- David Hodnett, Standard Bank South Africa CEO
Standard Bank has been named South Africa’s most valuable financial services brand and the country’s second most valuable brand overall in the 2026 Kantar BrandZ Top 30 Most Valuable South African Brands ranking. Standard Bank’s brand value increased by 54% to US$4.724 billion, from US$3.066 billion in the previous ranking in 2024, outpacing the 47% growth recorded by the Top 30 brands collectively.
Kantar BrandZ rankings combine a brand’s financial value with the contribution made by consumer perceptions and demand. Kantar says the strongest brands are woven into everyday life, trusted through uncertainty and built on something genuinely different. Standard Bank’s result therefore reflects both the performance of the business and the strength of the relationships the brand has built with clients.
David Hodnett, Standard Bank South Africa CEO, says: “Being named South Africa’s most valuable financial services brand is a significant endorsement of the trust, relevance and confidence that clients continue to place in Standard Bank. The result reflects the role we play as a partner in our clients’ journey of growth. Our commitment is not only to help clients reach a destination, but to embrace the full journey with them, whether they are building financial resilience, growing an enterprise, investing in infrastructure or expanding into new markets. By combining deep local insight, specialist expertise and the connected capabilities of Standard Bank Group, we are able to help clients turn ambition into progress.”
This positioning is anchored in Standard Bank’s purpose, Africa is our home, we drive her growth, and its Keep Growing brand narrative. It recognises that growth is rarely linear and that clients need a trusted partner able to support them through changing life stages, business cycles and market conditions. The bank’s focus is therefore on building lasting relationships and delivering relevant solutions across personal, business, corporate and investment banking.
That promise is supported by targeted investment in technology, data and digital infrastructure that strengthens service, resilience and security across the Group. Across the Group, modernised core systems, cloud, artificial intelligence and payments capabilities are being used to reduce friction, improve reliability and give clients more personalised and connected experiences.
The 2026 ranking also provides a broader Standard Bank Group story. Liberty recorded a strong performance, complementing Standard Bank’s result and reinforcing the value of bringing banking, insurance, investment and asset-management capabilities together around clients’ full financial lives. Liberty’s progress builds on its improvement from US$328 million and 27th place in 2023 to US$362 million and 24th place in 2024.
“These results demonstrate the strength of a Group that can serve clients through more of their growth journey. Standard Bank and Liberty are distinct brands, but together they demonstrate the breadth of expertise and capability available to clients, from everyday banking and business growth to protection, investment and long-term wealth creation.” Says Hodnett
Standard Bank has strengthened its Kantar BrandZ position over the past five years, moving from fourth place in 2021 and 2022 to second place from 2023. Its brand value has more than doubled from US$2.350 billion in 2021 to US$4.724 billion in 2026.
The Kantar BrandZ result follows other recent recognition for Standard Bank:
• South Africa’s most AI-mature bank and second overall in the Middle East and Africa in the inaugural Evident AI Index for Banks, as well as first in the Index’s Innovation pillar across the region.
• Top honours across six categories at the Euromoney Private Banking Awards 2026, including Africa’s Best Private Bank, Africa’s Best for Family Office Services and Africa’s Best for High-Net-Worth Clients.
• Recognition across several categories at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026.
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