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Standard Chartered

International banking group created in 1969 when the historic Standard Bank merged with the Chartered Bank.

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Statue of Standard Bank founder John Paterson in Hong Kong
A statue of John Paterson at Standard Chartered’s Hong Kong office. Photo: Can Pac Swire · Source · Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Standard Chartered was created through the 1969 merger of the historic Standard Bank and Chartered Bank. [2]

History

The historic Standard Bank supplied one of the two corporate lines that formed Standard Chartered. [2]

Standard Chartered sold its remaining 39% interest in the South African holding company in 1987. [1][3]

Frequently asked questions

Does Standard Chartered own Standard Bank?

No. It sold its remaining South African group interest in 1987. [1][3]

Why do the names resemble each other?

The historic Standard Bank was one of the two banks merged in 1969. [2]

Does Standard Chartered operate in South Africa?

Yes, but through a separate international banking operation. [3]

Key milestones

  1. Standard Bank and Chartered Bank merged to form Standard Chartered. [2]

  2. Standard Chartered divested its remaining South African group interest. [1][3]

  3. It returned to South Africa through a separate representative office. [3]

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

Sources

  1. Standard Bank Group, Preference share pre-listing statement: incorporation and corporate history, 2004-06-14. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-31. ↩
  2. Standard Chartered, Our history. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-31. ↩
  3. Standard Chartered, Standard Chartered in South Africa. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-31. ↩