African Bank reports 15% profit growth, paving the way for a bold future
"The results reflect the growing impact of its Excelerate strategy, as the Group continues its transformation into a diversified, fully-fledged banking institution serving both personal and business customers," African Bank said.
The robust results came despite the South African economy remaining under pressure due to persistent unemployment, structural inefficiencies, and an increasing burden on welfare spending by the government.
"However, the easing of inflationary pressure, further aided by the South African Reserve Bank's decision to cut and pause further interest rate reductions, has presented a bit of cautious optimism in the market," African Bank said.
CEO Kennedy Bungane hailed the results as a testament to the bank's strategic pivot. 'These figures are more than a financial milestone; they reflect our commitment to empowering South Africans, from township entrepreneurs to families investing in sustainable solutions like solar power,' he said.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, African Bank is positioning itself as a cornerstone of inclusive finance, with a 6% increase in its customer base to 6.1 million and a 20% rise in net advances to R39.1 billion.
The bank's Business and Commercial lending arm saw a striking 49% growth in advances, bolstered by strategic acquisitions, including Sasfin's capital equipment finance business, following last year's purchase of its commercial property finance division. These moves have strengthened African Bank's foothold in the small and medium enterprise (SMME) sector, a critical driver of South Africa's economy.
Financially, the bank maintained a robust funding base of R36.3 billion, up 8%, with customer deposits accounting for 91% of the total. A strong capital adequacy ratio of 28% - well above regulatory requirements - underscores its stability.
Non-interest income soared 39% to R909 million, fueled by growing adoption of digital offerings like the MyWORLD transactional account and credit card services. Improved risk management and a shift to secured lending reduced credit impairment charges by 10%, lowering the credit loss ratio to 5.3%.
Chief Financial Officer Anbann Chetti said the results validate the group's strategy and operational focus, 'Our Excelerate strategy is reshaping African Bank into a scalable, future-ready institution. We're delivering value not just for shareholders but for employees and communities.'
As part of its pre-initial public (IPO) offering roadmap, African Bank launched iKamva Lethu, an employee share ownership scheme allocating 10% of its shares to staff.
"Work is also well underway on the next phase of our pre -IPO journey, which includes the finalisation of amanagement share scheme, and the creation o fretail BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) scheme, following the decision of theGovernment Employees Pension Fund to be a long term shareholder beyond the IPO of the bank. These efforts will culminate in our eventual listing targeted for post the release of our FY27 results, market conditions permitting," Bungane said.
Looking ahead, African Bank plans to expand secured lending, launch a digital SMME lending platform, and invest in digital infrastructure, compliance, and cybersecurity.
Bungane said, 'This journey is about building a bank that belongs to South Africans, one that serves with integrity and purpose. As we prepare for a future listing, we remain guided by our founders' bold vision and the needs of the communities we serve.'
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