South Africa: Capitec says payday outages will be solved

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Capitec is making significant strides in improving customer experience and addressing service outages through its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The collaboration has enabled the bank to enhance its digital offerings and ensure smoother operations, particularly during the crucial payday periods when it has failed its customers so badly that it is now a meme.

The move to AWS is a pivotal part of its strategy to mitigate the notorious payday service outages.

Blessing Mgaga, Capitec's divisional executive for retail and client experience delivery, acknowledged the challenges faced by clients during these peak times but expressed optimism about the progress made.

"We've done a lot of work, and over the last few months we've had less and less long outages," Mgaga tells Bizcommunity

“I'm not happy with where we are, but I'm really encouraged that what we're focussing on is getting us there – and there's some work that continues to happen in the background.”

He credits this improvement to Capitec's decision to migrate its entire digital ecosystem to AWS, which allows for greater scalability and stability during high-traffic periods.

Transformation and innovation

"We very seldomly see a financial services institution that is willing to move as quickly as they are in order to test something out before then taking it to market and productionising it," explains Chris Erasmus, AWS country GM for South Africa, highlighting Capitec's proactive approach.

This agility has been central to Capitec's ability to quickly address customer feedback and implement necessary changes.

In addition to enhancing service reliability, Capitec is also introducing a zero cost in-app calling feature, designed to improve customer support interactions.

This feature allows clients to call directly through the bank's app without needing data, providing a seamless and cost-effective way to access support.

"Imagine that they can just press a button... talk to us for as long as they want... and when they're done, they close the app," Mgaga explained.

Blessing Mgaga explains the AWS x Capitec collaboration

Trust through technology

The feature, which is set to launch before the end of the year, will not replace traditional customer care hotlines but will offer an additional, user-friendly option for clients.

Capitec's decision to implement this service reflects its commitment to accessibility and personalised service, core principles that have guided the bank since its inception.

The partnership with AWS has also led to the introduction of a digital verification feature within the app, aimed at combating phishing and fraud.

This notifies customers when they are speaking with a verified Capitec representative, adding an extra layer of security to their interactions.

"Our clients need to consistently feel comfortable that when they're interacting with our channels... they're talking to one of us," said Mgaga.

As Capitec continues to innovate and enhance its services, the bank remains focused on its foundational principles of accessibility, affordability, and simplicity.