Nedbank has been recognised as the No. 1 banking and financial services employer in Africa in the Forbes World’s Best Employers 2026 rankings, reaffirming its position as one of the continent’s leading employers and a destination of choice for top talent.
Nedbank ranked 26th globally among more than 800 organisations assessed worldwide, making it the highest-ranked African banking and financial services institution on the list. The group was also ranked among the top three banking employers globally
Nedbank improved significantly from its 49th position in 2025 to 26th globally in 2026, underscoring the impact of its ongoing focus on organisational effectiveness, employee engagement and building a great place to work.
Andee Uren, Nedbank Executive Head: Organisation Effectiveness, says the recognition reflects the bank’s continued investment in its people, culture and leadership.
“Being recognised as Africa’s leading banking and financial services employer is a significant achievement for Nedbank and a testament to the exceptional people who bring our purpose and values to life every day. Ranking among the top employers globally demonstrates that organisations from Africa can compete with the very best in the world when it comes to creating meaningful employee experiences and high-performing workplace cultures.”
Uren says the recognition reflects how employees experience Nedbank as a place where they can contribute, grow and build meaningful careers.
“This recognition matters because it reflects the lived experiences of our people. It reinforces the strong connection between an engaged workforce, exceptional client experiences and sustainable business performance. We are committed to creating an environment where employees feel empowered to innovate, grow and make a meaningful impact.”
Nedbank’s employee value proposition is built around meaningful work, continuous learning, inclusion and opportunities for growth. Its challenger culture encourages employees to question convention, test new ideas and help shape the future of banking.
The bank actively gathers employee feedback through its Voice of Employee ecosystem, including pulse surveys, organisational health assessments, employee lifecycle surveys, focus groups and exit feedback. These insights help shape improvements in leadership capability, ways of working and the overall employee experience.
Initiatives such as the Talent Marketplace, leadership development programmes, wellbeing offerings and employee-led diversity, equity and inclusion forums provide employees with opportunities to develop new skills, build careers and contribute across the organisation. An online peer-to-peer recognition platform further enables employees to celebrate colleagues who demonstrate The Nedbank Way through their contributions and behaviours.
“This recognition belongs to every Nedbank employee. Their passion, commitment and dedication have made this achievement possible. As we continue investing in technology, artificial intelligence, skills development and future-fit ways of working, we remain focused on building an organisation where our people can thrive, our clients can prosper and our communities can succeed.”
According to the Forbes 2026 rankings, other South African institutions featured on the list include Standard Bank Group (54), Absa (98), FirstRand (104), Investec (197) and Sanlam (470).
Nedbank improved significantly from its 49th position in 2025 to 26th globally in 2026, underscoring the impact of its ongoing focus on organisational effectiveness, employee engagement and building a great place to work.