BARCLAYS, the third largest banking group in the UK in terms of assets (522 billion pounds sterling for a net banking output of 13.94 billion and pre-tax profits of 4.6 billion), is planning to buy 60% of South African bank ABSA (net banking output of 1.28 billion pounds and pre-tax profits of 37 million) for 32 billion rand, or 80.80 rand per share.