South Africans are threatening to close their bank accounts

Loading player...
Sarah Lamb, head of client service at DataEQ talks about Capitec Bank is at risk of losing customers – and if customers make good on their threats to close their accounts and leave, banks like Discovery Bank stand to be the biggest winners.

This is one of the key findings from the latest DataEQ Banking Sentiment Index.

The index is based on over 4 million consumer social media posts about South African banks from 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2022. DataEQ then analysed posts for sentiment and conversation themes.

One big area analysed by the group is churn – the movement of banking customers from one bank to the next – where the analysis of conversation topics looked specifically at author intent.

Acquisition intent speaks to the purchase intent of consumers – ie, customers looking to join a bank – while cancellation intent tracks the threads made by current customers to leave a specific bank, DataEQ said.

The net score – derived by subtracting the acquisition intent from cancellation intent – indicates how likely a bank will see customers leaving or entering their business (churn).

Using this metric, DataEQ’s data shows that among the major banks, Capitec, FNB and Standard Bank are the most likely to see customers leave, with the other banks being more likely to gain new business.

Here, Capitec is the biggest potential loser with a net intent score of -1.7%, while Discovery stands to get the most business with a net intent score of +6.5%.
8 Dec 2022 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

South African employment improves, but youth concerns persist

South Africa’s latest employment numbers are out, with Stats SA reporting an improvement of 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2025. Nkosinathi Mahlangu, Head of the Youth Employment Portfolio at Momentum Group, argues that employer-driven opportunities are needed to give young people a real foothold in the economy.
31 Mar 4PM 9 min

SA fuel stations under pressure

Petrol stations are running dry nationwide as motorists rush to fill up ahead of record fuel price hikes expected from 1 April. South Africa braces for record fuel price hikes on April 1. To help address public concerns, we spoke to Avhapfani Tshifularo, Chief Executive of the Fuels Industry Association…
31 Mar 4PM 17 min

Key takeaways from South Africa’s 2026 Investment Conference

South Africa wants to move from promises to performance, and it’s aiming big — R2 trillion in new investment commitments over the next five years. For these and other highlights from today’s South African Investment Conference, Ipeleng Selele, Chairperson, Brand South Africa, joins the show.
31 Mar 4PM 7 min

Tech at the centre of SA’s investment story

As the country hosts the 2026 South Africa Investment Conference, government leaders are emphasizing a new phase of economic resilience, diversification, and digitalization. Takealot Group CEO, Frederik Zietsman, weighs in on the digital aspect after attending the conference.
31 Mar 4PM 7 min