Barclays Africa Group Limited and Absa Bank Limited: Ratings by Standard & Poors Ratings Services BARCLAYS AFRICA GROUP LIMITED (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) (Registration number: 1986/003934/06) ISIN: ZAE000174124 JSE share code: BGA (“Barclays Africa Group” or “BAGL”) ABSA BANK LIMITED Authorised financial services and registered credit provider (NCRCP7) Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa Registration number: 1986/004794/06 JSE share code: ABSP ISIN: ZAE000079810 (“Absa Bank”) BARCLAYS AFRICA GROUP LIMITED AND ABSA BANK LIMITED: RATINGS BY STANDARD & POOR’S RATINGS SERVICES (“S&P”) Notice is hereby given in terms of the Debt Listings Requirements of the JSE Limited that S&P has on 9 March 2016 downgraded the national scale ratings of BAGL and affirmed the national scale ratings of Absa Bank respectively. S&P has lowered the national scale ratings on BAGL to ‘zaA/zaA-2’ from ‘zaAA-/zaA-1’, while leaving Absa Bank’s national scale rating unchanged at 'zaAA-/zaA-1'. The rating actions follow the Barclays PLC announcement concerning the proposed sell down of its African operations over the next two to three years. S&P does not provide a rating outlook. Further details are available on S&P’s website or press release “Barclays Africa Group Downgraded To ‘zaA/zaA-2’; Subsidiary Absa Bank ’zaAA-/zaA-1’ Ratings Affirmed”. Johannesburg 9 March 2016 Enquiries: Nadine Drutman (Group Company Secretary) Nadine.Drutman@barclaysafrica.com Tel: 011 350 5347 Independent lead sponsor to Barclays Africa Group: J.P. Morgan Equities South Africa Proprietary Limited Joint sponsor to Barclays Africa Group: Corporate and Investment Bank, a division of Absa Bank Limited Date: 09/03/2016 04:20:00 Produced by the JSE SENS Department. The SENS service is an information dissemination service administered by the JSE Limited ('JSE'). The JSE does not, whether expressly, tacitly or implicitly, represent, warrant or in any way guarantee the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information published on SENS. The JSE, their officers, employees and agents accept no liability for (or in respect of) any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind or nature, howsoever arising, from the use of SENS or the use of, or reliance on, information disseminated through SENS.