Bank of Africa - Mali SWIFT/BIC code

AFRIMLBA – the SWIFT/BIC code of Bank of Africa - Mali

The 8-character code AFRIMLBA and the full code AFRIMLBAXXX identify the same bank: Bank of Africa - Mali, with its head office in Bamako. A BIC does one job: it makes sure that an international payment ends up at the right bank. In practice you mostly see it on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details of Bank of Africa - Mali customers.

On this page you can read what the code means, when it matters and what else a transfer to or from Bank of Africa - Mali requires. Remember that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the account: the account number or IBAN takes care of that.

Head office or branch code at Bank of Africa - Mali?

Our directory lists 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Bank of Africa - Mali, spread over 1 locations. Besides the head office code AFRIMLBAXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

In most cases there is no need to look up a branch: transfers addressed to AFRIMLBAXXX reach Bank of Africa - Mali without problems. If you have been given a branch code, stick to it rather than swapping it for the head office code.

The best way is to take the code straight from the account holder’s invoice. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise.

8 or 11 characters: AFRIMLBA versus AFRIMLBAXXX

A SWIFT code is built from a few fixed parts: the first four letters identify the bank, the next two give the country and characters seven and eight mark the location. Combined, these eight characters form AFRIMLBA.

XXX at the end of AFRIMLBAXXX does not stand for a missing value or an error: it indicates the main office of Bank of Africa - Mali. Some banking apps insist on 11 characters, and then you simply enter XXX after AFRIMLBA.

Leave out spaces, dots when you enter AFRIMLBA or AFRIMLBAXXX. Watch for O versus 0 or I versus 1.

Watch out for payment fraud

Criminals often send payment requests containing changed bank details sent from what looks like a familiar address. The fact that AFRIMLBA exists is no guarantee that the account is legitimate – fraudsters use real bank codes as well.

Check changed bank details through a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know. Watch out for urgent requests, unusual wording or an email address that differs by one letter. Acted too fast? Call the bank you paid from without delay and have them try to recall the payment; also report it to the police.

Fraud can also target the receiver. Someone claims to have sent too much and wants you to refund the difference via a different route. Do not act before the money has really arrived – ask Bank of Africa - Mali if something looks wrong.

Tracking a transfer to or from Bank of Africa - Mali

There is no single answer: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start a business day later. Compliance checks on larger or unusual payments can also cause some delay.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sending bank for the tracking status and the transaction reference. Keep the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms – you will need it for any trace request.

A delayed transfer is traced by the sending bank. Ask the sender for the payment receipt with the date and reference; that often settles the question quickly.

How up to date is this code?

We collect bank codes from public sources and update our list from time to time. It is possible that a code on this page is out of date. Counts and locations come from our directory.

Before any payment that matters, check the BIC with Bank of Africa - Mali or with the recipient. We are an independent comparison site and not part of Bank of Africa - Mali. If you notice a mistake, we welcome a message.

Getting paid from abroad into a Bank of Africa - Mali account

For an international payment at Bank of Africa - Mali, the person paying you needs more than the SWIFT code. Share your name as the bank knows it, the IBAN or account number, SWIFT code AFRIMLBAXXX and your address.

The sender’s bank might also ask for the bank address of Bank of Africa - Mali, in which case the Bamako head office is the usual answer. A mistake in the IBAN is harder to fix than it looks, so copy the details from your online banking.

What lands in your account is often less than what was sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. For business payments, it is common to agree how the fees are split, so that nobody is left short.

How to check AFRIMLBA before you pay

Have the recipient send you their bank details straight from a recent statement. Compare it against AFRIMLBA here and ask if anything does not match.

An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a payment being sent back or extra fees along the way. Do not forget the IBAN: an error there can be harder to undo than a wrong code.

An automatic check by your bank only tells you that the IBAN is valid, not that it is the right account. Where available, a name check before sending adds an extra layer of safety. When you pay someone new, many people start with a small test amount.

What a transfer from Bank of Africa - Mali abroad really costs

A bank transfer abroad can cost rather more than the fee suggests. There is the transfer fee, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

The markup on the rate is often the biggest cost because it is hidden in the rate. A simple test: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay lists transfer providers side by side, showing what actually arrives. You can still use your account at Bank of Africa - Mali as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.