TymeDigital Is Expected to Shake up South Africa’s Banking Sector

Expectations are high for TymeDigital developed by Commonwealth Bank, a newly licensed digital bank supported by billionaire Patrice Motsepe. The digital bank created headlines previous week, becoming the foremost new bank to get a license for operating from SARB (South African Reserve Bank) since 1999. Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital (ARC) got 10% of TymeDigital from Commonwealth bank previous month. TymeDigial is established to launch in the year 2018 & is predicted to become a full-service digital bank. It presently operates the money-transfer service, Money Transfer, in partnership with Pick-n-Pay & Boxer Stores and has secured more than 200 thousand customers for the service. TymeDigital CEO, Sandile Shabalala revealed in a business technology report that they are aiming to disturb banking in SA.

Good News for All

The development is excellent news for consumers, the banking sector & the fintech sector in the nation says Dominique Collett, head of Alphacode, a center of fintech startups. She is also one of the innovative founders of digital banking startup that was got up by Commonwealth Bank of Australia in 2015. A foreign investor like Commonwealth Bank, entering SA shows that the nation’s banking market is yet attractive. It also reveals positive things regarding the banking regulator, she added. First of all, they are progressive and attempting to open up the sector for competition. More competition is usually good for consumers, including enhancements in both customer cost and experience.

Fintech startups must also view the development as a positive for the industry, she says. The granting of the license reveals the banking market is open up for the opposition. They have also created the spacing for new value propositions – of that fintech can only get the benefit. At the hub, the development is regarding the financial institution, says Collett, in a nation where 10 million people are not served or underserved at all, Tyme is predicted to target the lower-end of the market. Collett says that Capitec came in the lower-end, we have viewed them increase their market share in the middle and higher segment, Tyme could perform the same.

Reactions to the digital bank have massively been positive, but it is also predicted that this entry will not be without difficulties, especially from its competitors and the present tough economic climate.

A Potential Danger to Incumbent

The new player is probably to have increased pressure on the nation’s established large lender, says Andile Masuku, an entrepreneur as well as a tech writer in an IOL report. Tyme’s value proposition is seen by many as the most important emergent danger to the dominance of SA big four lenders since Capitec Bank implemented 15 odd years ago, Masuku says.

The novel player is analyzed to struggle to acquire a foothold in the local market which is experiencing a complicated economic climate & deep competition, as per Neelash Hansjee, an Old Mutual Bank Analyst. A pure digital banking play seems to be highly advantageous as they make use of latest technology and does not have big infrastructure costs like branches. Therefore, without branches, it seems to be more complicated to win the beliefs of clients. However, trust is an essential enabler for the bank, says Hansjee. In addition to that, Tyme is predicted to acquire traction and this growth will likely to acquire some time.

South Africa Buzz, get breaking news in South Africa on every topic from politics to entertainment, health, technology and education read SA news online.

South Africa Buzz, get breaking news in South Africa on every topic from politics to entertainment, health, technology and education read SA news online.