South Africa’s Biggest Cash-System Reform in 40 Years

Loading player...
GUEST: Kokkie Kooyman – Banking Analyst and Director at Denker Capital

Cash is still king for millions of South Africans but the system that keeps it moving is costly, fragmented, and increasingly under strain. In what could become the most significant change to South Africa’s cash ecosystem since the introduction of ATMs, the South African Reserve Bank is planning a sweeping overhaul that could transform how physical money is distributed, accessed, and paid for.

Banking analyst and Denker Capital director Kokkie Kooyman helps unpack the SARB’s proposed Cash Smart Strategy, which includes ATM pooling through white-label machines, the creation of a central cash-management utility, tighter regulation of cash-in-transit companies, and a rethink of who really pays for cash in the economy. We explore why cash still accounts for two-thirds of transaction volumes, why it costs consumers and businesses nearly R90 billion a year, and how crime, fees, and inefficiencies are driving the need for reform.
15 Dec 2PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

South African REITs Outperform Global Peers: Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2026.

GUEST – John Jack, CEO of Galetti Corporate Real Estate South Africa’s listed property sector has staged one of the strongest comebacks in the global real estate market and investors are taking notice. While many international property markets continue to battle slow growth and volatility, South African REITs have surged…
15 Dec 2PM 16 min

Cocoa Prices fall significantly amid ongoing festive season.

As cocoa prices retreat sharply from last year’s record highs, questions are emerging about whether this correction signals genuine relief or just a temporary pause in a structurally fragile market. We unpack the dramatic shift in the global cocoa market, where prices have fallen by around 45% since the start…
15 Dec 2PM 10 min