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Standard Bank

JOHANNESBURG. — Standard Bank yesterday launched the world’s first dedicated Africa China Banking Centre (ACBC) in Johannesburg.

The Centre will look to provide a platform to link African and Chinese clients with China’s digital banking and customer knowledge systems.

Africa China Banking, Standard Bank Head, George Lo said: “This is the beginning of a long sustainable journey. “We are starting to build a gateway between Africa and China. “Through this unique hub, we are able to offer African and Chinese clients a business-to-business networking and personal advisory service, helping them to access and unlock the many opportunities in Africa-China trade,” said Lo.

He said their primary communication platform will be WeChat because Chinese people are quite addicted to it. Six dedicated bankers will assist clients with day to day banking needs such as card facilities and transactions, internet and self-service banking, cross-border payments, and foreign currency services and support.

“With plans for further investment in Africa China Banking Centres in the key African growth hubs of Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria and Ghana before the end of 2017, Standard Bank’s vision is not just to combine African and Chinese capabilities, but to make the sum of Africa and China bigger than the whole.

This is the scale of our challenge, but also the scale of the opportunity that Standard Bank and ICBC are uniquely placed to realise,” said Lo.

ICBC representative Sun Gang said: “it is our pleasure to be here and witness this historic event, to give our client the highest bank service is a priority.”

“Africa is a market with great potential for the future; ICBC has built a bridge between the two markets to create possibilities. “This is the beginning of us to produce more specialised financial contact and services to our Chinese clients,” said Gang. — IOL.