 0 monthly fee, and the bank describes deposits and withdrawals as free at any time.
  • Support runs on phone and email.
  • Lending covers personal, secured and car, with home purchase at a loan to value of 80% to 100%.
  • The debit card sits on the visa network with global assistance service for travel spending.

Cons

  • The entry balance is DJF 10,000, so a saver with a small first deposit is turned away.
  • The variable rate can move, and interest is credited only once a year.
  • Card rewards are none, so spending earns nothing back.
Bank of Africa Mer Rouge

Ready to try Bank of Africa Mer Rouge?

Scored 8.9 / 10 by SumCue.

See alternatives

Who it suits

  • Savers in Djibouti with a lump sum who want their money reachable.
  • Homebuyers, since purchase lending runs at a loan to value of 80% to 100%.
  • Travellers who want a debit card with global assistance service rather than cashback.

Who should look elsewhere

  • First-time savers starting small, as the entry balance is DJF 10,000 while Finteres starts at €100.
  • Card shoppers after cashback, since the rewards type is none.
  • Savers who want a very small opening amount, as the Starling Personal Account Debit Card asks for £0.

Rates and card terms

The Classic account pays a variable rate, so the balance earns what the bank sets and can move with policy. The staff loan runs 36 and is priced on the file rather than advertised on a rate table. Savings here run without a fixed or notice term, so money can be moved as soon as it is needed.

Fees and FX

Opening the Classic account costs a DJF 0 monthly fee, and the bank describes deposits and withdrawals as free at any time. The balance starts at DJF 10,000, which is the figure to weigh: cheap to run, but not cheap to open for a first-time saver with little set aside.

How Bank of Africa Mer Rouge compares

Where Bank of Africa Mer Rouge is available

Available
Djibouti
Licence in Djibouti
Banque Centrale de Djibouti (Agrement n 5/BCD/2014), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does the Classic account cost to run?+

The figure to compare with other easy-access savings is a DJF 0 monthly fee, since the account carries no monthly charge and the bank describes deposits and withdrawals as free at any time. The rest of the cost sits in the entry balance.

How much do I need to open the savings account?+

The account opens with a balance of DJF 10,000. That is a real floor for a first saver, and it is where this bank trails lighter-entry rivals such as Finteres at €100 or the Starling Personal Account Debit Card at £0.

Who regulates the bank and where is it based?+

The bank is licensed by the Banque Centrale de Djibouti under Agrement n 5/BCD/2014 and operates as BANK OF AFRICA - MER ROUGE from DJ. Deposits sit with the bank itself rather than in a wrapper, so the safety of the money rests on the bank's own regulatory standing.

Can I take money out whenever I want?+

Yes. The bank describes deposits and withdrawals as free at any time on the Classic account, with interest credited once a year. That makes it an easy access account, so there is no notice period to serve and no early-withdrawal penalty for savers who need cash on short notice.

Is the interest rate fixed or variable?+

The Classic account pays a variable rate, so the return is set by the bank and can change rather than being locked for a period. Interest is credited once a year, so a saver who deposits late in the year waits a long stretch before anything lands in the account.

What card comes with the account?+

The bank offers a debit card on the visa network, aimed at travel spending and bundled with global assistance service. The rewards type is none, so the card earns nothing back on everyday purchases and its worth rests on acceptance abroad.

Can I borrow from the same bank?+

Yes. The bank lends in its own right rather than through a broker, covering personal, secured and car. Home purchase loans run at a loan to value of 80% to 100%, and the staff scheme is open to account holders whose salary is domiciled with the bank, with death and disability cover required.

Sources

Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Headline rate, Deposit protection.

Bank of Africa Mer Rouge

Bank of Africa Mer Rouge

Free, easy-access savings in Djibouti francs for savers with a lump sum to start.

8.9/10See alternatives