Opening the Eastern
Cape to the World

That blend of local and global reflects Absa CIB’s Global Corporate (GC) relationship model, which covers both the local subsidiaries as well as their global parents. “While we are a client-led organisation, we are centre-enabled, having the capability to service our clients in the region through support and enablement from the Centre across product coverage and operations to deliver solutions regionally,” says Shefer. “This gives us the ability to be more responsive and accountable through our active engagement with our GC clients locally and at an HQ Treasury level.”

That enables distributed leadership, where Shefer and her Eastern Cape regional colleagues can provide tailor-made solutions for those clients, knowing that they have the in-house expertise to deliver. “We have a relationship model with a single point of contact, so if I see a client and they require, for example, asset finance or trade finance, when I get back to the office I’ll bring in the relevant specialist and we’ll prepare an application,” she says.

All of that is underpinned by deeply entrenched, long-term client relationships – many of which span decades. “We’ve retained those relationships by remaining relevant,” says Shefer, “and we’ve remained relevant through ongoing engagement, knowing what our clients’ requirements are, understanding their challenges and tailoring solutions to meet those requirements.”

It also comes with the years of experience that one finds in smaller areas like the Eastern Cape, where the regional team has a wealth of local, on-the-ground experience. “We’re like a family,” says Shefer. “My Portfolio Manager Janine Benjamin and I have been working together for more than 20 years, and our Trade Specialist Azeeza Abrahams has been with the bank for as long as I can remember. Our combined experience is quite incredible.”