"Of the 32 billion kwanzas pipeline, 10 billion are already pre-approved credits. The Oil & Gas sector is quite dynamic and one of the most felt challenges in this industry was precisely the response time of the banks, from the request to the approval. To meet this need, one of the strategies we implemented in the market was precisely the pre-approvals", explained Fernando Chivinda.
The Oil & Gas sector currently represents more than 90 percent of Angola's exports and more than 60 percent of the Government's tax revenues, being an "important source of financing for the diversification of the economy, given that it allows the State to invest these resources in the transformation of the economy", considered Luís Teles, CEO of SBA.
"This is the most important sector of the Angolan economy and, at Standard Bank, we have invested in the creation of new products to support local content companies, throughout the Oil & Gas value chain, for the entire product chain. Today, we already have a team of six people exclusively dedicated to this sector, only in the Small and Medium Enterprises segment. We also have six more people dedicated to the oil sector in the Large Enterprises segment", highlighted Luís Teles.
According to the CEO of SBA, Standard Bank Angola currently has around 500 clients in the Oil & Gas sector, of which 350 are from the SME segment and 150 are from the Large Companies segment, and since the launch of the value proposition for this sector, in November 2024, there has been the entry of 30 new companies.
Standard Bank Angola's value proposition for the Oil & Gas sector is based on three fundamental pillars, which aim to respond to the specific needs of each client and boost their business.
"The first is customer focus, through a specialized and dedicated team to support the growth of our clients and their employees. The second is local content, through the development of trade products, such as invoice discounting, purchase orders and contract financing, with the aim of leveraging the real economy. Finally, the third pillar is the creation of specialized partnerships in legal regulation, sustainability, finance and commercial agreements, which allow us to have competitive advantages that add value to our clients' businesses", explained Diakiese Carlos, director of Business Solutions for Small and Medium-Sized Companies at SBA.
The value proposition is transversal to the three business areas - Small and Medium Enterprises, Large Enterprises and Individuals -, as the companies' employees can also enjoy specific benefits and products.
With on-site banking, employees of partner companies benefit from both face-to-face (on-site) and remote services through Standard Bank Days or Webinars.
The benefits for companies with a protocol include: exclusive credit conditions, with lower interest rates on credit products; ease of access to credit, in which, in addition to the exemption from the guarantor, employees can access credit products immediately after receiving their first salary; personalized service, with access to a dedicated and specialized point of contact who understands the context of the partner company's employees; customized solutions, aligned with the context and needs of employees; financial education programs, dedicated to employees of partner companies, with a view to providing them with opportunities for growth, better choices and financial results aligned with their life goals.
Also noteworthy is the housing loan with attractive interest rates for purchasing houses with REMAX, as well as the 'Take Now, Pay Later' credit, interest-free, which consists of the installment purchase of products from SBA partners, namely in MDC, Ishop, Centrooptico and Hiper Electro stores, with the payment, at the time of purchase, of just a fee of 10 percent of the value for granting personal credit up to a maximum of 30 million kwanzas.
"The value proposition for the Oil & Gas sector goes beyond a simple offer of products and services. It is a partnership, based on trust, innovation and continuous support to the companies that shape the future of Angola", highlighted Cláudia Viana, executive director of Private and Individual Banking at SBA, at the closing of the event, highlighting the institution's mission to "continue to invest in the economy and the development of employees, staff and companies, and to assume the role and function of being more than a bank".
