Huawei and Standard Bank have announced that the new Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design devices will feature in the VIP financial offerings available to Standard Bank customers in South Africa.

Likun Zhao, General Manager for Huawei Consumer Business Group SA has confirmed the offer of Huawei devices for purchase on a pre-instalment plan at Standard Bank, nearly twenty years after the technology company entered the South African market.

"We are delighted to be partnering with an innovative banking institution such as Standard Bank and believe that moving forward with such a partner, we will be able to offer customers our products at a valued rate," said Zhao.

Standard Bank and Huawei have committed to a MoU which emphasises the creation of opportunities for both parties to showcase their offerings.

"Customers will be able to see these offerings on the Standard Bank UCount online mall, a rewards programme that lets you collect rewards points when you shop with your qualifying Standard Bank personal credit, cheque or debit cards," reads a joint statement from the companies.

Luvuyo Masinda, Chief Financial Officer for the Corporate and Investment Banking Division at ‎Standard Bank Group, which has established links with China through the 2007 purchase of a 20% stake in the bank's shares for approximately USD5.5 billion at the time by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (ICBC), says the agreement is will give the bank greater reach in Africa.

"Standard Bank believes the partnership advocates what we stand for - which is growing Africa. Universal financial services are integral to our vision and we believe this partnership between the two players will enable us to reach and deliver our universal products as we continue to move Africa forward," said Masinda.

Standard Bank opened its first dedicated Africa China Banking Centre (ACBC), which aims to provide a platform to link African and Chinese clients with China's digital banking and customer knowledge systems, at its offices in Johannesburg in June.

Although both Standard Bank and Huawei have a presence in more than twenty African countries between them, the Mate 10 Series, including Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10 models, will only be sold to the South African market for the time being, according to Huawei.