Press release -
Discovery Bank named South Africa’s most loved bank – with record 61% net sentiment
Johannesburg, 12 December 2025 – Discovery Bank is once again the bank with the best client sentiment in South Africa, leading the 2025 Banking Sentiment Index with a record 61% Net Sentiment score – more than double the industry average of 27%. This achievement underscores Discovery Bank’s position as the country’s digital banking champion and fastest growing bank*.
The annual Banking Sentiment Index, compiled by DataEQ, analysed over 4.8 million social media posts shared between September 2024 and August 2025, covering South Africa’s eight largest banks. This year marks the strongest sentiment performance in a decade for the industry, driven by heightened consumer expectations and increased digital engagement.
Key highlights from this year’s DataEQ research
- 4.8 million social media posts were analysed, providing an unfiltered view of consumer perceptions.
- Discovery Bank achieved the highest Net Sentiment score in the industry at 61%, up14 percentage points year-on-year, outperforming the second-ranked bank by 15 percentage points and the industry average by 34 percentage points.
- Discovery Bank ranked top in both Operational and Reputational Sentiment, reflecting exceptional service and strong brand advocacy.
What clients are saying
Clients commended Discovery Bank’s service responsiveness, helpful staff, and high-quality support through social media and digital channels – key contributors to its industry-leading Operational Net Sentiment. The Discovery Bank app received the most positive mentions for navigation and ease-of-use, reinforcing its reputation for delivering a seamless digital experience. Campaign-led engagement amplified this positive sentiment, with hashtags such as #DiscoveryBestBank and #TreatMeTuesday driving advocacy and highlighting personalized benefits where clients praised Discovery’s rewards ecosystem, including cashbacks, share access, gym benefits, and partnerships with Checkers and Woolworths.
Direct client engagement remains key
Hylton Kallner, CEO of Discovery Bank, commented: “Client feedback is central to how we operate. Social media gives us a real-time view into what our clients value and where we can improve. These insights are incredibly powerful because they reflect our clients’ voices, unfiltered and immediate.”
“We’re proud to lead the industry in Sentiment for the second year running. While we’re a fully digital bank we understand the importance of human support when clients need this; understanding and responding to feedback quickly helps us enhance service, strengthen trust, and continuously improve every part of the banking experience.”
Steady growth in sentiment and industry-leading performance
Discovery Bank recorded a significant rise in net sentiment over the last year, retaining the lead in the three Net Sentiment scores: Overall, Operational and Reputational.
The number one spot in Operational Net Sentiment was driven by the lowest levels of negative service, reliability and fraud-related complaints relative to competitors, and the lead in Reputational Sentiment was shaped by active social campaign engagement, partnership announcements, and customer-generated content.
Kallner adds: " Every interaction – whether through the app, on social media or in direct support – reflects a bank that is responsive, transparent and attentive.”
“Our goal is to make every touchpoint personal, intuitive and rewarding, and it’s clear from this year’s Index that our clients value that.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
*Based on a combination of growth in clients, deposits and advances, measured for the 12 months to 30 June 2025.
Topics
Categories
Discovery information
About Discovery
Discovery Limited is a South African-founded financial services organisation that operates in the healthcare, life assurance, short-term insurance, banking, savings and investment and wellness markets. Since inception in 1992, Discovery has been guided by a clear core purpose – to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. This has manifested in its globally recognised Vitality Shared-Value insurance model, active in over 40 markets with over 40 million members. The model is exported and scaled through the Global Vitality Network, an alliance of some of the largest insurers across key markets including AIA (Asia), Ping An (China), Generali (Europe), Sumitomo (Japan), John Hancock (US), Manulife (Canada) and Vitality Life & Health (UK, wholly owned). Discovery trades on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange as DSY.
Follow us on Twitter @Discovery_SA
About Discovery Bank
Discovery Bank is part of Discovery Limited, a financial services organisation that operates in healthcare, life assurance, short-term insurance, investments, banking, and wellness industries, in over 40 markets globally. Built on a shared-value model, Discovery Bank is fundamentally designed to create unique shared value for clients, differentiating the Bank from traditional banking models. Clients are encouraged to manage their money well, monetising healthy financial behaviours that lower their financial risk and realises long-term default and risk savings for the Bank. Discovery Bank shares this value with clients in the form of better interest rates, deep discounts and significant rewards from an exclusive retail, lifestyle and wellness partner network. The model has an overall positive impact on clients, society and Discovery Bank - clients experience greater financial wellbeing, the risk of defaults for Discovery Bank is lowered making the business more sustainable; while improved financial behaviours such as increased savings, higher retirement savings and lower debt levels, benefit society as a whole. Behaviour change and rewards are enabled through Vitality Money, an AI-powered programme on the Discovery Bank app that gives clients an understanding of the behaviours that influence their financial wellbeing, while giving them the tools to improve their financial behaviours. The more clients improve their financial behaviour, the higher their Vitality Money status and the greater the value they receive.
