银行总裁告诉你:企业是如何赚钱的

You are well out of the latest turmoil because of obviously geographic and your investment portfolio profile. So to that extent, you are sitting pretty, but, there is always a “but”, if, if the other countries go down, you can't stand in the way, can you? You are gonna get hit as well.

Of course, yeah, I think we saw in the last crisis, that Standard Bank wasn't hit despite, you know, pretty broad geographic footprint. We weren't hit in the crisis, but we suffered the consequences that came with the general slowdown and across many of our markets. So it was a much delayed and muted effect. So of course, if we have another crisis and we have a double-dip, then that must filter through to many of the African countries and the markets that we link with, China, Brazil and so forth, which are important to us. But one would like to think that we are somewhat isolated.

You've got the investments and you've got cooperations with the biggest banks in China, are you concerned with what you see with the tightening going on, both the official tightening levels and the liquidity requirements now, that China is slowing down?

Well, I think, I think it is. But everything in life is relative. And I think most countries would, would really kill for Chinese growth rates. So I think, (it is a) everything is relative in life, but certainly, our experience with ICBC, the biggest bank in China and in the world, who is our partner, you know, they are still very supportive. We've just done a deal with them where they have taken over a big shareholding of ours in Argentina. And so I think they are still very much in expansion mode, certainly as a banking sector.

And if we look at your, the home, your own country, if we look at South Africa, there are still some very real concerns aren’t there, on, on the government debt side, on the jobs question/, on the poverty question and on the economic growth question. Gold at $1,800 an ounce will not be the savior, if you like, for South Africa's economy.

No, I, of course, I think most of the factors you mention are correct. The government's debt situation in South Africa is really extremely strong. So I think that is not a concern at all, but clearly, poverty, inequality and high unemployment rates that could, you know, lead to social issues, clearly are things that we are, you know, engaging and debating furiously in this country. They’re featured in the press every day. So South Africa certainly has a lot of its own issues, but financially, has been incredibly well managed over many years now and continues to be.