We’ve helped develop the Woodmead development, which is found on the KwaZulu Natal north coast. Standard Bank’s Integrated Residential Development division is developing top quality housing schemes for those who fall in the low to middle income households.

This project will include a residential area for 3 500 families, schooling, work opportunities as well as a commercial and light industrial community. Families living in the Woodmead Development can choose from a range of tenure options from freehold, sectional title and rental.

The past decade will be remembered for many things, but the recession is the biggest downer of the “noughties” and the backlash from these tough times will be with us for some time to come.

But it’s not all doom and gloom - Standard Bank’s economists say this is the start of a fresh, promising and flourishing decade. At last the time has come – the recession is over and things are looking up.

Are you and your friends IT wizards? Do you have what it takes to try your hand at Standard Bank’s annual IT Challenge?

Every year we run the Standard Bank IT Challenge for students in South African varsities. This year’s challenge kicks off with heats on 13 March at several campuses around South Africa. The finals will take place at our head office in Johannesburg on 15 April 2010.

We use the latest technologies to develop and maintain systems that support Standard Bank Group’s (SBG) global business. So do you have what it takes?

Over the past year, Standard Bank Group has put together a number of groundbreaking deals on behalf of our corporate clients around the world. One of these multi-million-US-dollar deals involved being the sole arranger of a US$15-million finance facility required by Agro Traders Ltd.

As one of Nigeria’s largest cocoa exporters. Agro Traders handles about 15% of the country’s cocoa output.

Standard Bank Group was announced the winner of “The New Economy” magazine’s award for Most Sustainable Bank (South Africa) during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, at the end of January.

The awards demonstrate that the business case for sustainable banking remains strong, despite the current economic environment. The New Economy magazine says “sustainable banking should not be confused with charity but acknowledged as doing serious business whilst offering win-win solutions”.

Standard Bank Group subscribes to The Equator Principles, which is a global benchmark for the financial industry to determine, assess and manage social and environmental risk in project financing.

The Equator Principles are based on the International Finance Corporation (IFC) performance standards on social and environmental sustainability; and on the World Bank Group’s Environmental, Health and Safety general guidelines that are applied globally and across all industry sectors by banks providing project finance.

The principles apply to all new project finance deals above US$10m.

At 4.30 this afternoon a man walked into the Sandridge Mall branch in Midrand with a suspicious package strapped to his body.

Ross Linstrom, Standard Bank media relations officer, said the branch staff immediately followed the security procedures required. The South African Police Services reacted promptly and the suspect was quickly arrested.

There were no hostages taken and no one was hurt. We would like to commend the police for their swift action.

Trauma counselors have been sent to the scene to assist shocked branch staff and customers.

Standard Online Share Trading is becoming the lowest minimum broker in South Africa on 25 January when the minimum trading fee drops to R50.

The decision to cut the fee will go a long way in making the share market more accessible to individuals in South Africa. Standard Online Share Trading fees have been dropping over the past five years because we believe that anybody with an ambition to save or invest should have direct access to the markets.