Employer of choice for young graduate talent in South Africa
Standard Bank, the biggest bank in Africa by assets, has been named the 2025 Employer of Choice across all industry sectors, and the Employer of Choice in the Commercial & Retail Banking sector, by the South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) at its gala awards evening held in Johannesburg.
SAGEA is a non-profit professional association dedicated to graduate employment in South Africa, providing insight, resources and support to their 180-member organisations.
Now in their 15th year, the SAGEA Awards celebrate the achievements of South Africa’s leading graduate employers. This is the third time the bank has been recognised as the overall Employer of Choice and the thirteenth time it has received the Commercial and Retail Banking sector award.
"We’ve been investing in talented young graduates for close to three decades through our award-winning Graduate Development Programme. This is a powerful testament to our purpose of driving Africa’s growth,” says Sharon Taylor, Chief People & Culture Officer at Standard Bank Group.
“Since inception, more than 4 000 graduates have taken their first career steps with us through our various programmes, and more than half of them still work for us today. Many others have gone on to do well in allied industries and have become great partners and clients over the years.”
“We are deeply honoured to receive this recognition from SAGEA. What makes these awards especially meaningful is that they are decided entirely by South Africa’s young graduate job seekers who have received confirmed job offers from the country’s graduate employers.”
“Africa’s young people are an important part of the story Standard Bank will write into the future. We will continue to hire young talent with curiosity, a passion for making a difference, and who have high potential to become future leaders of the business - people whose values align with ours and who are energised by our culture and environment. These awards underscore this endeavour,” concludes Taylor.