Nedbank To Acquire 20% Shareholding In Ecobank

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) and Nedbank Group Limited (Nedbank Group) jointly announced that Nedbank Group is to acquire a 20% shareholding in ETI. 

Nedbank Group will subscribe in cash for 4,512,618,890 new ETI shares for USD 493.4 million.

ETI will repay Nedbank’s loan of USD 285 million granted to ETI in 2011 out of the subscription proceeds. In line with the agreement with ETI, the Nedbank Group will join ETI board, nominating its Chief Operating Officer, Graham Dempster, to join the board.

ETI will exercise its reciprocal right to an appointment on the Nedbank Group board. Both board appointments are subject to regulatory approvals. Commenting on the investment, ETI Group Chief Executive Officer Albert Essien said: “This important investment by[…] is a win-win for ETI and Nedbank Group. Our two institutions have been strong strategic partners since we formed our unique one-bank alliance six years ago, and it is in our mutual interest to ensure that this alliance grows from strength to strength. It will remain steadfast as we continue to provide the best quality banking services to our numerous clients across the largest banking network in Africa.”

Mike Brown, Nedbank Group Chief Executive noted: “This shareholding represents an important step in the consolidation and deepening of the strategic and technical banking alliance we have with ETI. Nedbank Group’s clients are increasingly expanding their business operations into the rest of Africa, and Nedbank Group’s own operations in Southern and East Africa, combined with ETI’s unrivalled pan-African footprint and strength in West and Central Africa provides our clients with access to banking solutions across 39 African countries. This investment also offers our shareholders participation in earnings growth from the faster growing markets in sub-Saharan Africa.”

ETI and Nedbank Group established their strategic business alliance in 2008, with the aim of providing seamless banking services across the African continent to each other’s clients.

ETI and Nedbank Group will offer to their clients across the largest banking network in Africa, comprising more than 2,000 branches and offices in 39 countries.

Ecobank is the leading pan-African bank with operations in 36 countries across the continent, more than any other bank in the continent.

Ecobank started operations in Tanzania in January 2010 and has since grown to include 12 branches across the country.