Optus Bank

Optus Bank is a bank in Columbia, SC, located at Gervais Street Columbia. It provides small business and personal banking services, including checking and savings accounts, loans, and credit products. The bank holds a rating of 3.90 based on 27 reviews.

Optus Bank is a Certified Community Development Financial Institution and one of 22 Black-owned banks in the United States, serving as the only Black-owned bank in SC. Originally established in 1921 as Victory Savings Bank, it was SC’s first black-owned bank. The institution was revitalized in 1999 as SC Community Bank and renamed Optus Bank in 2019. The bank reports that 78% of its loans were made to minority borrowers and over 96% of its loans by dollar value were in persistent poverty counties. Benita Lefft serves as President and Chief Operating Officer, having assumed the role in 2024. The leadership team includes Senior Vice Presidents of Commercial Lending Hammond Edwards, JaNean Stubbs Taylor, and Elizabeth Church, along with Consumer and Small Business Sales Leader Justin Johnson.

The bank’s mission focuses on innovation, impact, and economic empowerment for historically underserved communities. It offers competitive CD and Money Market rates and provides digital banking tools for account management. Optus Bank maintains an NMLS number of 811363.

Optus Bank sits on Gervais Street in Columbia, SC, just steps from Bull Street and near the University of SC Campus Police station.