Tell us about your organisation, its activities in Africa, and the journey to date.

Standard Bank has 150 years of history in South Africa and started building its franchise in countries outside of South Africa in the early 1990’s. Standard Bank currently operates in 18 countries on the African continent, including South Africa. Liberty, a subsidiary of Standard Bank and Africa’s largest health insurance provider operates in 26 countries across the African continent.

Please dispel some misconceptions about healthcare in Africa and identify some areas of growth and opportunities.

Standard Bank recognises the transformative role financial institutions can play in making access to quality healthcare services a reality for all on the African continent. Financing Healthcare providers, infrastructure and equipment and providing support for business development and transformation within the healthcare sector has been and continues to be a key focus area.

Highlight your areas of expertise and the solutions targeted towards the development of healthcare in the African continent.

Standard Bank’s group-wide capabilities enable it to provide comprehensive support to every link in the healthcare value chain – from specialised banking solutions for medical practitioners and their healthcare practices to the innovative BeWell platform which enables companies to offer cost-effective primary healthcare benefits to employees who are typically unable to access private healthcare services. The Standard Bank team has pioneered the provision of funding and advisory services for greenfield projects such as the building of new hospitals and clinics and supporting empowered acute care groups and pharmaceutical companies. Our partnership with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) has enabled the financing of specialist healthcare equipment.

Tell us about your investments, partnerships and upcoming goals for the next 12 months.

Standard Bank's goal is to leverage its footprint in Africa and specialist knowledge of the healthcare sector to partner with its clients to achieve customised financial solutions.

What will you be showcasing at Africa Health and what opportunities are you looking forward to at the event?

Standard Bank’s groupwide capabilities including its product and financing expertise and knowledge of the Healthcare sector across the African continent will be showcased at the conference. We look forward to partnering with members of the healthcare value chain to customise financial solutions to meet their needs.