Investec pips Absa to the smartphone banking app post

This is interesting. We’ve just received a media invite to the launch of Investec’s smartphone banking app.

The fact that the South African-founded banking group, which also operates in the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland isn’t as interesting however as the date.

The app is set to have its official launch on 5 April, five days before banking giant Absa makes its foray into the world of smartphone banking apps.

ABSA is the last of the “big four” consumer banks in South Africa to launch a smartphone banking app. First National Bank (FNB) led the way by launching its app in mid 2011, while Standard Bank and Nedbank launched their’s within a couple of days of each other in mid 2012.

The fact that a player that employs fewer than 6 000 people around the globe (compared with the 36 000 plus that Absa employees) has beaten it to the post in terms of offering a smartphone banking app must surely be dent, however slight, in Absa’s pride (although probably not as much as being nearly two years behind FNB and a year behind its other competitors).

At this stage, it’s unclear which platforms Investec’s app will launch on, although if it is to succeed in South Africa, iOS, Android and BlackBerry are pretty much musts from the get-go.