Best bank: Standard Bank
A strong financial performance together with a series of new initiatives, including in environmental, social and governance, make Standard Bank Euromoney’s best bank in South Africa this year.
AfE 2024
The bank continued to steadily grow its total assets from R2.88 trillion ($150 million) at the end of 2022, to reach R3 trillion
at the end of 2023. It also saw impressive profit growth of 29% on 2022 at R50.3 billion.
In July, the bank partnered with the IFC for a seven-year $250 million sustainable loan for renewable energy and affordable housing in South Africa. It also developed its carbon-credits offering and launched conservation-financing and transition-financing initiatives.
A nature conservation loan to conservation and hospitality company Wilderness marked the first such deal in the whole African market, and demonstrated the potential for commercial banks to mobilise funds for nature conservation and biodiversity protection in the continent.