Barclays Wealth has named a new global market manager for Africa amid an organisational restructure.

Barclays Wealth has embarked on an organisational shake-up within its Africa business, including the appointment of a new global market manager for the continent, WealthBriefing can exclusively reveal.

Now appointed as Barclays Wealth’s global market manager for Africa, Nomkhita Nqweni is currently the chief executive of Absa Wealth, and will continue in this capacity. Barclays acquired a majority shareholding in Absa, South Africa's largest retail bank, in 2005.

In her new role Nqweni is charged with driving a single strategy for Barclays Wealth and Absa Wealth in sub-Saharan Africa, along with working closely with the firm’s intermediaries and international businesses. She reports jointly to Emmanuel Fievet, head of the international private bank across EMEA, and Stephen Van Coller, chief executive of Absa Capital.

Activities in North Africa will continue to be managed through the MENA structure, a spokesperson for Barclays Wealth told WealthBriefing, adding that until Nqweni confirms her new organisational structure, Sonjoy Phukan has taken up the role of market head for Barclays Wealth International Private Bank Africa Offshore on an interim basis.

As a result of the organisational changes, Chris Hocking, former market head for Barclays Wealth International Private Bank Africa Offshore, has departed the firm amicably. Hocking took up the role following the departure of Richard Howarth for Standard Chartered Private Bank late last year; before this he had spent two years on secondment with Absa as chief executive of Absa Wealth.

News of Hocking’s next position has yet to emerge.