Standard Bank Group
“We aspire to be not just a South African bank,” says Jacko Maree, CEO of Standard Bank Group, of his bank’s global intentions. Brave words, but what the judges took note of were Standard Bank’s careful attention to focus on its competencies. “We have defined ourselves narrowly,” says Mr Maree. “We are purely focused on emerging markets, originating deals in these countries and selling them into developed markets.” Standard Bank London Limited is the focal point for the international merchant banking activities of the group. Through an expanding network in 21 countries outside Africa, including the key financial centres of Europe, the US and Asia, the bank offers a range of specialist banking services and promotes trade, investment and business flows with an emerging market focus on a worldwide basis. The bank is a leading participant in trade finance, forfaiting, and project finance. Utilising its strengths in Africa, north and south America, the Far East and eastern Europe, the bank offers flexible pre and post-export financing for commodities and capital goods. In addition, Standard Bank London trades in precious and base metals, provides a full range of treasury products, and is active in mining finance and advisory services. The bank is involved in sovereign debt markets and in corporate debt trading internationally. In addition to more than 700 points of representation throughout South Africa, Standard Bank’s network spans 16 other African countries. The operations in the rest of Africa provide retail, commercial and investment banking services. Standard Bank also enjoys a strategic interest in the insurance industry through control of the Liberty Group, one of Africa’s leading life offices and financial services groups. At the end of last year, the entire group had assets of R540bn ($82bn) and employed more than 35,000 people worldwide.
