Temenos (SIX: TEMN) (www.Temenos.com), the banking software company, today announced that Barko, a leading microfinance company, plans to enter the retail banking market in South Africa with a new digital bank built on Temenos Transact and powered by The Temenos Banking Cloud. Barko will leverage the full front-to-back services, giving the new bank total control to create banking products that are easy to consume, configure and integrate with external applications.
With Temenos, Barko aims to disrupt the banking status quo with more accessible and affordable banking to advance the financial wellbeing of millions of South Africans underserved by traditional banks. Critically, the investment in Temenos’ open banking platform will enable Barko to launch new banking products, from deposit and savings accounts to credit and loans, at speed and at a low cost.
Barko has applied for a Mutual Banking License to operate as a full service digital bank. In line with its social mission, the new banking capabilities powered by Temenos will enable Barko to further assist underserved and unbanked South Africans with longer-term and lower-cost loans, competitive affordable banking products and easy to use services with a seamless experience across its digital and branch channels.
Barko already uses Temenos Infinity to deliver a seamless omnichannel lending experience with fast access to microfinance via a digital lending app and a network of more than 200 branches.
More than 3,000 financial services institutions around the world rely on Temenos’ modern, open, cloud technology. The Temenos Banking Cloud enables banks and businesses to consume, manage and maintain banking services in a secure, continually evolving, self-service platform. Using open APIs, banks can also collaborate and extend banking services with other fintechs and developers.
Kobus de Wet, CEO, Barko, commented: “We want to build a digital bank for the millions of South Africans that are unbanked or underserved by the traditional banks. The extended collaboration with Temenos is critical to our mission. With Temenos modern cloud banking platform we can bring new products to market faster and at a significantly lower cost compared to banks on traditional core banking system. Ultimately, this means we can pass on savings with products and services that improve the financial lives of the people that bank with us.”
Jean-Paul Mergeai, President – International Sales, Temenos, said: “At Temenos we are passionate about transforming banking. Barko’s entry into the South Africa retail banking market represents a significant moment for customers and the industry. We’re pleased to work jointly with Barko to deliver the hyper-efficient cloud banking platform that will help it realize its ambitions of making financial services more affordable and accessible to all South Africans.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Temenos.
Media Contacts:
Jessica Wolfe & Scott Rowe
Temenos Global Public Relations
Tel: +1 610 232 2793 & +44 20 7423 3857
Email : press@temenos.com
Alistair Kellie & Andrew Adie
Newgate Communications on behalf of Temenos
Tel: +44 20 7680 6550
Email: allnewgatetemenos@newgatecomms.com
About Temenos:
Temenos AG (SIX: TEMN) is the world’s leader in banking software. Over 3,000 banks across the globe, including 41 of the top 50 banks, rely on Temenos to process both the daily transactions and client interactions of more than 1.2 billion banking customers. Temenos offers cloud-native, cloud-agnostic and AI-driven front office, core banking, payments and fund administration software enabling banks to deliver frictionless, omnichannel customer experiences and gain operational excellence.
Temenos software is proven to enable its top-performing clients to achieve cost-income ratios of 26.8% half the industry average and returns on equity of 29%, three times the industry average. These clients also invest 51% of their IT budget on growth and innovation versus maintenance, which is double the industry average, proving the banks’ IT investment is adding tangible value to their business.
For more information, please visit www.Temenos.com.
