FSPP - FirstRand Limited - Firstrand raises R5 Billion as First South

    FSPP - FirstRand Limited - Firstrand raises R5 Billion as First South       
                               African Bank Taps European capital markets       
                                                                                
FirstRand Limited                                                           
    (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)                              
    (Registration number: 1966/010753/06)                                       
    ISIN: ZAE000070900                                                          
Share Code (JSE): FSPP                                                      
    ("FirstRand")                                                               
                                                                                
    FIRSTRAND RAISES R5 BILLION AS FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN BANK TAPS EUROPEAN       
CAPITAL MARKETS                                                             
                                                                                
    FirstRand Limited announced today that it has successfully raised an        
    initial R5 billion (US$500 million) from the European capital markets,      
utilizing subsidiary FirstRand Bank Limited`s Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN)  
    Programme. The EMTN programme is expected to raise a further R6 billion     
    over the next 2 to 3 years and FirstRand is the first South African banking 
    group to tap the European capital markets with this instrument.             


    Commenting Johan Burger, FirstRand CFO, said that the EMTN programme was a  
    key part of the Group`s funding strategy.                                   
                                                                                
"FirstRand`s primary objective is to secure funding at an optimal cost from 
    diversified and sustainable funding sources and we believe the EMTN         
    programme achieves this objective. For example in this initial draw-down of 
    R5billion we placed with 41 investors across 16 countries."                 


    Burger also said that the pricing of 50 bps over the Euro 3 month rate      
    reflected European debt investors` comfort with both South African risk and 
    FirstRand`s quality portfolio.                                              


    "The paper was placed in global banking rather than emerging market         
    portfolio`s which suggests that investors see the South African banking     
    sector on a par with other developed markets" he said.                      
Burger confirmed that further funding would be required to support the      
    Group`s growth strategy both domestically and internationally and that      
    FirstRand would continue to look at a range of instruments and funding      
    sources.                                                                    


    "The success of the EMTN programme allows us to establish the FirstRand     
    name in these very deep and liquid markets, which should create further     
    opportunities to use a range of similar instruments in the future" he said. 


    The European arrangers of the EMTN Programme were Royal Bank of Scotland    
    and Citi. Rand Merchant Bank acted as co-arranger.                          
                                                                                
Ends                                                                        
                                                                                
    Enquiries contact:                                                          
    Sam Moss, Director Investor Relations                                       
+2711 2821341                                                               
    Sam.moss@firstrand.co.za                                                    
                                                                                
    Sandton                                                                     
25 June 2007                                                                
                                                                                
    Sponsor                                                                     
    RAND MERCHANT BANK (A division of FirstRand Bank Limited)                   
Date: 25/06/2007 17:42:18 Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
Produced by the JSE SENS Department.