Standard Bank has made a number of changes to its structured trade and commodity finance (STCF) teams.

Varity-Linn Smith, Neville Raman, Rene Koekemoer and Ebrahim Hoosain have joined the bank’s transactional management unit in Johannesburg, where they will report to Murray McDonic , head of transaction management, investment banking operations.

Simone Hutchings, structured trade and commodity finance manager has rejoined the Johannesburg-based team, reporting to director of investment banking Megan McDonald.

Hutchings returns after a secondment period with the bank’s London team.

Kevin Holmes has also changed roles, and has moved to the bank’s trade product management team for Africa from the financial institutions group.

Tunji Fabamiqge has returned to Nigeria after a period with the STCF team in Johannesburg.

Finally, Sarah Parsons, transaction manger, structured trade and commodity finance is being seconded to Standard Bank’s London office from Johannesburg, where she will work with head of trade finance and services Anne-Marie Woolley in the bank’s STCF team.

Craig Polkinghorne, Standard Bank’s global head and director of structured trade and commodity finance, says: “The bank has identified African trade as a growth opportunity as African commodities become more relevant to global growth. In addition, African economies are demonstrating growth in excess of those experienced by developed economies.”

“Standard Bank, with its local African presence, linked to its cross-border banking expertise, is ideally positioned to deliver appropriate solutions to clients trading with, and in, Africa. This includes opportunities linked to natural resources across all Africa’s regions,” he adds.