Celebrating an SA island of excellence in the drifting economy

Smashing to see global banking guru Michael Lafferty honouring South African banks last week, awarding them the world's highest ratings – and Capitec the only global recipient of Five Stars.

As Lafferty focuses on retail banking, Investec wasn't on its global 100 list. If innovation was the criteria, it certainly would have been. I got another practical example yesterday when Tebogo in the call centre said he wouldn't need to ask those embarrassing "security questions" (you know, the ones we always forget after listing them).

Reason – I had passed a voice recognition test installed a few months back. Voice prints are starting to become commonplace in the First World because there are more than 100 unique characteristics that technology can now identify. Nice to know Investec is right up there.

As are other SA banks. Consider FNB's online banking offering; Standard Bank's forex app Shyft; Capitec's low cost simplicity; and so on. After all the misguided abuse SA banks have been subjected to lately, it's worth remembering they remain an island of relative excellence in a drifting economy. Witness Moody's which last month said SA's banking system is one of the key reasons the national credit rating is still holding up. For now.