Absa Group Limited’s Barclays-branded subsidiaries in seven African countries namely Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania and Zambia – have been renamed as ‘Absa’, completing the name change across the continent.
Absa Group’s subsidiaries in Uganda and Mozambique were renamed in November.
The renaming of the remaining subsidiaries marks another substantial milestone in Absa’s separation from Barclays PLC, a three-year process scheduled for completion by mid 2020.
“More than a name change, this is a milestone that brings us closer to realising our ambition as a leading African bank to support growth and development on the continent and beyond,” said Absa Group chief executive Daniel Mminele. “We are now united under a single brand in 12 countries in Africa.”
Absa also has representative offices in London and New York.
The group-wide rebranding programme, one of the largest corporate rebranding projects in Africa currently, started with the launch of a refreshed visual identity in South Africa in July 2018 to reflect the group’s new identity as a standalone African bank. The name and brand change programme has seen the Absa logo replacing Barclays branding on thousands of asset types, including branches, offices, ATMs, uniforms, cards, stationary, forms, apps, websites and more.
“Today, we as the Absa Group, re-affirm our commitment to contributing to growth and economic development in Africa. We have a long-established and respected legacy in all our African markets, which will serve us well for the future,” said Peter Matlare, Absa Group deputy CEO and chief executive of Absa Regional Operations. “By adopting the Absa name, we are leveraging our rich African heritage in order to drive relevant initiatives that will further unlock our continent’s potential, deepen regional integration and support accelerated growth,” he said.