First Mandarin Standard Bank Branch Launch in Johannesburg

Johannesburg- Standard Bank’s launch of its first dedicated branch in Africa to service the Chinese business community unlocks exciting future business and trade potential between the continent and the world’s second largest economy. This is another step in the bank’s ongoing commitment to deepen and grow the Africa-China investment and trade corridor.

Ruan Ping, Consul General of Consulate General of The People's Republic of China in Johannesburg, said the economic and trade relations between China and South Africa have been deepening, important progress has also been made in the strategic cooperation between Standard Bank of South Africa and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

“We are now opening the market’s first dedicated full-service branch in the Crown Mines area,” says George Lo, Executive Head, Africa China Banking at Standard Bank. “We chose this area, because it’s where many entrepreneurs and businessmen from neighbouring countries obtain their supplies from Chinese wholesalers.”

The full-service branch will have staff fluent in both Chinese and English who can service the Chinese customers and everyone else. Standard Bank Group already has over 100 Chinese-speaking relationship managers, bankers and advisors, including Chinese-speaking traders on the bank’s trading floors.