Background & History

Standard Bank Plc is the focal point for the international investment banking activities of the Standard Bank group.

Standard Bank's international franchise is focused on developing markets - primarily debt, interest rate and currency products - and natural resources. Its activities concentrate on the provision of banking services in connection with trade, investment and business flows with an emerging markets and natural resources focus, which are provided through a global network of offices located in major international financial centres and also in key developing economies.

The Standard Bank Group, headquartered in Johannesburg, is one of Africa's leading banking and financial services groups (see http://www.standardbank.com). The group's international investment banking activities are housed under an intermediate holding company, Standard International Holdings S.A. ("SIH"). SIH's principal subsidiaries, in addition to Standard Bank Plc, comprise Standard Bank Asia Limited in Hong Kong, Banco Standard de Investimentos S.A. in Brazil, ZAO Standard Bank in Russia and Standard New York, Inc. in the USA.