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Whether it is realising your dream for paying for your studies, buying new furniture, renovating your home or paying for unforeseen medical expenses at Standard Bank.
We understand your needs;
What do you need to qualify for a personal loan?
Be formally employed and have a bank account with a debit order facility;
Earn a gross monthly income of at least R3, 000;
Have a transactional account with us or another bank into which your salary is electronically paid;
What are the benefits of the personal loan?
Highly competitive interest rates;
Fixed, monthly repayments;
One’s money will be transferred directly into your transactional account;
No early termination fees if one pays the loan off earlier;
Credit life insurance that will pay off your loan in the event of natural or accidental death, permanent or temporary disability or retrenchment; and
It is evident that Northern Sotho does not receive its rightful pace in the banks. English dominates and the researcher observed that many customers were battling with the language.
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clients understand, therefore. Musehane (2002:279) reveals that all 11 official languages should be accorded equal status. The following is an example written in English:
MyFinancialLife
MyFinancialLife is a secure online personal money management tool. You can customise your screen to see all you need in one place. It’s so easy and it’s for free. See the following examples:
Net-worth calculation – see all your assets, such as your savings balance, investments, retirement funds and your house, less all that you owe, such as your credit card, bond account and overdraft balances. This is your net worth, and changes in value are automatically updated, making it easy for you to keep tabs on your net worth;
Spend analysis – by means of easy graphics, your card and electronic transactions are categorised so you can see where you’re spending and make changes;
Budgeting - tack your actual spend against your planned spend;
Saving for a goal – set your goals (such as a holiday) and then choose the amount you would like to save up in a specific timeframe. This tool calculates how much you should put aside each month;
Alerts – these keep budgeting or goal-saving on track, and can be sent by email or SMS. You can, for instance, choose to receive alerts when 50% of your allowed credit card limit has been reached, so it’s even easier to stay on track; and
Calendar view – track debit orders against payments that need to be made, making it easy to view weekly, monthly or yearly transactions. That way one can always plan to have sufficient funds available. No nasty surprises.
Standard Bank
Standard Bank also publishes its brochures in English as follows:
Choose a personal loan that fits your lifestyle, needs and budget.
‘Whether it is realising your dream for paying for your studies, buying new furniture, renovating your home or paying for unforeseen medical expenses at Standard Bank we understand your needs’
97 4.2.13 Notices
Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2012) defines notices as information that tells you or warns you about something that is going to happen. When people go to most banks, notices that tell them about a particular product and services are all posted on the walls. They usually inform clients on what is happening in the bank. Such notices should, therefore, be in the language(s) that clients are able to read and understand.
The following notices were displayed in the banks where clients are Northern Sotho speakers.
4.2.13.1 First National Bank: Capricorn and Mopani Districts
During the research, notices were pasted on the walls. The main emblem that attracted the client was written in an attractive and coloured font, asking: How can we help you? Many answers from people who got help from the services of the bank were pasted on the walls. The following were some of the answers:
FNB helped me to get my degree;
FNB helped me to find my right partner; and FNB helped me to build my first home.
All of the notices were written in English. They made the customers aware of the products the bank offers. People who utilised Capricorn FNB were Northern Sotho-speakers, in the majority;
as a result, Northern Sotho should have been included in order to circulate the information in a language(s) that clients understood best.
4.2.13.2 Capricorn and Mopani Standard Bank
When the researcher arrived at these district for observations, clients were directed to various sections where they were helped. Important points where they were supposed to get help from were written in English. The following were found:
Exit – wait for green light – pull
98 Exit – Wait for the green light – push
NO EXIT
Queue here for cheque accounts Queue here for enquiry
Teller
Express teller Reception.
Moreover, many posters were pasted on the walls informing clients about products and services that Standard Bank offers. Those posters were written in English. The researcher observaed that the importance of disseminating information in the language(s) that clients understand better was important.
Capricorn and Mopani CAPITEC Bank
The Poster that was found in CAPITEC Bank read as follows:
Please note
E-mailed statement.
E-mailed statements for accounts such as municipal rates and taxes (utilities), cellphone and retail stores must be printed and may be accepted as proof of residential address. The statement must be in the official letterhead or include the recognisable logo and information of the organisation, and it must contain your full name or initials, surname and residential address. This statement may not be emailed to the branch.
Documents issued in the name of a trust were requested as follows:
We need the following when a proof of residential address document is issued in the name of a trust:
Letter of authority as issued by the Master of the High Court;
Fica declaration form to be completed by any of the listed trustees;
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Copy of the identity document of the trustee who completed the Fica Declaration form; and Original residential address verification document (that matches the acceptable documents listed here).
Posters should have been written in Northern Sotho because CAPITEC Bank has Northern Sotho speaking clients as well. Northern Sotho-speakers should be given an opportunity to access information in their own language(s) as stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
The following are leaflets from the above-mentioned banks in the Capricorn and Mopani Districts:
100 Figure 4.1: FNB banking particulars
101 Figure 4.2: Nedbank insurance funeral plan
102 Figure 4.3 FNB easy top up
103 Figure 4.4 Capitec bank global one money management
104 Figure 4.5 Capitec bank fica information
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Figure 4.6 Capitec bank one card to manage all your account
106 Figure 4.7 Capitec bank credit facility
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Figure 4.8 Standard bank society fees for 2016
108 Figure 4.9 Standard bank deposit slip
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Disseminated information on the above-mentioned leaflets from different banks in Capricorn and Mopani Districts is written in English. Majority of clients who used the above-mentioned banks were unable to read and understand English. Banks need to take into consideration languages of their clients when disseminating any important information regarding services they offer to their clients. This will help clients understand important information regarding their financial status.