Seen Here: Older South Africans are increasingly embracing digital connectivity, with mobile data usage among active FNB Connect customers aged 60 and older rising by more than 240% over two years, while outgoing voice usage per SIM declined by 11%. The findings highlight changing communication habits, as digital platforms increasingly help older customers stay connected with loved ones, access information and manage everyday essentials such as prepaid electricity and airtime. According to Sashin Sookroo, FNB Connect CEO, the true value of connectivity lies in the difference it makes in people’s daily lives — from video-calling family members who live far away to completing essential transactions without leaving home. The bank also reported a 153% increase in active device contracts among its customers aged 60 and older between August 2024 and August 2026, reflecting growing uptake within FNB’s device offering. Photo Credit: Supplied
FNB Connect insights reveal a shift in how older customers communicate, manage everyday expenses and stay connected with loved ones, challenging assumptions about technology use in later life.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa | 26 October 2026 — Older South Africans are increasingly embracing digital connectivity, with mobile data usage among active FNB Connect customers aged 60 and older rising by more than 240% over two years, according to new insights released by FNB Connect.
The increase, recorded over the two-year period to 2026, points to changing digital habits among older customers, who are increasingly using internet-based services to communicate, access information and manage everyday tasks.
Over the same period, outgoing voice usage per SIM declined by 11%, suggesting a shift in communication patterns as messaging applications and internet-based calling become more relevant to customers’ daily lives.
Released during Seniors Month, the findings highlight the growing role of digital services in supporting convenience, family relationships and independence in later life.
For FNB Connect, the figures offer an opportunity to better understand how older customers use technology and how connectivity can deliver practical benefits beyond simply providing access to a mobile network.
From traditional calls to a more connected lifestyle
The rise in data consumption, alongside the decline in traditional voice usage, reflects a broader evolution in how people communicate.
Services such as WhatsApp allow users to exchange messages, share photographs and make voice or video calls using mobile data. Social media and video-streaming platforms also provide opportunities to stay informed, entertained and involved in the lives of family and friends.
Although the figures do not establish precisely which applications account for the increase, the contrasting trends are consistent with a growing role for internet-based communication among the older customers surveyed.
FNB Connect CEO Sashin Sookroo says the significance of connectivity lies in the everyday experiences it makes possible.
“For an older person, connectivity might mean seeing a grandchild who lives overseas or another province, buying electricity without arranging transport or checking an account at a time that suits them. Those are everyday experiences with real personal value,” Sookroo says.
He adds that the growth in data usage reflects changing customer behaviour and provides an opportunity to better understand the needs of older consumers.
“It gives us a reason to pay closer attention to their needs and how we can help them derive greater value from being connected.”
Banking apps make everyday purchases more convenient
Beyond communication, digital services are increasingly helping older customers manage routine expenses without necessarily travelling to a store or service point.
FNB Connect’s insights indicate that customers aged 60 and older who use the bank’s Connect Service Provider services are increasingly purchasing products such as prepaid electricity and airtime through the FNB Banking App.
The bank reports substantial growth in the app’s share of transactions between the two 12-month periods measured, although the announcement does not specify the exact percentage increase.
For customers who are comfortable using digital banking, the ability to purchase electricity or airtime directly from a phone can simplify routine tasks and provide greater flexibility.
This can be particularly useful for people who have difficulty travelling, live far from retail outlets or need to coordinate everyday errands with family members or caregivers.
“Being able to buy electricity from anywhere can make a practical difference, particularly when travelling is difficult or someone needs to arrange assistance,” Sookroo says.
“For someone learning to use digital services, mastering one useful task can be a meaningful starting point. The support should help them do what matters to them, at their own pace.”
The emphasis on learning at an individual’s own pace is significant. While digital tools can make everyday activities easier, their value depends on whether people feel confident and comfortable using them.
Digital connections help families stay close
For many older people, the value of connectivity extends well beyond convenience and transactions.
Messaging applications, shared photographs and video calls can help grandparents remain involved in the lives of children and grandchildren who live in other provinces or countries. Digital platforms can also help older people maintain friendships, participate in family conversations and access information about their interests.
As data usage increases among FNB Connect’s older customers, these services may be becoming a more important part of how they maintain social connections.
“A shared photograph or a video call can bring someone into a family moment they would otherwise miss,” Sookroo says.
“For people separated by distance, having more ways to communicate can help maintain those everyday connections.”
FNB Connect also offers WhatsApp data rewards, which may help make messaging more affordable for eligible customers using the service.
Affordability remains an important consideration, particularly for older people managing fixed incomes or balancing connectivity costs against other household expenses.
The findings suggest that access to reliable, affordable data can support more frequent digital interactions, although the extent to which individual customers benefit will depend on their devices, connectivity needs and usage patterns.
Device adoption points to growing digital engagement
The growing use of data services is accompanied by an increase in device contracts among older FNB Connect customers.
According to the bank, the number of customers aged 60 and older holding active device contracts increased by approximately 153% between August 2024 and August 2026.
The increase reflects take-up within FNB’s device offering and should not be interpreted as a measure of smartphone ownership among South Africans aged 60 and older as a whole.
Nevertheless, it provides another indication that more older customers within the bank’s customer base are engaging with its device and connectivity offerings.
Access to a suitable device can open the door to digital banking, video calling, online information and other services. However, owning a device does not automatically mean that a person can use every digital service confidently or independently.
The quality of the experience also depends on affordability, accessibility, clear instructions and appropriate support.
Digital inclusion must respect individual choice
Despite the growth in data usage, older customers are not a uniform group. Some are highly comfortable with digital platforms, while others may be learning to use smartphones and online services for the first time.
Their needs can also differ depending on eyesight, hearing, mobility, language, income and previous exposure to technology.
For this reason, digital inclusion requires more than providing a device and a data connection. Services must be accessible, understandable and supported by assistance when needed.
Sookroo says older customers should be able to choose how they interact with digital services.
“A device and a connection are the starting point. Clear instructions, readable screens and patient help can make it easier for someone to use a service confidently,” he says.
“Independence also includes choosing when you want assistance. Someone may happily buy airtime through an app and still prefer speaking to a person about a banking question. We need to respect both.”
This approach recognises that digital adoption should expand people’s choices rather than pressure them to abandon familiar ways of accessing services.
It also highlights the importance of maintaining accessible human support alongside digital platforms, particularly when customers need help with complex transactions or sensitive financial matters.
What the findings mean for older South Africans
The latest FNB Connect figures provide a snapshot of changing behaviour among the bank’s active customers aged 60 and older. They do not necessarily represent the experiences of all older South Africans, particularly those without smartphones, affordable data or reliable network access.
Even so, the trends highlight an important opportunity for businesses and service providers to rethink assumptions about older consumers and technology.
As digital services become increasingly integrated into daily life, older customers can benefit from tools that help them communicate, manage household needs and access information on their own terms.
For service providers, the challenge is to ensure that this transition remains inclusive, with affordability, accessible design and patient support forming part of the customer experience.
Sookroo believes the most important consideration is not simply how much data customers consume, but what that connectivity enables them to do.
“The question is what connectivity helps someone do,” he says. “Stay close to people they care about, manage an everyday need or access useful information. That’s where its value becomes personal.”
As Seniors Month draws attention to the experiences and needs of older people, the message is clear: digital inclusion is not only about adopting new technology. It is about making everyday life more connected, convenient and independent, while allowing people to choose the support and services that work best for them.
