Absa Capital employees
Winning Together at Corporate Challenge

JOHANNESBURG, February 14, 2012 — Like many of the leading companies that will participate in the sold-out J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Johannesburg next month, Absa Capital will feature a team that has come to embrace the unique opportunity that South Africa's largest corporate running event offers.

With the sun setting at the famed Wanderers Club, runners start the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge. At this year's sold-out event, Absa Capital will join 279 other Johannesburg-area companies in a celebration of corporate fitness and camaraderie.

In fact, the 5.6-kilometre team road race and post-event party that will be held on Thursday, 8 March 2012 with an 18.30 race start at the storied Wanderers Club, is such an ideal way for Absa employees to come together that the team has again entered hundreds of its employees for a unique night of fitness and camaraderie.

Absa Capital first competed in Johannesburg in 2009. Buoyed by a fourth-place finish from Annah Watkinson, the company returned in 2010 with a team of more than 200 participants. Last year Absa Capital again was well represented by one of the largest teams in the sold-out field.

Absa Capital's solid participation reflects the popularity of the Corporate Challenge in Johannesburg. A total of 12,813 full-time employees from 280 companies registered for this year's event. This is the third time in eight years that registration has exceeded 12,000 and it is the second-largest crowd in Johannesburg Corporate Challenge history, just behind the 12,862 that gathered in 2010.

More than 200 of the companies, Absa Capital included, will have hospitality marquees within the cricket grounds of the Wanderers Club. The event is truly a celebration of corporate fitness, camaraderie and teamwork.

 “The Corporate Challenge is in line with our firm's values,” said Graeme Coetzee, Associate Principal, Marketing and Corporate Communications for Absa Capital. “In particular, the value of ‘Winning Together.’ The event is a good initiative for building company spirit and morale.

“The event is a great team builder, bringing together teams and individuals from across different disciplines across the firm,” Coetzee continued. “The event also caters for those who want to be competitive as well as those who just want to enjoy a fun run.”

For Absa Capital, which provides financing, risk management and advisory solutions in a wide range of currencies and structures, it is a classic way to promote its “Winning Together” initiative.

“Team members like representing their company and the hospitality following the race. There is a great sense of camaraderie around the event,” said Coetzee. “On race day, the firm provides transport to and from the venue and hosts a hospitality tent for all competing staff members. Results and photographs are published on the company intranet and articles are carried in the staff internal magazines.”