We were proud to be an official sponsor of the New Zealand Open again in 2023, with this year’s event kicking off in Arrowtown at the start of the month. One of the best parts about sponsoring the New Zealand Open is our support for the 465 incredible volunteers from around New Zealand who form the SBS Bank Volunteer team. Every one of the volunteers give their time and effort into making the event a fantastic experience for everyone.

To help thank this year’s group of volunteers for their hard work, we held a special SBS Bank Volunteer BBQ on the first night of the Open. Congratulations to Wilfred Yeo of Christchurch who was drawn by SBS Bank CEO Mark McLean as the winner of an SBS Prize Pack and a place in next year’s New Zealand Open Pro-Am event!

We’re excited to have brought the Highlanders to Invercargill for a Super Rugby competition game this weekend! This special match will see the Highlanders face off against the Force on Sunday, with the game kicking off at 3:35pm at Rugby Park.

When the Highlanders take their half-time break during Sunday’s match, one SBS Bank first home buyer will also have the chance to win a discounted interest rate on their first home loan. The ‘Great Rate Roar Down’ will invite the crowd to show support for first home buyers simply by the volume of noise they can make. The louder fans cheer the lower the buyer’s one-year fixed-rate home loan will be on the SBS FirstHome Combo.

To celebrate, we have an action-packed build up to the big game. If you're based in Southland, or have travelled down for the game this weekend, make sure you get the following events in your calendar so you don’t miss out!

SBS Bank CEO Mark McLean recently spent the morning in Roxburgh, Otago, with the Central Otago Budget Services experiencing a ‘day in the life’ of a financial mentor.

‘Day in the life’ is an initiative through FinCap’s partnership with the New Zealand Banker’s Association (NZBA), where bank CEOs have an opportunity to see the financial challenges that whānau are facing in our communities and consider what these insights show banks can do to assist.

The member banks of the NZBA provide $5 million over five years to fund initiatives, including a ‘day in the life’, that support financial mentoring for people in need.

Mark sat in on a meeting with one family who were struggling with the increased cost of living issues and other financial challenges associated with debt. It was clear that advisory services like the Central Otago Budget Services and banks have a very important role to play through the provision of good advice to assist customers with these challenges.

A special thank you to Pam and Jo for the opportunity. Keep up the great work!

If you're thinking about buying your first home, or know someone who is, take a look at the SBS Bank First Home Buyer's Hub - a place we've created especially for first home buyers with all the help and resources you need to get into your first home.

Whether you're looking for a step-by-step guide on the home buying process, a timeline of what you should do when, help from the experts, or just want to have your questions answered, the SBS Bank team can help.

For those further along in their first home journey, we have also created SBS Skip, a special online app that will let you know how much you may be able to borrow, help you track your progress towards your goal, and allow you to earn up to $2,500 cash towards your first home deposit when you take out an SBS Home Loan.†

So what are you waiting for? Take the first step towards buying your first home with the New Zealand bank with heart and we'll be cheering you on from start to finish.