South Africa’s most exclusive bank accounts and how much you need to earn to qualify
South Africa’s most exclusive bank accounts are Discovery Purple, Nedbank Private Wealth, RMB Private Fusion Account, FNB Fusion Private Wealth, and Standard Bank Signature.
Apart from the convenience that comes from having a private banking account, it has also become a status symbol in certain sectors of society.
According to Forbes, “Private banking, also known as ‘relationship management’, pairs banking clients with individuals or teams that handle all of their financial tasks within the bank.”
“The clients can skip the teller and call their private banker directly to get help or complete transactions.”
“The private banker is already familiar with the client’s specific financial situation and is in an ideal position to make suggestions and recommendations.”
The fact that high-end bank accounts are only available to the rich makes them highly desirable among those climbing the social ladder.
This raises the question of which bank accounts in South Africa are the most exclusive, how much you must earn to qualify for them, and what perks are associated with being an exclusive customer.
An analysis by Daily Investor showed that most of these exclusive accounts require annual salaries above R750,000. This means that these accounts are only available to the top 7.7% of salary earners in South Africa.
However, a R750,000 annual salary will not get you one of the top accounts from Discovery, Nedbank, FNB, or Standard Bank
To get a Discovery Purple account, you need an annual pay package of at least R2.5 million. A Standard Bank Signature Banking account requires at least R2 million.
The perks associated with high-end bank accounts range from access to airport lounges to travel insurance, faster security clearance, and discounted accommodation.
Below is an overview of the most exclusive bank accounts in South Africa and the perks they come with.
| Bank Account | Annual salary needed | Monthly salary needed |
| Discovery Purple | >R2.5 million | >R208,000 |
| Nedbank Private Wealth | >R2 million | >R166,666 |
| RMB Private Fusion Account | R750,000 | R62,500 |
| FNB Fusion Private Wealth | R1.8 million | R150,000 |
| Standard Bank Signature Banking | R1.10 million | R 92,000 |
| Investec Private Banking | R800,000 | R66,600 |
| Absa Private Banking | R750,000 | R62,500 |
| Average | R1.39 million | R115,466 |
| Bank account | Monthly fee |
| Discovery Purple | R640 |
| Nedbank Private Wealth | R530 |
| RMB Private Fusion Account | R550 |
| FNB Fusion Private Wealth | R550 |
| Standard Bank Signature Banking | R530 |
| Investec Private Banking | R605 |
| Absa Private Banking | R200 |
| Average | R515 |
Discovery Purple
- Access to unlimited free savings accounts
- Access to the only Real-Time Forex Accounts
- Up to 75% back on HealthyFood items at Pick n Pay or Woolworths
- Up to 50% back on HealthyCare items at Clicks or Dis-Chem
- Up to 20% back on Uber rides
- Up to 20% back on fuel purchases at BP and Shell
- Up to 40% off when the customer spends Discovery Miles
- Up to 75% off one return or two local one-way flights
- Up to 75% off an international flight with British Airways, Emirates and Qantas
- Up to 75% off fitness devices and Nike performance gear
- Up to 50% off Technogym home gym equipment rental
- 25% off holiday accommodation and car hire
- Up to 15% back on Contiki, Royal Caribbean International and World Leisure Holidays
- Free multi-trip international travel insurance
- Free and unlimited airport lounge access worldwide
- Faster security clearance at OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airport
- Own relationship banker
Nedbank Private Wealth
- A dedicated private banker and 24-hour Service suite
- Free airport lounge access
- 24-hour concierge service for personal travel and lifestyle needs.
- Emergency assistance
- Travel and lifestyle benefits, such as discounts and special rates on accommodation, car rental and airport meet-and-assist services
- Travel insurance up to $2.5 million.
- Automatic enrolment in the Greenbacks programme, with customers earning unlimited Greenbacks at a rate of up to two Greenbacks for every R10 spent with Visa Infinite credit card or double Greenbacks with their American Express® Credit or Cheque Cards.
- Private banker.
- Team of specialists to help with wealth management needs.
- Access to the Nedbank Private Wealth App
- 24/7 anti-fraud hotline
RMB Private Fusion Account
- An exclusive metal card
- Full transactional capability with a linked credit facility
- One view of transactional account
- One interest rate
- Up to 30 days’ interest-free on card purchases
- Linked additional cards
- Maximum rewards
- Account for spouses
- FNBy for kids, teens and young adults.
- Global Travel Insurance
- Access to the SLOW Lounge
- Cash@Till
- Exclusive VISA offers
FNB Fusion Private Wealth
- R20 000 in annual discount savings to use on flights, car hire, bus tickets and the eBucks Shop
- Up to 40%* off selected local flights
- Up to 40%* off international selected flights
- Up to 40% off domestic car hire
- Up to 40% off bus tickets
- Up to 36 complimentary domestic and international SLOW Lounge visits a year
- Up to 24 additional SLOW Lounge visits a year when flights are booked through eBucks Travel
- Access to discounted accommodation and travel packages through the eBucks Travel desk
- Up to R3,000 back monthly on our Smart Spend category.
- Up to R8/litre back in eBucks every month at Engen, with the FNB Private Wealth Virtual Card, WesBank & FNB Car Insurance.
- Up to 15% back in eBucks on everything at Shoprite Checkers and SPAR.
- Up to 15% back in eBucks on everything at Clicks.
- Up to 15% back in eBucks on the latest Apple products at iStore.
- Up to 30% back in eBucks on everything at ARC store.
- A complimentary Single Facility® account.
- Financial advice from your private advisor and team of specialists.
Standard Bank Signature Banking
- A dedicated Private Banker with 24/7 access to the Private Banking team
- Free offshore bank account
- 60% Discount on a Signature account for your spouse.
- 80% Discount on secondary World Citizen Credit Cards for your family members.
- Free sum(1) Accounts for your children under 16 years old.
- Direct access to a Private Banker, Wealth Planner and a team of banking specialists.
- Unlimited* domestic and international airport lounge access for you and a guest.
- Access to the Standard Bank Library and Lanseria domestic lounges for you and your guest.
- Special travel offers through the UCount Travel Mall. Get up to 50%* back when using your World Citizen Credit Card to purchase domestic or international flights.
- Get discounts on family travel with Booking.com and Travelstart when you use your World Citizen Credit Card to pay for accommodation.
- If both you and your spouse are Signature clients, you can take two guests into the airport lounges to accommodate your family of 4.
- Free personal accident cover to the value of R40,000.
- Advisory services with a free simple or complex Will drafting, tax planning, financial planning and estate planning.
Investec Private Banking
- A competitive debit rate of up to prime
- A Visa platinum credit card with up to 45 interest-free days on card purchases
- Unlimited free ATM withdrawals both locally and internationally*
- Interest on credit balance
- Up to 60-month budget facility option for unexpected purchases
- Complimentary local and international lounge access
- Get an extra card linked to the account at no extra cost or a stand-alone Private Bank Account at a reduced monthly fee for spouse or life partner.
- Open an Investec Youth Account, a transactional account with a Visa debit card, for no additional monthly fee.
- Open a linked Cash Management Account and earn a higher interest rate through active management of short-term surplus funds.
- Open a tax-free investment or a local unit trust for the customer and children through My Investments.
- Open a sterling-based transactional account in the UK (for an additional fee).
- Enjoy preferential exchange rates on foreign exchange whether investing internationally, making international payments or receiving funds from abroad into Investec Account.
- Get access to emergency funds with Western Union Money Transfer if card is lost or stolen while travelling abroad.
- Access to Investor Rewards
- Access to Investec Digital
- Access to Investec One Place
Absa Private Banking
- US$750,000 cover from Visa for international travel
- Bidvest Premier Lounge:
- Primary credit card holder: 24 visits per year, plus 2 guest entries per year
- Secondary card holders: Total of 24 visits across all secondary cards, plus 2 guest entries per year
- 6 visits to over 1,200 Lounge Key airport lounges worldwide***
- Private banker
- Dedicated 24/7 Private Assist Line
- Global Cardholder Assistance Services (GCAS)
- Exclusive Deals
- Local Offers
- Global Merchant Discount Offers
- Visa Medical and Legal referral
- Buyers Protection
- Extended Warranty Cover
- Rental Car Collision Damage Waiver
- Concierge Services
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