- Profit before taxes surged 45% to P420m yoy in June 2024 from P290m
- Net interest income up 20.5% despite cumulative rate cuts of 50 basis points
- Credit impairment charges down 63.5% despite growth in loans and advances
GAZETTE REPORTER
Stanbic Bank Botswana Limited has reported a robust financial performance for the first half of 2024, showcasing resilience in a challenging economic environment.
The bank’s net interest income (NII) saw a remarkable year-on-year growth of 20.5 percent, rising from P538 million in the prior period, despite two monetary policy rate cuts of 25 basis points each in December 2023 and June 2024, leading to a cumulative 50-basis point reduction.
Net interest income, a key indicator of a bank’s profitability, reflects the difference between the revenue generated from interest-bearing assets, such as personal and commercial loans, mortgages and securities, and the expenses incurred on interest-bearing liabilities like customer deposits.
Loan book optimisation
Stanbic’s substantial growth in this area was largely driven by strategic loan book optimisation and robust credit risk management.
The CEO of Stanbic Botswana, Chose Modise, attributed the NII growth to the bank’s strategic initiatives. “Our focus on loan book optimisation strategies, supported by strong credit risk management philosophies, has been instrumental in driving this growth,” he said.
“The increase in transactional volumes, new client partnerships, and improvements in fee and commission income further bolstered our performance, resulting in a 3 percent growth in non-interest income during the period.”
In addition to these revenue gains, Stanbic Bank demonstrated significant efficiency improvements. Credit impairment charges dropped by 63.5 percent, from P24 million in the prior period, despite growth in loans and advances.
Notable retrenchments
This reduction is particularly noteworthy, given the backdrop of economic uncertainties and notable retrenchments in certain sectors.
Modise emphasised the importance of risk management in achieving these results, noting that the credit loss ratio closed at 0.25 percent, a marked improvement from 0.7 percent in June 2023.
“Our success in managing credit risk is the result of effective collections and rehabilitation strategies, executed through the use of data analytics and insights,” he explained.
Future-proofing operations
“We have also continued to enhance our systems and drive data quality, which has been crucial in maintaining robust risk management practices.”
Operating expenses for the period reflected an overall growth of 6 percent, rising from P426 million in 2023 to P450 million.
This increase was largely driven by a 13 percent rise in operating expenses, which Modise linked to strategic initiatives aimed at future-proofing the bank’s operations.
“Our cost growth is aligned with our strategic goals of growing our people, aligning our processes to a future-proof operating model, and enhancing system stability to improve transactability and client experience,” he said.
Client trust
He added that cost optimisation initiatives are in place to promote operational efficiencies both in the short and long-term, as evidenced by the improved cost-to-income ratio.
The bank’s profit before taxes surged by 45 percent, climbing from P290 million in June 2023 to P420 million in June 2024, thanks to a focus on balance sheet optimisation and the stabilisation of system performance that has restored client trust and enhanced transactability.
“Our development programmes have borne fruit, and our workforce is now stronger, more skilled and efficient than ever,” he said. “They have the skills set to address our clients’ rapidly changing needs.”
Market liquidity
Stanbic Bank’s deliberate focus on improving the quality of its loan book has also paid off, resulting in a significant reduction in credit impairments and a rebalancing of portfolios across segments.
Modise highlighted the positive impact of recent pension fund regulations, which increased market liquidity and drove a reduction in the cost of liquidity, further contributing to the bank’s strong performance.
“These focus areas have not only driven the 20.5 percent growth in net interest income but also influenced a 9.8 percent growth in our loans and advances and a 9.1 percent increase in deposits,” he said.