Johannesburg - JSE-listed Barclays Africa Group [JSE:BGA], better known as Absa bank, will continue to be careful who it does business with in its “chase” to get to a leading position in the markets in which it has operations, according to CEO Maria Ramos.
“We were very prudent last year and before. We have not written any business we are not comfortable with,” Ramos said at a results presentation.
“We will continue lending to the right segments, within the right parameters. That is our objective.”
She said the lender was well capitalised.
Ramos made these comments as the bank posted a 14% increase to R11.8bn in headline earnings for the period to December 2013, boosted by lower “credit impairments” in commercial property and retail mortgages.
Barclays Africa also plans to be among the top three banks in South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, Zambia and Kenya in the next 36 months.
“We were very prudent last year and before. We have not written any business we are not comfortable with,” Ramos said at a results presentation.
“We will continue lending to the right segments, within the right parameters. That is our objective.”
She said the lender was well capitalised.
Ramos made these comments as the bank posted a 14% increase to R11.8bn in headline earnings for the period to December 2013, boosted by lower “credit impairments” in commercial property and retail mortgages.
Barclays Africa also plans to be among the top three banks in South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, Zambia and Kenya in the next 36 months.