Banking sector not likely to actualize full digitalised operation in next 5yrs -Vish Ashiagbor
The Country Senior Partner at PwC, Vish Ashiagbor has stated that Ghana’s banking sector will not be able to actualise full digital operations in the next five years.
Mr. Ashiagbor made the assertions while addressing the media after the PwC Banking CX Breakfast Forum in Accra.
The event was to examine the findings from a customer experience survey in the banking sector.
Mr. Ashiagbor noted that a significant number of consumers are still comfortable with face-to-face transactions, a situation that could hinder full digital operations.
He added that the level of digital infrastructure development in some parts of the country is a contributing factor.
“Certainly not in the next five years and that’s because the demographics of a country like Ghana is such that we have a large population that is still coming to grips with the whole digital narrative.”
He furthered that “Beyond that the reach of networks also counts. If you look across the country the networks are concentrated in urban centres, right?
“But yet you have banking activity being done for example, in cocoa producing areas and in mining communities for example. Even those communities the connectivity issues are less but digital relies on a network of some kind,” he added.
According to the survey, speed, predictability of results, expertise, easy access, and low interest in customer concerns by staff emerged as customers’ top five concerns.
It also revealed that 64% of customers want short in-branch wait times while over 40% of customers preferred Whatsapp to other digital communications channels.
The Ghana Banking Sentiment Index(GBSI)
Co-developed by PwC and DataEQ, the Ghana Banking Sentiment Index (GBSI) provides a gauge for the overall customer sentiment towards the banking industry.
It revealed a Public Net Sentiment score by the Ghanaian banking sector of 10% in 2024, better than the UK’s at -25.6% in 2023, but worse than that of Kenya and South Africa.