Absa Directorate Change

Barclays PLC
07 March 2007


ABSA GROUP LIMITED                         ABSA BANK LIMITED
(Incorporated in the                       (Incorporated in the 
Republic of South Africa)                  Republic of South Africa)
(Registration number: 1986/003934/06)      (Registration number: 1986/004794/06)
ISIN: ZAE000067237                         ISIN: ZAE000079810
JSE share code: ASA                        JSE share code: ABSP
Issuer code: AMAGB                         (Absa Bank)
(Absa, Absa Group or the Group)

     
      PROF. GILL MARCUS APPOINTED TO SUCCEED DR. DANIE CRONJE AS INDEPENDENT
                    CHAIRPERSON OF ABSA GROUP AND ABSA BANK


Absa Group and Absa Bank announce the following changes to their boards.

Prof. Gill Marcus has been selected by the Absa board to succeed Dr. Danie
Cronje as chair of Absa Group and Absa Bank. Her appointment will be effective
from 1 July 2007, subject to regulatory approval. Dr. Cronje will step down as
chairman on 1 July 2007, but will remain as a director of Absa Group and Absa
Bank until the end of July, to facilitate a smooth handover.

Prof. Marcus is former Deputy Minister of Finance and former Deputy Governor of
the South African Reserve Bank. She is currently Executive Chairperson of
Western Areas Limited and Professor in Policy, Leadership and Gender Studies at
the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).

The appointment of Prof. Marcus follows an announcement by Absa in April 2006
that Dr. Cronje had informed the respective boards of his decision to retire as
chairman and a director of the Group and the Bank. Absa announced at the time
that it had initiated a process to select a successor to Dr. Cronje and that the
new chairperson would be an independent appointment. Dr. Cronje will continue to
sit on the board of Barclays PLC.

Enquiries
Danie Cronje
Group chairman
([phone]
e-Mail: [e-mail]

Issued by:
Jacques Badenhorst
Head: Investor Relations
Absa Group Limited
4th floor, Absa Towers East, 170 Main Street, Johannesburg
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
e-Mail: [e-mail]

Lead sponsor:
Merrill Lynch South Africa (Proprietary) Limited
Co-sponsor:
Absa Capital - Corporate Finance, a division of Absa Bank Limited

Barclays PLC
For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations                    Media Relations
Mark Merson/James Johnson             Jason Nisse/Alistair Smith
[phone]/2927             [phone]/6132

Johannesburg
7 March 2007






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