First National Bank’s mobile virtual network (MVNO) offering has one million active subscribers under its umbrella, the bank announced today.
Introduced in 2015, FNB Connect is the bank’s mobile offering that is available to FNB customers, allowing them to choose from a range of products and services. It is a three-pillar business made up of the MVNO, device and service provider business.
“For many of our customers, FNB Connect has become more than just a SIM card to make and receive calls,” says FNB Connect CEO Sashin Sookroo. “It’s a way to save on data, earn eBucks and manage their mobile life inside the same app they already use to bank, budget and buy.”
The bank says in the 12 months between July 2024 and June 2025, FNB Connect customers used 26.2 petabytes of data, or the equivalent of about 11 million hours streaming high-definition videos on YouTube.
FNB Connect customers also used more than 2.37 petabytes of free WhatsApp data, it states.
Customers spent a total of 190 million eBucks (the equivalent of R19 million) buying airtime, data, or new devices.
Since launching its local eSIM last year, FNB Connect has seen 127% cumulative growth in eSIM sales, with eSIMs now accounting for 10% of all the MVNO’s monthly SIM sales, it adds.
Its global travel eSIM continues to see 20% month-on-month growth. The FNB app enables customers to activate eSIMs, manage multiple profiles, track their usage balance and top-up anytime.
FNB Connect recorded more than 64 000 credit and cash device sales to the value of R635 million and offered more than 400 device types in the past year.
“Connectivity is no longer a luxury; it’s a lifeline. Our mission is to make it simpler, smarter and fairer for every South African to stay connected, wherever they are,” concludes Sookroo.
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