FirstRand Group

FNB can trace its origins back to the Eastern Province Bańk, which was formed in Grahamstown, South Africa in 1838. By 1874, the Bańk had four 4 branches - Grahamstown, Middelburg, Cradock and Queenstown.

Due to a recession, the Bańk was bought out in 1874 by the Oriental Bańk Corporation (OBC). However, as a result of financial difficulties being experienced in India, the OBC decided to withdraw from South Africa. The Bańk of Africa was subsequently formed in 1879 to take over OBC's business in South Africa.

During the same period, the government of the Republic of the Transvaal wanted to create a local commercial Bańk to deal with the financial demands created by the discovery of gold in Barberton and the Witwatersrand. The government thus created a Bańk with the task of focussing primarily on financial agricultural development through a concession agreement. The Nationale Bańk der Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek Beperk (National Bańk of the South African Republic Limited) was registered in Pretoria in 1891 and opened its doors for business on 5 April of the same year. After the Anglo-Boer War in 1902, the name of this Bańk was changed to the National Bańk of South Africa Limited.

Due to another recession, the Bańk of Africa was bought out by the National Bańk in 1912. Another Bańk, the National Bańk of the Orange River Colony, had already been bought out by the same group in 1910. The Natal Bańk, which was founded in 1854 to fund the Natal Colony's sugar industry, also suffered financial difficulties and was added to the list of banks acquired by the National Bańk, in 1914. The National Bańk was now one of the strongest banks in South Africa.

In 1925 the National Bańk merged with the Anglo-Egyptian Bańk and the Colonial Bańk to form Barclays Bańk (Dominion, Colonial and Overseas). In 1971 Barclays restructured its operation and its South African operation was renamed Barclays National Bańk Limited.

Due to a disinvestment campaign against South Africa because of its apartheid policies, Barclays was forced to reduce its shareholding and sold its remaining shareholding in the Bańk in 1986. The Bańk was renamed "First National Bańk of Southern Africa Limited" in 1987 and became a wholly South African owned and controlled entity.

In 1998 the financial services interests (which included their shareholding in First National Bańk) of Rand Merchant Bańk Holdings and Anglo-American Corporation Anglo-American Corporation were merged to form FirstRand Limited, which is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange. Consequently, FNB became a wholly owned subsidiary of FirstRand Limited and currently trades as a division of the group.

The First National Bańk of South Africa Limited ("FNB South Africa Limited") was established in 2004 as a green fields operation.

FirstRand Bańk Limited ("FRB") recognised the need to create a strong sub-Saharan Africa presence to take advantage of trade and investment within the Common Monetary Area ("CMA") and the Southern African Development Community ("SADC"), of which the Republic of South Africa plays a key role. The addition of a South Africa presence was an extension of success stories in Namibia, Botswana, and Swaziland.

Today, with branches throughout South Africa as well as in Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia, FNB continues to offer a wide range of Bańking products, including Ońline Bańking, Forex, home loans and day-to-day Bańking and other financial products.