Nonhlanhla Kambule

First National Bank/ FNB, Eastgate, Gauteng/ Autoteller machine

FNB is the leader in the digital and technological space among the country's banks. This is according to the 2012 BMI-Tech Knowledge Digital Lifestyle predictor that surveyed almost 1,000 metropolitan consumers across South Africa.

The survey focused on the digital consumer with the main metrics of measurement being ownership, attitudes and usage.

The study was conducted in and around metropolitan areas of South Africa which account for 1/3 of the South African population and 50% of South Africa's GDP.

FNB is listed as one of the top techno brands in South Africa. Lana Strydom, Head of FNB Digital says: “The digital landscape is continuously changing and we need to constantly keep abreast of new technological developments in our field. We created a digital strategy that placed great emphasis on new and upcoming digital platforms and also focused on FNB's innovative product offerings.”

In the banking category, FNB was the clear winner, from the lower income groups right through to upper income groups coming in at number one, in terms of consumer attitude and perception. The survey also acknowledged that trends in urban areas had a trickledown effect to those in rural areas, who followed the lead when it came to aspects of digital lifestyle.

It also highlighted that Smartphones and Apps are becoming more widespread with 60% of respondents having a Smartphone and 4% owning a tablet. 54% of consumers use some sort of mobile IM once a week and 76% of those interviewed said that they accessed the internet in some form at least once a week.

“Our innovative product offerings definitely set us apart. This survey is a great stepping stone for FNB and we believe that we will continue to grow and improve our digital offering. We have a great team that have put a lot of hard work and effort into making our digital offering successful and indeed useful for our customers,” concludes Strydom. - I-Net Bridge