S.Africa's Standard bank to begin Angola ops in Q4

LISBON, July 14 (Reuters) - Africa's biggest bank by assets, Standard Bank (SBKJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research), will start banking operations in Angola in the fourth quarter of 2008, Angolan news agency Angop cited the bank's chairman as saying on Monday.

Following a four-day visit to Angola, Clive Tasker told Angop local authorities would soon clear the way for Standard Bank to convert its current representative office into a bank.

Standard Bank will invest $25 million to begin its operations in Angola and may double that amount in coming years, he said. The group said last year it aimed to become a bigger player in key African countries.

Angola is experiencing an unprecedented economic boom due to rising oil exports and prices and an investment bonanza aimed at rebuilding the country after a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002.

The country, which recently surpassed Nigeria as Africa's biggest oil producer, has a total of 17 banks, but only four of them control about 80 percent of the market.

Analysts expect Angola's banking system to experience tremendous growth in coming years, given that only 10 percent of the Angolan population has access to banking services.

Banco Fomento de Angola (BFA), owned by Portuguese bank BPI BPI.LS, is the largest private bank in Angola with over 100 branches and $4 billion in assets. (Reporting by Henrique Almeida; Editing by David Cowell)