Bidvest Bank sees renewed interest following failed Access Bank acquisition

THERE has been a “flurry of interest” to buy Bidvest Bank after its acquisition by Access Bank collapsed, Bidvest CE Mpumi Madisa said Monday.

- EDWARD WEST

The deal with Access Bank was thwarted last month because the required approvals were not obtained prior to the transaction deadlines; the transaction lapsed at the end of January 2026. Madisa said in an interview Monday the main problem with the Access Bank deal had been having to deal with the regulators in two different banking jurisdictions. “The sale process has been relaunched, and we remain confident in our ability to successfully execute this disposal and will accelerate transaction timeframes, she said.

Speaking at the release of group results for the six months to December 31, she said such was the level of interest, she expected they would be able to finalise the sale and obtain the cash for the deal by the end of the calendar year.