FirstRand- Updated Trading Statement in respect of the financial year ending 30

FirstRand- Updated Trading Statement in respect of the financial year ending 30 
           June 2005                                                            
Firstrand Limited                                                               
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)                                  
(Registration number: 1966/010753/06)                                           
ISIN: ZAE000066304                                                              
Share Code (JSE): FSR                                                           
Share Code (NSX): FST                                                           
("FirstRand" or "the Company")                                                  
Updated trading statement in respect of the financial year ending 30 June 2005, 
in compliance with the JSE Limited Listings Requirements.                       
FirstRand shareholders are referred to the trading statement released on SENS on
3 June 2005.  At the time of the SENS announcement the Group was expecting a    
foreign currency translation loss for the year, however the actual Rand:US      
Dollar rate at 30 June 2004 has resulted in a foreign currency translation      
profit for the year. In the comparative period in 2004 the Group incurred a     
foreign currency translation loss of R370 million.                              
As a consequence FirstRand shareholders are advised that the Group"s headline   
earnings per share (which includes foreign currency translation gains or losses)
and fully diluted headline earnings per share for the financial year ending 30  
June 2005 are expected to exceed the comparative period by between 25% to 35% as
opposed to between 20% and 25% as reported in the trading statement released on 
SENS on 3 June 2005.                                                            
Attributable earnings will exceed that of the corresponding reporting period by 
between 35% and 45% as opposed to between 25% and 30% as reported on in the     
trading statement released on SENS on 3 June 2005.                              
Included in the attributable earnings is a transfer from currency translation   
reserves of R346 million arising from the disposal of Ansbacher Holdings        
Limited.  This amount is excluded from the calculation of headline earnings.    
The financial information on which this trading statement is based has not been 
reviewed and reported on by the Company"s auditors.  The full details of the    
financial results will be released on SENS on 20 September 2005 and published in
the press on 21 September 2005.                                                 
12 September 2005                                                               
Sandton                                                                         
Merchant Bank and Sponsor                                                       
RAND MERCHANT BANK                                                              
(A division of FirstRand Bank Limited)                                          
Date: 12/09/2005 10:27:34 AM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
Produced by the JSE SENS Department