Banking South Africans will love: GoTyme Bank's bold new promise

Thursday, 14 May 2026 - After months of quietly building, testing, and refining its offering, GoTyme Bank – formerly TymeBank – is stepping forward with a clear ambition: to become South Africa’s most loved bank.

At the heart of that ambition is a simple idea, banking should feel easier, clearer, and more rewarding for the people using it every day.

The timing isn’t accidental. South Africans are starting to rethink how they bank, and who they bank with.

“People aren’t just sticking with one bank anymore,” says Cheslyn Jacobs, CEO of GoTyme Bank. “They’re choosing what works for them, whether that’s better value, less hassle, or something that actually fits into their daily lives. That shift is real, and it’s exactly what GoTyme is built around.”

You can already see that shift playing out.

More than one million South Africans have downloaded and moved over to the new GoTyme Bank app, including over 200,000 existing customers who hadn’t used the earlier version at all.

At the same time, the bank has been growing its physical presence too. Nearly 30 Customer Hubs are already up and running in shopping centres across the country, with plans to expand that to around 100.

For GoTyme, that mix of digital convenience and in-person support isn’t accidental — it’s part of making banking feel more accessible.

“For a long time, good banking felt like something reserved for a certain kind of customer,” Jacobs says. “We don’t think it should work that way. Everyone deserves access to something that works well, without hidden costs or unnecessary complexity.”

So, what does that actually look like?

At a practical level, it comes down to cutting out friction, and cost. For many South Africans, everyday banking still comes with layers of fees attached to things like payments, withdrawals, card use, or subscriptions.

GoTyme is trying to simplify that.

The bank offers a zero-fee account, free instant payments up to R5,000, no fees on international card swipes or subscription payments, and savings options that can reach up to 10% under certain conditions.

Taken together, that can add up to real savings over time, something that matters more than ever in the current economic climate.

“This is really about how people live,” Jacobs explains. “It’s the person paying for Netflix, the traveller tapping their card overseas, the small business owner managing cash flow, or a family trying to stretch their budget a bit further.”

A shift in what people expect

More broadly, the launch reflects how expectations around banking are changing.

People want things to work instantly. They want clarity. They want control. And they want to feel like their bank is actually on their side.

GoTyme has been investing in that experience, from improving its app to rolling out Apple Pay, and building out its customer support network.

A more competitive landscape

As competition in South Africa’s banking sector intensifies, more customers are becoming open to trying something different, especially if it offers better value and a simpler experience.

For GoTyme, this moment is about more than just a launch.

“This is our way of saying we’re here,” Jacobs says. “But it’s also a reminder that banking doesn’t have to be complicated or exclusive. It should work for more people, and it should feel better to use. That’s what we’re building toward.”