Pityana joined the board in May 2019. Meanwhile, the Fitch rating agency said Friday that "several changes at board and executive management level since end-2019 pose risks to continued successful strategy execution over the medium term," even though Absa Group "has demonstrated strong execution capabilities in its separation from its former majority shareholder, Barclays plc, and through the pandemic." Fitch affirmed Absa Group (ABG) and its main operating subsidiary Absa Bank (ABL) Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings at "BB-". The outlooks were negative, with the ratings constrained by the sovereign rating (BB-/negative), reflecting the concentration of their activities in the country, and high sovereign-related exposure relative to equity. BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE