Brief History
Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited is part of Africa’s leading banking and financial services group Standard Bank.
The Bank was founded in Uganda as the National Bank of India in 1906, which after several name changes became Grindlays Bank. When the Standard Bank Group bought the Grindlays network in Africa it also in October 1993, re-established a presence in Uganda as Stanbic Bank.
In February 2002, Standard Bank Group through its investment arm bought 90% of shares in Uganda Commercial Bank, a largely retail government-owned bank that operated a countrywide network consisting of 67 branches. The rest of the 10% shares remained under Uganda government ownership.
The recent Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited Initial Public Offer was in line with the objectives of the Government’s divestiture programme, that seeks to remove state participation in the ownership of a variety of companies. The Initial Public Offer of Ug Shs 1,023,773 394 shares amounting to 20% of the shares of the company was as a result of an agreement between the government of Uganda and the Standard Bank Group of South Africa.
The objectives of the offer and listing were to enable the Ugandan public to participate in the equity of Stanbic Bank and to encourage wider ownership of shares in general. It also provided individuals, institutional investors and other interested parties with an opportunity to participate in the equity of Stanbic Bank and to provide a market for the shareholders to realise their investment in Stanbic Bank. The response was phenomenal with 37,449 applications for 3 billion shares totaling U Shs 211 billion hence a 200% oversubscription.
Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited shares are now traded on the Uganda Stock Exchange.
Stanbic operates 71 points of representation and a growing ATM network currently numbering 111. The Bank is located all over Uganda with Stanbic Bank’s head office in Kampala from where its business and support functions operate.
Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited is the largest financial institution in Uganda licensed under the Financial Institutions’ Act, 2004 and is listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange Limited effective January, 25 2007.
Nature of Business
The Standard Bank Group continues to integrate its banking operations across the emerging markets resulting in improvements in all core areas such as governance, risk management and human resources development. The bank provides an array of related financial services in areas of personal, business, corporate and investment banking.
1. Corporate and Investment Banking
Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) provides commercial and investment banking services to multinationals, regional corporates and large local corporates. The Bank also cater for International development organizations, multilateral agencies, the public sector in Uganda and Uganda’s development partners. CIB develops and customises products for its clients and is empowered to provide such services by having access to advanced banking systems. In addition, the relationship with Standard Bank Group allows for further flexibility in adapting current products to the needs of individual clients. CIB is, therefore, able to access world-class guidance on the pricing and structural elements of transactions. Customers of Stanbic Bank have the benefit of being able to access global banking through the treasury function due to the global transaction capabilities of the Standard Bank Group.
2. Personal and Business Banking
PBB provides banking and other financial services to personal customers and SMEs. It has a significant customer base in Uganda, which is currently serviced by 71 points of representation. Further, there are 111 ATMs (more due soon) available to Stanbic Bank customers countrywide that are utilised at a minimum rate of 10,000 transactions per month.
Awards & Achievements
- 2006 East Africa’s Most Respected Company – Financial Services (2nd runner-up) – PricewaterhouseCoopers - Nation Media Group
- 2006 Presidential Transformers Appreciation Award for transforming banking in Uganda
- 2005 East Africa’s Most Respected Company – Financial Services (2nd runner-up) – PricewaterhouseCoopers - Nation Media Group
- 2005 URA Vantage Award – Best Bank in Tax Compliance
- 2005 Bank of the Year – Best Customer Service – On Demand Magazine
- 2004 Best Bank in Uganda – EuroMoney Magazine
- 2004 Bank of the year in Uganda – Banker Magazine
Corporate Social Investment
Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited believes in making a real difference by giving back to the societies in which it operates and, as such, engages in and sponsors several activities towards the achievement of that goal.
The Company’s social responsibility activities include the following.
- Housing construction
- Education support
- Sport
- Charity events and activities
- Tree planting
- Inspiration of lives in Africa and other sponsorships.