This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Banking 500 2025 report
Capitec has achieved impressive growth in 2025, doubling its brand value to USD1.1 billion. This makes it the 205th most valuable bank globally and 6th most valuable in South Africa.
Francois Viviers, Group Executive Marketing & Communications at Capitec discusses how trust, transparency, and client-centricity have shaped the brand—and shares his insights on the key trends shaping the future.
Interview with Francois Viviers
Since Capitec operates exclusively in South Africa, some of our global audience may be less familiar with the brand. Could you provide a brief introduction to the company?
Capitec, the largest retail bank in South Africa, based on client numbers, has gained 23 million active clients’ trust while growing to be South Africa’s largest digital bank with over 11.7 million digital clients, 11.2 million app clients, a network of 8 382 ATMs and 866 branches.
Capitec offers personalised service, using innovative technology to reduce costs and increase accessibility. The bank uses data to identify client needs and provide tailored personal banking, business banking, and purpose loans. In 2023, Capitec received its life insurance licence to issue credit life, funeral and life policies. These solutions make banking simple, affordable, and transparent so clients can live better.
The bank’s Global One account offers personal transactional banking products, savings options, unsecured and secured credit, and value-added services. The Group acquired Mercantile Bank in 2019, rebranding it to Capitec Business to offer a fully digital banking solution for SMEs through the Global Biz account.
On 11 March 2024, the bank increased its ownership of Avafin, an international consumer online lending group, from 40% to 97% – growing its footprint in the online consumer lending space.
What are Capitec’s biggest advantages in ensuring brand success?
Capitec’s biggest advantages stem from our clear purpose, client-obsessed culture, and relentless focus on innovation. Capitec was started as the challenger in banking in South Africa with the clear purpose of simplifying banking and making it more accessible, transparent, and affordable to all South Africans, significantly enhancing financial inclusion across the country.
The company’s client-obsessed culture ensures that boardroom discussions prioritise what is best for clients over short-term profits. We firmly believe that profit and shareholder value are outcomes of a strategy focused on creating client value rather than its primary drivers.
The brand is built on clear fundamentals - simplicity, affordability, accessibility, and personal experience - which guide decision-making and operations. A key advantage is that the entire organisation lives by this purpose and these fundamentals, fostering a culture of innovation that directly benefits clients.
Additionally, we enable innovation through world-class technology and data, which helps us create efficiencies and reduce costs for our clients, personalise our engagements, improve our client experience, and inform and add value to our clients, helping them live better.
“In an industry often perceived as complex and convoluted, the simplicity of Capitec’s product design, pricing, client experience, and transparent communication distinguishes it from competitors.”
How does the Capitec brand build trust among its stakeholders?
At Capitec, we believe that trust is our most valuable asset. We know how crucial it is for clients to feel confident in their financial decisions, so we prioritise transparency in everything we do, from our solutions to pricing. In a world where finance can often feel overwhelming, we strive to keep things simple and clear, creating a client experience that is personal and that builds trust.
Our client-facing consultants are trained to show genuine compassion and empathy, particularly when clients are navigating tough financial situations. One of the ways we build trust is through our innovative features. For instance, we introduced the 'trusted beneficiaries' feature in the Capitec App. This tool allows clients to see a trust rating for new beneficiaries and helps protect them by blocking payments to accounts linked to scams or fraud.
When it comes to our insurance products, our focus is on making our client experience as positive as possible, especially when they claim against the death of a loved one. We want to find every reason to pay claims and keep premiums low rather than creating complex policies that might frustrate clients.
What are the key trends you envisage as being the most important in the industry over the next three years and how can brands navigate or capitalise on those?
Some of the key trends we consider as important include:
- Authenticity and human connection: In an era of AI-generated content, fake news, and fraud, there will be a strong return to authentic and transparent brands. Clients will increasingly value genuine human connections; favouring brands focused on honesty and personal interaction.
- Hyper-personalisation with purpose: The trend towards hyper-personalisation will persist, but clients expect financial services brands to leverage data to deliver better information, add value, and proactively assist in managing their finances.
- Ethical practices and social impact: Clients will continue to support brands that demonstrate ethical practices and sustainability. In developing economies like South Africa, visible social impact through initiatives in education and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) development will take precedence, even over environmental responsibility.
To navigate and capitalise on these trends, brands should:
- Champion transparency: Brands should be open about business practices, pricing, and policies, which can help set them apart. This means clear communication, no hidden fees, and a willingness to admit and learn from mistakes. For example, banks can simplify product terms and conditions, ensuring clients fully understand what they’re signing up for.
- Put people first: Technology is a tool, not a replacement for human interaction. Brands should ensure their client service combines the best of digital efficiency with the warmth of personal connection.
- Personalise with purpose: Data is powerful but must be used ethically. Brands should leverage insights to offer solutions that genuinely improve clients’ lives – like tailored savings plans or effective spending tracking.
- Make a meaningful impact: Addressing local issues like education and SME support allows brands to build deeper community connections. For example, offering financial literacy programmes or funding solutions to small businesses shows commitment to tangible outcomes, which should be communicated authentically to enhance loyalty.
