Business and Commercial Banking (BCB) Risk, Commercial Lending Solutions Graduate Programme

Standard Bank Group is a leading Africa-focused financial services group, and an innovative player on the global stage, that offers a variety of career-enhancing opportunities – plus the chance to work alongside some of the sector’s most talented, motivated professionals. Our clients range from individuals, to businesses of all sizes, high net worth families and large multinational corporates and institutions. We’re passionate about creating growth in Africa. Bringing true, meaningful value to our clients and the communities we serve and creating a real sense of purpose for you.

We’re looking for talented individuals to join BCB Risk as Graduate Trainees within our Commercial Lending Solutions graduate programme. 

The aim of this 18-month graduate programme is to equip you with the skills, judgement, and practical experience required to become a well‑rounded Risk Practitioner within the BCB segment. Graduates are supported and guided by senior executives and managers responsible for BCB Risk portfolios across the bank. 

Through a structured series of rotations, you will gain hands‑on exposure to how risk is managed across the full lending value chain, building a strong foundation in Business Banking and progressing into Commercial and more complex lending environments. This approach ensures graduates develop both breadth and depth in risk-based decision-making across BCB. 

You will gain experience in a range of lending and risk areas, including: 

Lending Portfolios: 

• Commercial Asset Finance 
• Business Lending 
• Centralised Lending 
• Collections 
• Fleet and Wholesale Finance 
• Collateral Management 

Throughout the programme, graduates will develop an end‑to‑end understanding of the Commercial Lending lifecycle, including: 

• Gaining comprehensive insight into each stage of the credit risk process and its impact on business operations. 

• Developing a strong understanding of credit evaluation and risk decisioning, supporting asset growth objectives across the Commercial segments. 

• Partnering with business teams and applying an ecosystem‑based approach to understand and meet client lending needs, in support of Standard Bank’s Universal Financial Services Organisation aspiration. 

• Performing quantitative and qualitative analytics, analysing data to evaluate existing strategies and develop innovative challenger approaches that enhance Business and Commercial Banking portfolios. 

These experiences are designed to strengthen commercial judgement, inform risk‑based decision‑making, and support customer‑centric lending solutions. 

Why join Standard Bank? 

• Comprehensive Training – Receive in‑depth training from industry experts, building a solid foundation in commercial credit and risk management. 
• Professional Development – Benefit from mentorship, networking opportunities, and continuous learning resources to support your growth. 
• Real‑World Exposure – Work on meaningful projects and real lending cases that have a tangible impact on the business. 
• Career Pathways – The programme opens the door to long‑term career opportunities within BCB Risk and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank. 

Take the next step in your career journey and join a team that values innovation, collaboration, sound judgement, and excellence in lending risk solutions. 

Key responsibilities: 

During this 18‑month programme, graduates can look forward to developing the following capabilities and experiences: 

Credit Evaluation and Risk Decisioning 

• Develop a strong understanding of credit evaluation processes, ensuring high‑quality, well‑reasoned credit decisions are made within relevant product and segment credit policies. 

• Support the development and application of lending and risk strategies that proactively manage credit risk while enabling sustainable portfolio growth. 

End‑to‑End Credit Risk Lifecycle Exposure 

• Work closely with Credit Risk Management teams across the full lending lifecycle, including origination, evaluation, sanctioning, drawdown, and ongoing monitoring. 

• Assist with the preparation of credit agreements, fulfilment of pre‑conditions, release of limits, and management of post‑sanction and ongoing credit conditions. 

Risk Governance & Operational Excellence 

• Gain exposure to risk governance and operational processes, reviewing standard operating procedures and service level agreements to ensure alignment with internal credit policies, regulatory requirements, and best practice standards. 

Project & Delivery Support 

• Participate in projects and ad‑hoc initiatives that support lending strategy, process improvement, training, and the enhancement of customer journeys across Business and Commercial Banking. 

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration 

• Build strong working relationships within BCB Risk, the broader Lending Credit teams, and key business stakeholders by collaborating effectively across functions and portfolios. 

• Contribute to a culture of partnership between Risk and Business in delivering sound lending decisions. 

Client and Portfolio Engagement 

• Support business teams in developing a deeper understanding of clients, sectors, and portfolios, and in assessing whether lending opportunities align with approved risk appetite. 

• Apply both quantitative analysis and commercial judgement to support practical customer‑centric lending solutions. 

Postgraduate qualification (recently completed or completing in 2026): 

• BCom Accounting or SAICA endorsed Accounting Degree 

Postgraduate qualification to be completed by 31 December 2026. 

Minimum requirements:

• Must be a South African citizen. 
• Should you have work experience, it should not exceed 18 months.  
• Matric certificate to be submitted with application. 
• Full academic transcripts to be submitted with application for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. 

Programme duration: 18 months 

 

Application closing date: 30 June 2026