IslamicFinance.de

Absa Islamic Banking business has seen growth across South Africa and the continent in recent years. The appointment of Uwaiz Jassat as the head of Islamic Banking will further help the Group to achieve its goals regarding Islamic Banking. Uwaiz has been in an acting role heading up Islamic Banking since October 2013. In this time Islamic Banking has enjoyed growth with more than 120,000 customers across the continent. Uwaiz joined Absa in 2009 and held a number of roles in the financial services industry in prior years. Apart from his leadership of the Islamic Banking team he brings with him additional skills having founded Takaful South Africa – an Islamic insurance offering.

NEW tax laws will level the playing field between Islamic banks and conventional banking, say banking and tax analysts. The new laws are intended to encourage foreign direct investment into SA, says Amman Muhammad, MD for Absa Islamic Banking. Islamic banking is in its infancy in SA. Albaraka Bank and the Islamic Bank were the first Islamic banks to be granted a licence by the Reserve Bank in the 1980s. The proposed amendments to the Income Tax Act take into account three different types of Islamic financing on which one can develop products. First , mudurabah, a form of deposit where the client invests with a bank and, the bank invests deposits in Sharia -compliant enterprises or products. Second , murabaha, which is a mark-up financing transaction offered by a bank so that a client can obtain financing for various assets, such as property and equipment. Third, diminishing musharaka, a partnership arrangement usually used for project financing. Mr Muhammad hopes that the implementation of a sovereign sukuk (Islamic bond) will be the next step by the government.