Widening the spectrum

It will soon be easier for South Africa's financial services industry to tap the country's 'un-banked' individuals. However, this new sector presents some tricky challenges for banks. By Clive Davidson

A decade after the end of apartheid, South Africa remains a two-tier country economically and in terms of the financial services available to those in the country's 'second economy'. While the better off are served by a group of local and international banks that are as sophisticated as any in the world, half the country's adults are still 'un-banked' – they do not have access to formal savings