By combining detailed customer service, financial expertise and powerful technology, Standard Bank Private Banking emerges as the standout private bank in Malawi. Over the review period, the bank demonstrated its ability to deliver tailored financial solutions that empower clients to grow and preserve their wealth, both locally and globally.

For generations, Standard Bank Wealth and Investment has been a leader in serving high-net-worth clients and families. Its offering integrates a host of different services, including fiduciary, lending, insurance, banking and advisory. Beyond this, the South Africa-based private bank fosters deep relationships via its Generational Wealth Strategy, and its unique events and thought leadership programmes, making it Africa’s leading bank for high-net-worth (HNW) individuals.

RMB Private Bank is the leading private bank in South Africa due to its commitment to innovation, client-centric solutions and investment excellence. Over the review period, the bank refined its private banking offering, integrating powerful digital capabilities with expert advisory services to deliver value to its clients.

At the heart of Standard Bank Wealth and Investment is the South African lender’s ethos, as it works to cater to the ever-changing needs of multi-generation families.

In Africa’s dynamic financial landscape, Standard Bank Wealth and Investment is redefining digital wealth management by integrating cutting-edge technology with its client-centric approach. The bank’s digitisation strategy focuses on enhancing client experience, deepening relationships, and providing seamless financial solutions that continuously enhance digital offerings.

Standard Bank offers different options of financing solutions, broad sector coverage and strong commitment to sustainability. Its real estate finance (REF SA) loan book grew by 10% to $5 billion in December 2023, from $4.6 billion in December 2022. The bank completed $1.9 billion in transactional activities over the year, with 57% allocated to refinancing and 43% to new business, showcasing its balance between nurturing existing relationships and pursuing growth opportunities.

Stanbic Kenya Bank Limited has innovative financial solutions and commitment to supporting the country's real estate sector. One of Stanbic’s offerings is its structured term and development facilities, designed to provide real estate developers with the flexibility needed for rapid project execution. These facilities enable more efficient expansion and completion of real estate developments. In addition, Stanbic’s dual currency facility structures help clients manage currency volatility and rental risks, offering financial stability in a fluctuating economic environment.

Stanbic IBTC has a strong commitment to financing large-scale real estate projects and providing innovative solutions across diverse sectors. Over the review period, the bank structured three medium-term loans totalling US$155 million, showcasing its dedication to supporting substantial real estate developments. In addition, it facilitated a US$1 million development loan, demonstrating its commitment to a broad range of real estate needs, from large projects to smaller, sector-specific developments.

Standard Bank’s exceptional performance in financing, client engagement, and innovative solutions across the continent’s real estate sector earns it the award for Africa’s best bank for real estate. The bank also showcased strong growth in new facilities and in refinances which enables them to maintain the market leader role in the region.

Standard Bank CIB played a pivotal role in several high-impact sustainable transactions across Africa in 2023, highlighting its commitment to innovation in green finance, infrastructure development and economic growth.

Standard Bank successfully implemented innovative digital products across all banking segments in 2023 while also making important philanthropic contributions in Malawi.

In a year (very) short on equity capital markets activity, it was in the debt and the loan market that Standard Bank shone brightest in 2023.

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.

Getting M&A right in Africa is not easy – big-ticket transactions are rare, and deal flow tends to come in fits and starts – but Standard Bank has got it down to a fine art.

Led by its head of wealth and investment Jacques Els, Standard Bank Wealth & Investment is a private-banking powerhouse in Africa.

For the second year in a row, Standard Bank walks away with the award for the best bank in Africa. And for good reason.

Millennium bim, Euromoney’s best bank in Mozambique this year, has focused its efforts on technological improvements during the period under review.

Standard Bank Shari'ah Banking has been named the best Islamic bank in South Africa following a busy period in the capital markets, the launch of several market-first solutions and impactful community support work.

Standard Bank Shari'ah Banking has focused on product innovation during the awards period and has seen impressive growth across its African operations.

This year’s winner for best bank for high net-worth (HNW) individuals in Africa, Standard Bank Wealth and Investment, is rewarded for delivering clever tailored solutions to its growing clientele across key African markets.

In an African context in which private family wealth is growing rapidly, Standard Bank Wealth and Investment regards itself as one of the few large regional institutions with a comprehensive family-office service. It sees itself as a pioneer in this area, and wants to maintain a preeminent position in the category as the importance of African family offices continues to grow.

Next-gen clients can be just as diverse as any other private-banking clients, with similar ranges of age, investment goals and overall desire to be involved in the family wealth.

Two key elements of Standard Bank Wealth and Investment’s offering stood out in this category. The first of these, My360, allows clients to visualise and control their financial assets. It offers them an aggregated view of their portfolio across asset classes, providing clients with a view of their net asset value in multiple currencies, and allowing them to delve deeper into different categories from a single dashboard.

As Africa’s largest bank by assets, Standard Bank Wealth and Investment is well-placed to take advantage of the growth of the continent as a private-banking market. The firm is led by Jacques Els.

Standard Bank Group (SBG), Africa’s largest bank, completed real estate transactions in many countries during the review period. It extended 20 new facilities totalling $249.05 million to both existing and new clients, and 13 refinancings totalling $408.8 million to existing clients.

Standard Bank Wealth & Investment stands head and shoulders above the wealth management competition in Africa. The South African bank is a regional powerhouse in the sector, with private banking offices in 14 African markets, including Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, as well as the whole of southern Africa.

In many African countries, Standard Bank is not as large as it would like to be. But it has a physical presence in 20 African countries and is already by far the biggest pan-African group in terms of its scale in the main sub-Saharan markets, the size of its balance sheet and its absolute profit.

Size, scale, depth of client penetration – together with offering the full range of wealth management advice, products and services across multiple core markets – are key elements in recognising the leading private bank in any region.

No other private bank in Africa can compete with Standard Bank, the region’s largest by assets and earnings. The Johannesburg-based lender has a dedicated on-the-ground wealth management presence in 15 countries, including Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, employing 449 industry professionals.

Standard Bank is once again a worthy winner of the award for Africa’s best bank for wealth management. It offers wealth management services in southern, eastern and parts of western Africa – 15 countries in all, including South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.