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Standard Bank South Africa

Main South African operating bank inside Standard Bank Group, distinct from the listed SBK parent company.

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Standard Bank sign inside its Johannesburg headquarters
The interior of Standard Bank’s Johannesburg headquarters in a photograph made on 18 March 2010. Photo: shi zhao · Source · Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited is the group’s principal South African banking subsidiary. [3]

History

A South African Standard Bank company was formed in 1962 before the international 1969 merger. [1][2]

The bank later became the main operating subsidiary of the Johannesburg-listed holding company. [2][3]

Frequently asked questions

Is Standard Bank South Africa listed?

No. Standard Bank Group Limited is the listed parent. [3][4]

Who owns the bank?

It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Bank Group. [3]

Did Standard Chartered retain ownership?

No. Standard Chartered sold its remaining group interest in 1987. [2]

Key milestones

  1. The South African banking company was formed. [1][2]

  2. Standard Bank Investment Corporation became its holding company. [2]

  3. Standard Chartered sold its remaining parent-level interest. [2]

Founded / co-founded by

  • John Paterson — Cape entrepreneur, newspaperman and politician who led the plan that created the historic Standard Bank.

Company builders

  • Sim Tshabalala — South African banker who has served as sole chief executive of Standard Bank Group since September 2017.

Related articles

Related institutions

  • Standard Bank Group — JSE-listed African financial-services parent whose history traces to John Paterson’s 1857 Port Elizabeth banking proposal.
  • Standard Chartered — International banking group created in 1969 when the historic Standard Bank merged with the Chartered Bank.

Sources

  1. Standard Bank Group, Annual integrated report 2010: our history, 2011. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-31. ↩
  2. Standard Bank Group, Preference share pre-listing statement: incorporation and corporate history, 2004-06-14. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-31. ↩
  3. Standard Bank Group, Organisational structure at 30 June 2026. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-31. ↩
  4. Standard Bank Group, Financial highlights at 30 June 2026. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-31. ↩