Battle of the banks 2026: Capitec vs FNB vs Standard Bank vs Absa vs Nedbank

• Capitec has the second-largest market cap, behind FirstRand
• South Africa’s banking sector has continued to grow, with PricewaterhouseCoopers noting that the industry’s combined headline earnings grew 9.3% in the first half of 2026 year-on-year
• The conflict in the Middle East and surging oil prices have dampened South Africa’s economy, as the country saw its GDP contract for the first time in six quarters in 2026