First National Bank (FNB) and eBucks have announced the most innovative reward yet to be seen in South Africa, a trip to space.

The competition launches on 1 August 2005, giving one lucky eBucks member who is also an FNB customer, the chance to win the adventure of a lifetime and join a distinct but growing breed of space travellers.

'The Greatest Reward on Earth' competition is run by eBucks and FNB, in partnership with Spin Experience (the agency that developed the concept) and Space Adventures, the company behind Mark Shuttleworth's space voyage in 2002.

"The competition's premier prize will see the winner make history. The 'Greatest Reward on Earth' from eBucks and FNB is an all expenses paid trip to space – which means that our winner will become one of some 500 people on the planet who have journeyed to space. The winner will experience the exhilarating feeling of weightlessness in space, undergo extensive pre-flight training and emerge as a pioneer in commercial space travel," enthuses First National Bank CEO, Michael Jordaan.

"This competition is all about ordinary South Africans and making their wildest dreams come true. We want each and every South African to believe that their dreams are within reach. This competition aims to do just that. We believe 'The Greatest Reward on Earth' competition underpins our message in a wonderfully positive way, consolidating FNB's position as a major financial innovator and eBucks as the country's leading multi-partner rewards programme."

"It's really easy to win the trip to space," says Lezanne Human, CEO of eBucks. "The competition is open to all eBucks members who are also FNB customers. Entry into the competition is automatic. All you have to do to stand a chance of winning this out-of-the-world experience is to earn eBucks from FNB between 1 August and 31 October 2005."

"You can also boost your chances of winning by earning and spending with our other partners," Human explains. "In addition, these partners are offering exciting dream prizes to eBucks members who earn and spend with them too."

"Together with FNB and our other partners, we have spent thousands of man-hours putting this competition together. It's imaginative and challenging, and we expect an overwhelming response from our members," says Human.

"This is an appropriate symbol of the new South Africa and the progress we have made over the past 10 years. In so many fields, we have entered the world community. Now, we are able to go beyond the global community into the space arena! With eBucks and FNB, anything is possible, even a trip to the stars," says Human.

About eBucks:

eBucks, the rewards programme offered by First National Bank (FNB) and RMB Private Bank, is acknowledged as one of South Africa's leading rewards programmes with highly active members spending in excess of 80% of the eBucks earned in any given month.