The UK’s Barclays is investing close to £3bn in South Africa to get control of that country’s biggest retail bank, Absa – the biggest foreign purchase ever by the British group. The deal has been approved by regulators and has the support of sufficient shareholders to be successful, after almost a year of behind-the-scenes talks.

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development is a fine blueprint for progress and needs support from everyone, says Baroness Lynda Chalker.

While much has improved since 2001, the government still needs foreign assistance to maintain security amid bombings and riots.

Implementation may be delayed again as the Americans say the changes in minimum required capital are too wide-ranging.

The Banker Technology Awards show that the number of banks producing their own technology is on the rise.

Takeover struggles for two Italian banks have laid bare the Bank of Italy’s powerful tinkering in the banking system as the country’s watchdog and the EU pull their mightier legal rank.

UBS and Credit Suisse will always be compared because of their Swiss origins. But the lessons to be learned from this month’s cover story have nothing to do with nationality and everything to do with international corporate strategies: one that worked and one that failed.

Tito Mboweni details the South African Development Community’s little-known macroeconomic and monetary convergence programme.

Deutsche Bank and Saudi Arabia’s Al Azizia Commercial Investment Company (ACIC) signed a joint proposal, in mid-April, for the establishment of an investment banking joint venture.

Colin Jones, editor of The Banker (1979-1987), died on April 10, aged 75, after over 50 years in financial journalism which also included careers in broadcasting and politics.