Transparency in the South African banking sector : improved consumer protection

Abstract

Banks play an invaluable role in the development and growth of the South African financial system. The 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was a significant turning point in the global banking regulation system. The GFC which was caused by numerous factors, including inadequate banking transparency and disregard for financial consumer protection, led to the development of global banking regulatory trends in hopes of preventing the outbreak of future financial crisis. Post-GFC, the discourse of transparency as a tool to enhance financial consumer protection has gained traction in South Africa and across the world. The Bank for International Settlements and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision are among the front runners of the global efforts for transforming banking regulations to become more robust and ensure the protection of financial consumers through transparency. This research aims to advance and contribute to the discourse of banking transparency in South Africa and interrogate the role that transparency plays in improving financial consumer protection in South Africa post-GFC. The study leads a discussion of South Africa’s banking regulation renaissance post-GFC and the implementation and adoption of various global standards to align South Africa’s approach to transparency in the banking sector and improved financial consumer protection with global best practice.