Southeastern Bank Financial Corp. Declares Cash Dividend

AUGUSTA, Ga., April 17, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of
Southeastern Bank Financial Corp. (OTCBB:SBFC), the holding company for Georgia
Bank & Trust Company of Augusta and Southern Bank & Trust, on April 16, 2008,
declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.13 per share of common stock
payable on May 14, 2008, to shareholders of record as of May 2, 2008.

About Southeastern Bank Financial Corp.

Southeastern Bank Financial Corp. is the $1.2 billion-asset bank holding company
of Georgia Bank & Trust Company of Augusta (GB&T) and Southern Bank & Trust
(SB&T). GB&T is the largest locally owned and operated community bank in the
Augusta metro market, with nine full-service Augusta-area offices and offices in
Athens, Ga., and Greenville, S.C. SB&T is a federally chartered thrift serving
the Aiken County, S.C., market, with three full-service offices. The company
also has mortgage operations in Augusta and Savannah. The banks focus primarily
on real estate, commercial and consumer loans to individuals, small to
medium-sized businesses and professionals, and also provide wealth management
and trust services. The company's common stock is publicly traded on the OTC
Bulletin Board under the symbol SBFC. For more information, please visit the
company's Web site, www.georgiabankandtrust.com.

Safe Harbor Statement - Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this release by Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation (The
Company) other than those concerning historical information, should be
considered forward-looking and subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such
forward-looking statements are made based upon management's belief as well as
assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant
to "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. The Company's actual results may differ materially from the results
anticipated in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors,
including: unanticipated changes in the Bank's local economy and in the national
economy; governmental monetary and fiscal policies; deposit levels, loan demand,
loan collateral values and securities portfolio values; difficulties in interest
rate risk management; difficulties in operating in a variety of geographic
areas; the effects of competition in the banking business; changes in
governmental regulation relating to the banking industry, including regulations
relating to branching and acquisitions; failure of assumptions underlying the
establishment of reserves for loan losses, including the value of collateral
underlying delinquent loans; and other factors. The Company cautions that such
factors are not exclusive. The Company does not undertake to update any
forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by, or on behalf
of, the Company.

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CONTACT: Southeastern Bank Financial Corp.
Ronald L. Thigpen, Executive Vice President and COO
706-481-1014

Marsh Communications LLC
John Marsh, President
770-458-7553