From banking to birding and the bushveld

As winter starts to bite, Patricia McCracken recommends books that will keep you intrigued while you're curled up in front of the fireplace or taking shelter on a sunny veranda.

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Capitec: Stalking Giants by TJ Strydom (Tafelberg, R320)

In late April, Capitec Bank was named South Africa’s biggest bank by market capitalisation, adding to the title it’s held for several years of biggest by subscriber numbers. Its roots were in the Boland more than three decades ago. Then, the banking sector was under pressure to bring the ‘unbanked’ on board.

Strydom vividly sketches how Capitec’s founders, mostly from the Cape's liquor businesses, used this expertise in developing products consumers want, and supplying the products where consumers are. They opened in places as remote as the Eastern Cape’s Lusikisiki long before Sandton and were consumer-friendly with longer hours, minimal paperwork and welcoming branches near travel points.

In 2016, Capitec at last launched its credit card, and it was also declared the best bank in the world by Lafferty Bank Quality Ratings. Strydom’s a clear Capitec fan and narrates the story with verve.