SA banking thrives amidst regulatory reforms

Media coverage on the reputation of the banking industry

Pretoria, 15 January 2014. Effective communication around sound policy decisions by the SA banking industry in past years has seen global media restore their confidence for them than what has been seen for their Western counterparts, where the impact of the global trust meltdown remains pertinent.

South Africa banking industry has displayed the soundness of its business policy and profitability in times of crises, thereby receiving a positive reception by their local media in 2013. In comparison, global media tone for banks in Germany, UK and Italy have seen further negativity emerge because of litigation issues around the Libor and the Euribor scandals. As such, the growing negative publicity for the international banking industry continues to be weighed down by increasing regulatory standards, like the recent pressure on EU parliament to push for bonus caps for EU bankers.

In the opinion of Ludene Brown, researcher at Media Tenor South Africa, “The severity of regulations placed on the international banking industry has placed pressure on the business policy of the industry. This has retarded growth and affected client relations displaying the industry's inability to adapt. In contrast, SA’s banking industry has thrived amidst regulatory reforms and as such, cites the flexibility of the business policy to allow for the adoption and transformation in the industry.”

These results are based on an analysis of 7 377 reports on 20 international TV news from 1 January 2012 – 31 December 2013. For 20 years, Media Tenor’s mission has been to contribute to objective, diverse and newsworthy reporting by bringing together the diverse parties who impact and are affected by the news. Media Tenor’s global research projects include analyses of election campaigns, investor relations, public diplomacy, corporate communications and other topics critical to newsmakers and their audiences.

For additional information, or to schedule an interview with Media Tenor, please contact Ludene Brown, 012 369 7760 or 082 213 9481, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.