{"id":859569,"date":"2026-05-10T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=859569"},"modified":"2026-05-10T19:54:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T17:54:06","slug":"big-changes-hitting-bank-branches-across-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/banking\/859569\/big-changes-hitting-bank-branches-across-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Big changes hitting bank branches across South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

South African consumers are bridging the gap between digital and in-branch banking through increased use of self-service kiosks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although digital banking continues to grow rapidly in South Africa, Nedbank’s transaction data shows that many consumers still value physical and assisted banking services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nedbank said that consumers favour physical interactions, especially for complex transactions and when opening accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Big Four bank said that its self-service banking kiosks process over half a million transactions each month, highlighting the continued role of assisted and hybrid banking channels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Nedbank has steadily reduced its branch network from 572 in June 2020 to 546 by the end of the 2025 reporting period<\/a>, its self-service kiosk network has expanded to 581 devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These devices are found across its Nedbank branches and selected Boxer retail stores, offering clients access to over 60 banking services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This includes account opening, card issuing, payments, loan applications, and document printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nedbank said that usage data shows a strong uptake among entry-level banking clients, who account for 56% of new cards issued, followed by emerging middle-market clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It noted that the data reflects a broader trend, where many clients still prefer a blend of digital convenience and physical support, particularly for key financial decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“South Africans are increasingly comfortable with using digital channels, but many still want the reassurance of a physical banking environment,” said Preni Naidoo, Executive for Cash and Self-Service Banking at Nedbank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We are seeing strong year-on-year growth in kiosk transactions, as clients appreciate the ability to complete banking tasks independently while still having employees available nearby if they need assistance.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the main features is instant card issuing, allowing clients to open an account and receive a personalised card in under 10 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 70% of instant-issued cards at Nedbank branches are dispensed via self-service kiosks, reducing client waiting times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-service technology grows<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

“Self-service technology provides a bridge between fully digital banking and traditional branch banking,” said David Schwegmann, Divisional Executive for Consumer Banking Channels at Nedbank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Many clients still value human support when navigating financial services, particularly those who may have lower digital confidence. Assisted self-service helps build that confidence while giving clients greater control over how they bank.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bank added that industry trends point to hybrid models becoming more important as banks look to balance cost efficiency, digital adoption and financial inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nedbank said that markets including Singapore and India have introduced self-service banking lobbies and digital experience centres to blend digital and human assistance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locally, the approach may also help extend banking access to communities where digital connectivity or literacy remains uneven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closer to home, GoTyme Bank, formerly known as TymeBank, quickly established its physical presence through self-service kiosks across the country, growing to 12 million customers in just seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nedbank said that self-service banking delivers operational efficiencies, such as card dispensing through kiosks, which can be up to 37.5% cheaper than through traditional branch processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Digital banking will continue to grow, but physical access points will remain important in the foreseeable future, particularly where clients want reassurance, guidance or immediate service,” said Naidoo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our focus is on giving clients choice in how they bank, whether that is fully digital, assisted self-service, or in-person support.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another area that shows the weight banking customers place on branches is the widespread popularity of Home Affairs’ services at bank branches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Capitec joining Home Affairs’ partnership, the number of branches offering Home Affairs services has grown rapidly to over 100 across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nedbank is increasingly turning to hybrid banking services, with customers still drawn to physical banking despite the growth of digital banking. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":859574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[961],"tags":[23854,1799],"class_list":["post-859569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-banking","tag-gotyme","tag-nedbank"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=859569"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":859990,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859569\/revisions\/859990"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/859574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=859569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=859569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=859569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}