Standard Bank loans up 50% in 2011

Johannesburg - Standard Bank Group [JSE:SBK], Africa’s largest lender, lent R75bn to its South African personal and business customers in 2011, nearly 50% more than the previous year.

Home loans rose R34bn, Peter Schlebusch, the CEO of personal and business banking, said in a statement on Thursday. Loans to the affordable housing segment grew 54%, he said.

Standard Bank will post its full-year financial results in March. Its shares closed Thursday’s session at R106.16, up 7.5% this year.