The South African banking group Standard Bank has inaugurated an office in Egypt on Wednesday November 12, 2025. The objective is to shoot taking advantage of growing capital flows and trade between Africa and the countries of the Middle East.

In April 2024, the first African bank by the Volume of its assets has applied for a full banking license with Egyptian authorities, in order to develop banking activities covering the collection of deposits, the granting of loans to businesses and individuals and the financing of projects in various sectors of activity economical.

The representative office should serve as a bridge between sub-Saharan Africa and the countries of the Middle East, including the commitment economic growth on the continent is constantly growing. The director general of group, Sim Tshabalala said during the office inauguration ceremony that “it was becoming clear that Egypt plays a crucial role as What a bridge between the Gulf and the African continent. We need more than mobile banking services. We need a base in Egypt and a collaboration with our colleagues in Dubai to better serve our customers.”

Standard Bank's regional manager Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Rassem Zok, explained for his part that Egypt was one of the vertices of a “triangle” connecting the region of Gulf to sub-Saharan Africa”, recalling that the group has been present since two decades in the financial center of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Standard Bank has subsidiaries in 21 African markets, including Nigeria, Ivory Coast, R&D Congo, Ghana and Zambia. It should not be limited to opening a representative office in the most populated country in the Arab world.