Gauteng Business 2016 edition

INTERVIEW Standard Bank

INTERVIEW Standard Bank Group, Gauteng Province We speak to Josh Zwane, Executive Provincial Head, of the Standard Bank Group for the Gauteng Province, about how the banking group is playing a role in the province’s development. Josh Zwane What is Standard Bank’s purpose in South Africa? As a personal and business bank in South Africa, our purpose is to improve lives and fulfil aspirations across the African continent. We believe that we can achieve this through our vision, which is to radically redefine client experience by understanding and delivering what matters to our customers. Broadly, it’s about making sure that we contribute to the growth of South Africa Inc. and making sure that we partner with all the necessary stakeholders to achieve our shared goal which is the growth of our country. What are your strategies to maximise on economic opportunities and the infrastructure development in Gauteng? As we partner with all the stakeholders necessary to contribute to the growth of Gauteng Province, we continue to grow our branch footprint, as well as our business banking and private banking infrastructure. There has been significant growth in our representation and footprint in the past few years. For example, we’ve established a fully-fledged branch in the Mall of the South, as well as our investment in the Mall of Africa which includes a new private banking suite in Waterfall City area (construction is due to be completed in 2016). In addition, we’ve invested in a new region and private banking suite in the Fourways area. BIOGRAPHY Josh Zwane is Executive Provincial Head, of the Standard Bank Group for the Gauteng Province. In what way is Standard Bank getting involved in all the major infrastructure development that is changing the Gauteng landscape? We intend to form strong ongoing partnerships with provincial government in its quest to improve the provincial infrastructure. There are a few points to be made; the first is that Gauteng is the number one economic hub of the country. The second is that Gauteng is the gateway for investment, including foreign direct investment and general investment into South Africa. The third is that, country’s capital being located within the Province provides further opportunity for us to interact more frequently with stakeholders, clients, and representatives of Embassies and other foreign government entities not based in GAUTENG BUSINESS 2016 46

South Africa. But it’s not just about the government or the embassies; it’s also about the opportunities that they set up that links them to the South African businessmen and women, and to the economy of South Africa. The province is constituted largely of the City of Joburg, the City of Tshwane (Pretoria), Ekurhuleni in the East and Mogale City in the Westrand. In addition, Joburg is establishing connections with other bigger cities outside of the continent, one such example being our relationship with New York and the New York City mayor. WE PARTNER WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS NECESSARY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH OF GAUTENG PROVINCE How is Standard Bank Gauteng helping clients to do business with the rest of Africa? We’ve had a longstanding relationship with the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry and, through our relationship with them, our clients have got interests in - and a real passion to expand into - the rest of the continent. We’ve been able to link our clients with opportunities as well as information around how they should go about expanding themselves throughout the continent. Our strategic partner, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and Standard Bank played a major role recently in terms of China and Africa trade. Our Group Chief Executive, Sim INTERVIEW Tshabalala and President Yi Huiman of the ICBC, headed the ICBC delegation at the Johannesburg Summit & The 6th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that was held in Johannesburg from the 3 to 5 December 2015. Both spoke at the ICBC/Standard Bank China- Africa Investment Financing Cooperation Forum which took place on the side-lines of the Forum. It was here that our Group Chief Executive reaffirmed our bank’s commitment to deepening Sino-Africa relations through our strategic partnership with ICBC, which has long identified Africa as an important growth market. A definite highlight was the signing of a collaboration agreement between Standard Bank and ICBC to raise R10-billion to support South African power generation in the presence of China’s President Xi Jinping and South Africa’s President at the FOCAC Heads of Summit. CONTACT INFO Josh Zwane Cnr Bradford and Smith Street, Bedford Centre, Bedfordview Tel: 011 677 0402 Email: Joshua.Zwane@standardbank.co.za Website: www.standardbank.co.za 47 GAUTENG BUSINESS 2016