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Where we are, who we are and our strategic priorities

At a glance

An Africa focused, client-led and digitally enabled bank that provides comprehensive and integrated financial and related solutions to our clients as well as drive inclusive growth and sustainable development.

Overview

Standard Bank offers a range of banking, insurance, and asset management services across sub-Saharan Africa.

Where we are

We have on-the ground presence in 20 African countries, four global centres and two offshore hubs:

Africa
On-the-ground presence in 20 African countries

Our network of countries ensures we are well placed to realise the opportunities presented by Africa’s longer-term structural trends. We have the local knowledge required to operate a successful business in Africa.

International
Offices in four key centres and two offshore hubs

Our presence in, and connection with, global financial centres enables us to facilitate investment and development flows and access to international capital, to facilitate growth, diversification and development in Africa.

China-Africa corridor
Strategic partnership with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)

China remains Africa’s largest trading partner and an increasingly important source of foreign investment across the continent. Our strategic partnership with ICBC provides us with a unique opportunity to provide financial services to our clients operating in the China-Africa corridor.

Our strategy aims to deliver sustainable growth and value for all our stakeholders. We have restructured the group to be more efficient, innovative, competitive and sustainable, and have updated our strategic priorities to deliver our 2025 Ambition and achieve our financial targets, thereby enabling us to better fulfil our purpose.

We have a 159-year history in South Africa, and started building a franchise in sub-Saharan Africa almost 30 years ago. We have an on-the-ground presence in 20 countries on the African continent, and solid local knowledge required to operate a successful business in Africa.

We have operations in 5 global financial centres and 3 offshore hubs.  Our presence in and connection with, global financial centres enables us to facilitate investment and development flows in Africa, and to access international capital to facilitate growth, diversification and development in Africa. We also have a strategic partnership with the largest bank in the world, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), who is a 19% shareholder in the group.

Standard Bank Group is the largest African banking group by assets

The group is listed on the JSE and A2X, with share code SBK, and the Namibian Stock Exchange, share code SNB, with a market capitalisation of approximately R271 billion (approx. USD17 billion) as at 30 June 2022.

Standard Bank Group’s headline earnings for the six months ended 30 June 2022 were R15.3 billion (USD990 million) and at 30 June 2022 total assets were R2.8 trillion (USD173 billion).

For the six months ended 30 June 2022, Standard Bank had over 17 million clients, employed just over 49 000 people (including Liberty) and had 1035 branches and 6195 ATMs on the African continent.

Who we are

OUR PURPOSE

Africa is our home, we drive her growth

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

We have updated our strategic priorities to clarify what we need to do to deliver our 2025 targets. Our strategic priorities create the framework within which we work. Everything we do will further these three priorities and we have set targets against which we will track our progress.

OUR CLIMATE COMMITMENT

Climate change is an important issue with implications for Africa’s growth. As the largest bank on the continent, we have the opportunity to play a leading role in supporting a just energy transition for Africa. We are committed to net zero emissions by 2050.

Our strategic priorities

Transform
Transform client experience

We will transform client experience using digital technology, amplified by the human touch. We aim to understand our clients as deeply and empathetically as we can, and then use our human skill and digital capabilities to help meet their needs and enable them to achieve their goals.

2025 target
Average revenue growth per annum, 7% - 9%

Execute
Execute with excellence

We will execute with excellence, delivering innovative and cost-effective products and services ourselves and in partnership with others.

2025 target
Cost-to-income ratio, approaching 50%

Drive
Drive sustainable growth and value

We strive to deliver increasingly attractive returns to our shareholders and continued net positive impact in the economies and societies in which we operate.

2025 target
ROE in our target range, 17% - 20%

We have 4 distinct business units through which we provide integrated banking, investment, insurance and advisory solutions to our clients

Personal & Private Banking

The Personal & Private Banking (PPB) business unit provides tailored and comprehensive banking, investment, insurance and beyond financial solutions. We serve clients across Sub-Saharan Africa ranging from high net-worth, affluent, and main market by enabling their daily lives throughout their life journeys.

Business & Commercial Banking

The Business & Commercial Client (BCC) business unit provides broad-based client solutions to a wide spectrum of small- and medium-sized businesses as well as large commercial enterprises. Our client coverage support extends across a wide range of industries, sectors and solutions that deliver the necessary advisory, networking and sustainability support required by our clients to enable their growth.

Insurance & Asset Management

The Insurance & Asset Management (IAM) business unit provides comprehensive investment and asset management offerings, as well as insurance solutions, to our African clients. We offer holistic advice and competitive solutions during significant transition points in their lives.

Corporate & Investment Banking

The Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) business unit serves large companies (multinational, regional and domestic), governments, parastatals and institutional clients across Africa and internationally. Our clients leverage our in-depth sector and regional expertise, our specialist capabilities and our access to global capital markets for advisory, transactional, trading and funding support.