On 11 March 2011, Standard Bank Group announced a transaction where a 36.4% investment in Troika Dialog Group, together with the controlling stake owned by TDM Limited Partnership, would be acquired by Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank. Under the terms of this agreement, Standard Bank Group would receive an upfront payment of US$372 million. They would participate in an earn-out payment based on the performance of Troika Dialog over the three financial years, ending in 2013. ...

Economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa will remain subdued at about 5% in 2012 in line with an expected slowdown in global growth activity, but none of the continent’s key economies are expected to slip into recession....

Standard Bank Group has advised on merger and acquisition deals worth more than R10-billion recently between Chinese companies and companies on the African continent. Two large deals were concluded in 2011, namely the US$1.3-billion Metorex sale to Jinchuan, which was completed on Monday and the 25% sale of the Shanduka Group to China Investment Corporate for R2-billion, completed in December....