FNB has given a welcome shot in the arm for efforts to revive the economic prospects of KwaZulu-Natal by occupying a new eco-friendly building in Pietermaritzburg.
Purpose built for the needs of the bank’s employees and clients, the new campus is located on Chatterton Road, a corridor that has seen significant corporate expansion in the last decade.
“Our presence in Pietermaritzburg is crucial to making us even more accessible to our retail and commercial clients across all key nodes in the province,” said FNB CEO, Jacques Celliers. “KwaZulu-Natal makes a significant contribution to the country’s economic growth, and we regard ourselves as partners in reviving the economic prospects of the province, as we do across all other areas of the country.
“The campus will house several brands in our group, putting all of us in a better position to support our clients who contribute to the regional economy.”
The building features a solar shading inverter-based heating system, low-energy lighting systems, ventilation, indigenous water-wise plants incorporated into the landscaping and air-conditioning systems, as well as LED motion-activated sensor lighting.
Most of the materials and features used in the construction were locally sourced. Although it will initially house 120 employees, the building has a capacity of 250.
Asheen Magjee, Provincial Head of FNB Commercial in KwaZulu-Natal, said, “The building is equipped with cutting-edge trade tools, such as high-tech audio-visual equipment for virtual meetings, as well as ample space for in-person interactions between employees and clients”.
He said the facility includes collaboration spaces for employees to share ideas, and all meeting rooms feature acoustic double-glazed windows to ensure privacy during client consultations. Employees have access to any conference room via a reservation system, and hot desks can be reserved via the FNB App.
“Our decision to lease this property from one of our clients, Innov8 Property Group, is a firm demonstration of our commitment to collaborating with clients on their financial needs and supporting them in their core business ventures,” Magjee said.
