As money experts who do good, Nedbank sees the agricultural sector as pivotal to deliver on its objectives to be a responsible and value-based corporate citizen. Through its bigger-picture banking approach, Nedbank Commercial Banking leads a revived strategy for the Nedbank Group to increase its brand presence and, more importantly, contribute to the agri sector.

This banking approach has paid off, taking Nedbank’s strong brand presence in the wine industry to feature as a well-recognised and established brand across all subsectors and geographies of agriculture.

But this would not have been possible without key partnerships like the one with Senwes. Nedbank’s partnership with Senwes started in 2013 and over the years evolved into a strong cohesive intent to unlock value in the agri sector, driven by mutual appreciation of the widespread impact that agriculture has on sustainable development goals, including food security, job creation, community upliftment and the responsible use of natural resources.

The Senwes strategy, deeply entrenched by the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Francois Strydom and Chief Financial Officer Corne Kruger, is recognised by key underlying values: an appreciation of the bigger picture; respect for clients; a detailed understanding of the relevant value chains as well as the drivers of profitability and liquidity; and the focus and diligence to see it through.

These values of the Senwes strategy enabled it to be recognised and admired as one of the leading companies in the agri sector in South Africa. And as a highly regulated financial institution, Nedbank acknowledges and appreciates the corporate governance in Senwes.

Accolades like that don’t just happen. It manifests only through leadership that sets the tone at the top, and Strydom has led Senwes to this point. Through his humility, appreciation of his role as a responsible steward, respect for others, disciplined focus and world-class strategic thinking, Strydom has led Senwes to be a respected brand in the South African economy. His insights and guidance have also helped Nedbank to refine its vision and objectives for the agri sector, and the bank is proud to be part of the Senwes success story.

Through its dedicated and specialist agriculture and leverage-finance skills, Nedbank Commercial Banking partners with Senwes to achieve a well-structured, sustainable balance sheet that is strongly positioned to capitalise on the growth opportunities in the sector.

The Nedbank Commercial Banking bigger-picture approach goes beyond banking. Working with clients and partners to build sustainable balance sheets is an important goal, but it does not stop there. The aim is to unlock Nedbank’s full suite of solutions and expertise to help businesses to grow, start new ventures, develop comprehensive succession and continuity, and develop relevant enterprise and sustainable governance plans through innovative sustainable-development finance solutions.

To reflect the full rainbow-coloured inheritance of our country, Nedbank works with clients to transform their businesses in the broadest sense –from equitable participation in the economy and innovative thinking to fully embracing the opportunities presented through the fourth industrial revolution, with an emphasis on digital and data.

These aspirations can be achieved only through inspirational and value-driven partnerships. With the tone set by the CEO of Senwes, Nedbank is confident that, through its partnership with Senwes, the bank will continue to do its part to unlock value and growth in this important sector of the South African economy.