bankinglatest news & developments
Kenny Fihla.

Simpler, better, faster: Fihla’s blueprint for Absa

Fihla’s plan to bring Absa back to the top

Jurie Strydom.

Old Mutual’s zero-to-million banking surprise

Can the 181-year-old company revive its glory days?

Financial Mail - 17 September 2026

Can Absa's new leadership deliver the growth, consistency, and investor returns the market is waiting for?

Audio

PODCAST: Payments: Where the real value lies

How the payments landscape is changing across Africa

FirstRand CEO Mary Vilakazi.

FirstRand trades UK rain for African returns

The bank is still beating rivals on home turf

CHRISTO DE WIT: Get with the blockchain

Without clear regulatory frameworks, South Africa risks falling behind in the tokenisation race

Discovery HQ.

Discovery isn’t done just yet

Years of heavy investment are paying off for Discovery

R903,000 gone in 10 minutes: Small business takes on Standard Bank

R903,000 alleged cyberheist case heads to the high court

Discovery CEO Adrian Gore. Picture: RUSSELL ROBERTS

And now, for a cash-flush Discovery

Investors were rewarded with a bigger-than-expected dividend as Discovery Bank hits its stride

Anti trust: How South Africa’s inept competition authorities are throttling business

Competition watchdogs face a crisis of credibility

Picture: Getty Images/Waldo Swiegers

BROKERS’ NOTES: Buy Absa, sell Vodacom

Mark du Toit, a portfolio manager at Oyster Catcher Investments, on what the smart money is doing

Audio

PODCAST: From AI pilots to AI-powered banks

South Africa is leading the continent in generative AI adoption.

Burning dollar

STUART THEOBALD: When trust fades: the high cost of leaving the US-led financial system

The world is losing confidence in US systems

Standard Bank’s just getting started in Africa, says Tshabalala

Standard Bank and Nedbank’s latest interim results reveal strategic shifts and resilience amid domestic economic pressures.

Standard Bank. File picture: FREDDY MAVUNDA.

Standard Bank’s African machine is paying off

Standard Bank's African machine just helped deliver a record R26.1bn profit — and there's plenty of room left to run

How a whistleblower exposed a Deutsche Bank-PIC love affair

Deutsche Bank faces a R109m claim from a fired executive who says he was punished for exposing a potential PIC conflict

BROKERS’ NOTES: Buy TBC Bank Group, sell Pick n Pay

Omri Thomas recommends a ‘buy’ for Georgia‘s TBC Bank Group and a ‘sell’ for South African retailer Pick n Pay

SARB PayShap. Rawpixel/Currency

Why the SARB is losing patience with South Africa’s banks

South Africa’s banks say PayShap is growing rapidly, but the SARB says adoption remains too slow, and may mandate wider acceptance

Bank scams. Rawpixel/currency

You’ve been scammed: how to deal with your bank 

South Africans are losing billions to digital banking fraud – and getting nothing back from their banks. Here’s how to take them on

Absa ugly duckling. Rawpixel/Currency

The odd bank out

After years of leadership churn, and with a turnaround now under way, Absa is still searching for its mojo