South Africa’s banking sector recorded its strongest sentiment performance in a decade in 2025, as improved digital engagement and campaign maturity helped lift overall sentiment to 27 percent, despite persistent operational challenges.
According to the latest South African Banking Sentiment Index published by UK-based data intelligence firm DataEQ, the improved performance reflects stronger brand engagement across the sector, even as issues around service reliability and fairness remain.
The 10th edition of the index analysed 4.8 million online consumer mentions between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025. Industry net sentiment rose by seven percentage points from 20 percent in the previous edition, marking its highest level since the index began.