Banco Internacional São Tome e Principe - BISTP

Name

Banco Internacional São Tome e Principe - BISTP

Legal name

Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe

Website

https://bistp.st

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Commercial Banking (522110)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021), State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Branch & In-Person Banking (Teller/ATM Networks) (FSABAAAE), Mobile Wallets (NFC Tap-to-Pay / HCE) (FSAMAEAB), International Wire Transfer Processing (SWIFT/Correspondent Banking) (FSAMAHAB), ATM / Cash Access Network Schemes (FSAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Commercial banking
• Digital banking
• Consumer lending
• Corporate banking

Headquarters

HQ city

São Tomé , São Tomé

HQ country

São Tomé & Príncipe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Credit Operations: Revenue from personal loans, housing credit, automobile credit, business credit, treasury facilities, and medium/long-term loans at negotiated interest rates.
2. POS/Terminal Transaction Commissions: Commission income from merchant payment terminals - 0.75% on Dobra 24 card transactions and 1.25% on VISA card transactions, with maximum payment limits of STN 1,000,000 per transaction.
3. Account Maintenance and Transaction Fees: Fees for current account maintenance, foreign exchange account management, check issuance, and various banking transactions as per published fee schedule.
4. International Banking Services: Revenue from international transfers, documentary credits, guarantees and sureties, and foreign exchange operations.
5. Investment and Export Financing: Financing of production and export of cocoa (main export product) and other economic sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BISTP is a commercial bank offering a comprehensive suite of retail and corporate banking services including deposit accounts (current, term, savings), personal and business credit products (housing, auto, university, salary, treasury, overdraft, medium/long-term loans), digital banking via the BISTP KWA NON platform (internet and mobile), POS/TPA terminals for merchants, international transfers, documentary credits, foreign exchange services, and an extensive ATM network. It serves individuals, businesses, government, and institutions through a nationwide branch network covering São Tomé and Príncipe islands.

Product overview

Banco Internacional São Tomé e Príncipe (BISTP) is a commercial bank offering a comprehensive suite of banking products through both physical branch network and digital channels. The core offerings include the BISTP KWA NON digital banking platform (internet and mobile banking), various deposit accounts (current, term, and savings including junior savings), debit cards (Dobra 24), and an extensive ATM network. Credit products span personal loans (Crédito Pessoal), auto loans, university loans, salary advances (Salário Mais), and housing loans for individuals, while businesses access treasury credit, overdraft facilities, medium/long-term loans, documentary credits, and guarantees. Additional services include POS terminals for merchants, salary direct deposit, utility bill payments, currency exchange, safe deposit boxes, and property/vehicle sales from collateral recovery. The bank also publishes daily exchange rate bulletins.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BISTP KWA NON: Internet banking and mobile app service for BISTP clients (both individuals and businesses), allowing account transfers, cheque requests, currency conversion, account consultation, and more.

Products and services

• BISTP KWA NON Digital Banking Digital banking platform providing internet and mobile banking services for both personal and business customers, enabling account transfers, cheque requests, currency conversion, account consultation, term deposit setup, and internal transfers.
• TPA/POS Terminals Point-of-sale terminals allowing merchants to accept card payments, with automatic credit to merchant's deposit account. Commission of 0.75% for Dobra 24 cards and 1.25% for VISA cards.
• Cartão Débito BISTP (Dobra 24) Debit card providing convenient, fast, and secure access to current deposit accounts.
• Conta Depósito à Ordem (Current Account) Demand deposit account providing access to BISTP products and services with minimum opening amounts of STN 1,000 for national currency or EUR 100/USD 100 for foreign currency.
• Conta Depósito a Prazo (Term Deposit) Time deposit account in national or foreign currency with determined terms and attractive rates.
• Conta Poupança Júnior Junior savings account as a 6-month renewable term deposit with interest capitalization, for children and youth aged 0-18 years. Minimum subscription: 1,250 STN / 100 USD / 50 EUR.
• Conta Poupança (Savings Account) Savings account offering higher remuneration than traditional term deposits with penalty-free withdrawals at interest maturity dates.
• Conta Ordenado (Salary Advance) Salary advance account allowing employees to anticipate up to 50% of their monthly net salary, repayable within 30 days, with interest calculated daily based on balance used.
• Crédito Pessoal (Personal Loan) Consumer credit for personal expenses such as vacations, health, training, furniture, or appliances with interest rates starting from 16% (varies depending on guarantee presented); maximum term: 60 months.
• Crédito Automóvel (Auto Loan) Vehicle financing for new or used cars up to 100% of vehicle value with terms up to 60 months.
• Crédito Universitário (University Loan) Education financing for undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA, master's and doctorate studies in São Tomé and abroad with flexible amounts and repayment periods up to 84 months with grade-based interest rate reductions.
• Salário Mais (Salary-Backed Credit) Salary-backed credit for employees and pensioners with salaries deposited at BISTP, offering up to 6x monthly salary at fixed 17.5% annual interest rate; maximum amount per operation: STN 150,000.
• Crédito Habitação (Housing Loan) Home financing for acquisition, construction, recovery, or home improvement with rates from 5% with financial guarantee or 8% with mortgage, up to 240 months (20 years); minimum loan amount: STN 125,000.
• Serviço de Câmbio (Foreign Exchange) Currency exchange services for buying and selling foreign currency at BISTP branches, with international money transfer via Western Union available.
• Depósitos à Ordem Empresas (Business Current Account) Business demand deposit account with minimum opening of STN 5,000 for national currency or EUR 500/USD 500 for foreign currency.
• Aplicações (Business Term Deposits) Business savings solutions in national or foreign currency with determined terms and attractive rates, minimum STN 10,000/EUR 1,000/USD 1,000.
• Apoio à Tesouraria (Treasury Credit) Short/medium-term commercial credit for financing current business activity needs with repayment up to 2 years.
• Conta Corrente (Business Overdraft) Credit limit associated with business current account for flexible treasury needs, with 3-month repayment terms.
• Descoberto Negociado (Negotiated Overdraft) Account overdraft facility up to a determined limit for short periods with daily interest calculation.
• Empréstimo Médio Longo Prazo (Medium/Long-term Loan) Flexible credit for investment projects financing up to 100% of investment with negotiable terms.
• Garantias e Avales (Guarantees and Bonds) Guarantees for third-party compliance with contractual and legal obligations including tenders, contracts, and judicial requirements.
• Crédito Documentário (Documentary Credit) International trade financing including export and import documentary credits, remittances, and export discount facilities.
• Crédito à Economia (Economy Credit)

Quantifiable outcome

• Full property financing available up to 100% of property value
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.

• Hospital Dr. Ayres MenezessecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2013Collaboration protocol resulting in opening of BISTP branch inside the hospital facility to serve staff, patients, and families. Opened November 2013.
• Instituto Superior Politécnico (ISP) - Universidade São Tomé e PríncipecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2012Strategic partnership established protocol resulting in the first university branch agency in the country, located inside the ISP campus. Opened March 2012.
• Western UnionsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationInternational money transfer service available at BISTP branches for sending and receiving international remittances.
• SonangolminorOthersFuel station partner where BISTP has ATM installations for customer convenience access.
• CST (Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicações)minorOthersTelecommunications company with retail locations (Lojas CST) where BISTP has installed ATM terminals in Guadalupe, Neves, and Angolares.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• BAI - Banco Angolano de Investimentos: Angolan universal bank serving retail, corporate, and institutional clients across Portuguese-speaking Africa. Comparable as a Lusophone-African full-service commercial bank with similar product breadth (deposits, credit, trade finance, FX), though it operates in a much larger market.
• Banco Económico: Angolan commercial bank serving retail and corporate customers in Portuguese-speaking Africa. Comparable as a Lusophone-African full-service bank with similar product breadth in deposits, credit, and FX.
• BCI - Banco Comercial de Investimento: Mozambican universal bank offering retail, SME, and corporate banking products across the Portuguese-speaking African region. Comparable product mix and Lusophone-African operating context to BISTP.
• Afriland First Bank: Cameroonian-headquartered banking group with subsidiaries across multiple African countries. Comparable as a mid-sized commercial bank operating in sub-Saharan African markets with similar SME and retail banking focus.

Broad incumbents

• Standard Bank: Pan-African universal bank with the broadest footprint across sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable as a diversified commercial bank serving retail, SME, and corporate segments, though at vastly greater scale and geographic scope than BISTP.
• Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD): Portuguese state-owned bank and BISTP's largest single shareholder (27% stake). Operates broadly across retail, corporate, and investment banking in Portugal and select Lusophone markets; not a same-country competitor but materially shapes BISTP's strategic direction and correspondent banking access.
• Millennium BCP: Major Portuguese private-sector bank with selective operations in Lusophone African markets. Comparable as a Portuguese-banking-affiliated full-service lender with shared cultural, regulatory, and correspondent-banking ties to BISTP.

Direct peers

• Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU): Portuguese colonial-era bank with an active branch presence in São Tomé and Príncipe; one of BISTP's original founding shareholders (22% in 1993). Directly competes for retail and corporate banking customers in the same single-country market.
• Ecobank São Tomé e Príncipe: Pan-African banking group with presence in São Tomé and Príncipe, offering retail and commercial banking products in the same micro-state market as BISTP. Directly competes for the same corporate and individual customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/banco-internacional-stp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Banco Internacional São Tome e Principe - BISTP