Investec targeting mid-tier businesses with new commercial banking unit

Investec has reported a resilient performance in a 'challenging' macro-economic environment for the half year to end-September 2025.

This resulted in relatively flat growth of 2.5% in adjusted earnings per share, to 40.5 pence.

Investec still delivered R9 billion in returns to shareholders over the past year, through ordinary dividends and share buybacks.

The group said its revenue was supported by ongoing client acquisition, client activity, growth in average lending portfolios, and continued net inflows in discretionary and annuity funds under management (FUM).

The global bank and wealth manager has a Dual Listed Companies (DLC) structure with linked companies listed in London and Johannesburg.

Attributable earnings rose just 1.7% to £357 million over the six-month period.

Nonetheless, the group increased its interim dividend by 6%, to 17.5 pence a share.

Investec is also on track with plans to'enhance the breadth of our client offering' which includes what it describes as a corporate-style offering with a private banking service.

Acknowledging that the banking space has become very competitive, Investec SA CEO Cumesh Moodliar outlines how their offering will differentiate Investec in the mid-market corporate space.

He also notes that they will be leveraging existing capability.

"We believe we have a service-differentiated model, and in South Africa we already have more than a nascent business in that space with 3.000 active clients that we've already banked."

Investec has set a target of reaching 8,000 clients in this mid-tier business segment over the next five years.

"What distinguishes us in our service offering is that we're bringing a private banking style of service to the mid-market corporate segment - personalised, 24/7, with a highly competitive digital and online capability."

Scroll up to the audio player to hear more detail from the Investec SA CEO