Absa Group’s investment banking arm plans to increase revenue growth by up to 60% in the next three years through boosting business in Africa.

Chief executive officer Stephen van Coller said the group would particularly focus on debt capital markets in sub-Saharan Africa where parent Barclays operates.

Coller talked to Reuters about the bank’s plan to catch up with Standard Bank in terms of size across the continent.

The bank expects activity around mergers and acquisitions to pick up towards the end of 2010 as the economy starts to recover from a recession.