Ladies and Gentlemen: The results we are releasing today are as a result of developments in the wider economy, infrastructural facilities, technological innovation, institutional developments, natural features, as well as financial system policy and regulatory reforms, increased competition and innovations in the financial market. These developments have set off a dramatic shift away from the traditional delivery of financial services.
In the delivery of financial services, innovations using technology such as Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), Point-of-Sale (POS) devices, the internet and mobile phone platforms and its interlinkages with financial institutions platforms have accelerated and moved us closer to branchless banking. We, however, still have some ground to cover in expanding access to financial services, given that about 25% of the population remains totally excluded.