Business Banker

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to function as a Business Banker. A Business Banker works in financial institutions and manages the business portfolios of a range of business clients. They perform an analysis of client's needs and determine the best options to meet these needs. The Business Banker partners with clients to determine banking (financial) solutions that will optimise business performance and mitigate risks. Business Bankers are responsible for building and maintaining relationships with clients to grow and retain a quality portfolio of business clients. Individuals in this position may also need to negotiate and set terms for loans and other banking solutions. Business Bankers generally work in small teams, so communication, influencing and collaboration skills are necessary for this position. A competent learner shall demonstrate among others the following attributes: honesty, punctuality, initiative, critical analysis, integrity, ethics, and professionalism. A qualified learner will be able to: • Establish, maintain and grow a portfolio of quality small enterprise clients. • Help business banking clients manage their finances in the most successful way possible and facilitate processes to navigate the numerous financial services, procedures and products available, including stocks, bonds, loans, international transactions, real estate, trade credits, insurance policies and more. • Facilitate procurement of a broad range of specialised financial services to corporate customers. • Provide services such as portfolio analysis, leverage analysis, debt and equity restructuring, analyses of real assets, etc.

Banks provide business banking, also called commercial or corporate banking, financial and advisory services to small and medium businesses as well as larger corporations. These services are tailored to the specific needs of each business. These services include deposit accounts and non-interest-bearing products, real estate loans, commercial loans, and credit card services. Banks may also offer asset management and securities underwriting to their corporate and business clients. Business Bankers are at the centre of these services. These bankers play a critical role in establishing, growing and sustaining businesses. They also support businesses in the informal sector. Business bankers help entrepreneurs secure the financing they need to start, maintain, or save their businesses. They are usually the first point of contact for anyone seeking to secure a business loan and are usually in charge of deciding if a client's business plan is feasible or not. The Business Banker, therefore, plays a critical role in the approval or denial of business loans. Other job responsibilities of a business banker usually include analysing loan applications, reviewing clients' financial histories, addressing client concerns, and recommending alternatives when needed. That said, they must have extensive knowledge of business financing, banking protocols, and key financial and insurance matters. The financial sector is a critical component of the economy of any country. Specifically, in a developing economy, where industrialisation and economic growth underpin the economic success and wealth creation of the nation. The financial sector plays a pivotal role in initiating and growing businesses at all levels of the economy. Within the financial sector in South Africa, most of the financial institutions provide a dedicated service to small, medium and large enterprises (businesses) to assist them obtain appropriate financial services ranging from basic banking, operational financing, capital financing, insurance supplier payments, employee payments and a host of other business financial services. The services are customised to support the business models of the various financial service institutions that are targeted at the specific entities that make up the current and potential client bases of the institutions. The work done by employees, of the financial institutions, to deliver the service is diverse. However, there is a core knowledge and skills base relating to business, legal aspects, client relationships and ethics that run through the competency base required to effectively deliver these services. The qualification shall enable both new entrants and employees to improve the industry growth competencies, career development and growth. In South Africa, there is a shortage of the specific skills and attributes required for achieving national development goals. With this in mind, the qualification is intended to initiate a process to develop an occupational qualification that can be used by the Financial Services Industry to grow the required competencies in a structured manner. This qualification will serve as a launch pad for the development of these critical skills and will contribute towards job creation within the financial sector and the economy as a whole. The qualification was developed in collaboration with the banking sector. There is no registered qualification on the National Qualifications Framework for both horizontal articulation within the sub-framework and vertical articulation.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL for Access to Training: Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated, and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner is able to display the equivalent level of competencies required for access, based on the NQF level descriptors. For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal, or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. RPL for Access to the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA): Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal, or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. A valid Statement of Results is required for admission to the EISA in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved. For a Skills Programme, the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP) must ensure all modular competency requirements are met prior to the FISA and keep a record of such evidence. Upon successful completion of the EISA/FISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part qualification are approved by the QCTO. Entry Requirements: • NQF Level 4 qualification.

• Apply the core areas of small formal and informal enterprise business theories and practices.
• Select and apply standard methods, procedures or techniques to match client financial services needs to appropriate financial services solutions that are unique to Small Enterprise Clients.
• Act and account in accordance with, prescribed organisational, professional and ethical codes of conduct, values and practices when growing a portfolio of quality Small Enterprise Clients for a financial institution.
• Identify, evaluate and solve defined, routine and new problems to mitigate and manage the financial risk associated with small enterprise financial services clients.
• Establish and maintain sustainable and professional relationships with appropriate members of the banking business development teams in order to collaboratively promote the selling of banking/financial services to current and potential business banking clients.
• Manage problems relating to the performance of a business banking portfolio in the provisioning of business banking services to clients operating medium business enterprises.
• Investigate customer requirements for recommendations of appropriate loan products to initiate approvals processes within a business banking environment serving business clients in small and medium enterprises.
• Investigate and monitor business banking customer queries and complaints for medium enterprise businesses.
• Develop appropriate processes of information gathering to assist large enterprises and commercial clients with all information for managing accounts.
• Apply a range of methods of enquiry related to the procurement of appropriate business financial services, including but not limited to: loans and related credit products, Treasury Services, and personal wealth creation, to corporate customers and the ability to select and apply a range of methods to resolve problems related to the procurement and customisation of appropriate business products/services.