With the sounding of a kudu horn by CEO Maria Ramos in the JSE's atrium, Absa shed blue and one of the last remnants of its history with Barclays plc. The cheer from executives clad in corporate wear with twinges of red heralded the end of the British bank's 100-year history on the continent. The group now has the task of changing its name to Absa across the continent. While Barclays Africa Group is no more, Absa has the right to use the name until June 2020. Peter Matlare, deputy CEO responsible for the rest of Africa, said that while they had the time it did not mean that Absa would wait until June 2020 to drop the Barclays name. "Most of the separation from Barclays, the complex part, takes place across the 10 banks on the continent. "So we are making sure we are doing that in a manner that when we launch the brand externally we have ... the capability that makes sure we are delivering better than a brand that had been there for 100 years," he said. But the group has a tough job ...
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