Capitec CEO Gerrie Fourie on Friday provided feedback on the company’s growth over the past year which included a 17% growth in the number of clients to 8.6 million. Speaking at Capitec Bank’s AGM, Fourie said that clients who use Capitec as their primary bank – those whose salaries are paid into their Capitec Bank accounts – grew by the same percentage and primary banking clients, as a percentage of active clients, is now almost half (46%) compared to six years ago when only a third of its clients used Capitec as their primary bank.
Fourie added that Capitec has gained trust in the higher income segments of the market as well, and is seen as a smart alternative to traditional banking for all South Africans.The new Capitec Bank credit card was launched in the final quarter of the financial year. This card offers clients access to their transaction account and savings plans in addition to their credit facility.
Fourie said that the credit card is available in real time and active to use immediately, while clients can manage their card limits or move money to the linked accounts using the Capitec Bank app – 130,000 cards have been issued to date.
Fourie told shareholders that self-service banking – through its online app, card, Internet, USSD and self service terminals (SST) – has increased dramatically over the past three years with the bank tracking more than 60-million self service transactions each month.
Over 1.8 million clients are now active on their innovative banking app, which is growing at a rapid rate, the chief executive said. The bank currently has over 800 branches – and 4,000 ATM’s – across the country and almost 300 of these branches are open seven days a week. “Our advanced queue management system provides real-time information, enabling maximum efficiency – this allows us to re-deploy additional staff where needed, keeping service levels at its best. We are encourage by the fact that our staff maintained constant service levels in spite of the increase in the number of tickets issued in branch.” “Over the past year, we invested more in our staff with a focus on client service – we created over 1,600 new job opportunities now employ over 13,000 people of which 40% attended training courses,” Fourie said. Commenting on the year ahead, he said that the emphasis will be on increasing market share in higher income segments and to continue moving clients from branch to self-service solutions.