Barclays Bank (Seychelles) Limited officially becomes Absa Bank (Seychelles) Limited |10 February 2020

Barclays Bank (Seychelles) Ltd is now officially Absa Bank (Seychelles) Ltd (Photos: Thomas Meriton)

Absa Bank (Seychelles), a subsidiary of Absa Group Limited, has received the licence to operate and trade under its new name from the Central Bank of Seychelles.

Formerly known as Barclays Bank Seychelles, the name change marks the start of a new era for the bank’s operations, one that sees the realisation of an ambition to become an independent African bank.

“Today (February 10, 2020) we begin a new chapter as Absa Bank Seychelles, adopting our parent company’s name and brand while retaining our indelible commitment to Seychelles and its people. Our new brand is a commitment to Seychelles and to the wider continent: Absa is a truly African bank, with global scalability and reach,” said Johan Van Schalkwyk, managing director of Absa Bank Seychelles.

The company, which has been operating in Seychelles for over 60 years, reiterated its commitment to the country’s growth and economic development under the Absa brand.

“We have invested in crucial sectors of development of the national economy, including trade, agriculture, SMEs, infrastructure and investments. We will continue to play a critical role by investing in these sectors without neglecting the ordinary citizen who seeks quality financial services and safe investments for their hard-earned money,” said Mr Van Schalkwyk.

For customers, there will be no change to their account details and there will be no fee changes associated with the name change. The bank’s branches will continue to operate as usual.

From today, Monday February 10, 2020, all new cards and chequebooks will be issued under the Absa brand. Barclays branded cards will continue to work as normal until their date of expiry.

Customers are being urged to be particularly vigilant during this time, as fraudsters are always looking for opportunities to obtain important personal information.

Mr Van Schalkwyk reaffirmed that the bank would remain a significant player in the banking and financial services sector in Seychelles and a contributor to Seychelles’ economy.

“As Absa, our ambition is to become a digitally-led bank that is centred around the ever-changing needs of customers. We believe we have a role to play and intend to leverage digital technology to expand reach and access of financial services but also provide affordable services.”

Contributed