FNB and FirstRand Foundation: Helping South Africans 'get to greatness', one learner at a time

702's Bongani Bingwa interviews Harry Kellan, CEO of First National Bank (FNB).

Listen below:

"How can we help you?" – For FNB, this isn’t just a slogan. It’s a guiding principle woven into the fabric of the organisation.

Kellan explains that FNB stands for innovation with purpose – creating solutions that serve both customers and society at large. 

"If you say you serve society and you are part of society, not caring cannot be an option...Care is ingrained as part of the business."

- Harry Kellan, CEO – First National Bank 

Over the past two decades, the FirstRand Foundation (FRF) and FNB have made Early Childhood Development (ECD) a key focus area.

In the last four years alone, over R100 million has been invested in training teachers, developing digital learning tools, and creating resources for children with disabilities—all aimed at building a stronger foundation for lifelong learning.

Kellan says their goal is to enhance the quality of education by strengthening children's skills in reading, writing, math, and digital literacy from ages 4 to 13.

This is accomplished by training educators, broadening access to quality learning materials, and supporting instruction in children's home languages.

Beyond early education, Kellan states that the foundation supports learners throughout their academic journeys by offering bursaries from primary school to tertiary education.

He adds that the ultimate aim is not merely education for its own sake, but to open pathways to employment and help people “get to greatness.”

"If you give appropriate skills and learning and training to early childhood, that has a substantial meaningful impact to their lives."

-Harry Kellan, CEO – First National Bank 

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.