What began as a tool to help customers understand and manage their money has grown into a platform supporting life’s biggest decisions. As FNB’s nav» ecosystem marks its tenth anniversary, customer behaviour points to growing demand for practical guidance beyond traditional banking, from saving and homeownership to mobility, protection and giving back. To mark the milestone, FNB is launching two new solutions — nav» Youth, built for the realities of younger South Africans, and nav» Payroll, which gives businesses a simple, compliant way to pay their people.
Behind every number is a customer making real progress. More than six million people have used nav» Money to take control of their day-to-day finances, creating over R1.75 billion in savings goals as buffers against life’s unexpected expenses, with engagement up 7.5-fold since launch. nav» Home has helped families turn aspiration into ownership, supporting more than R76 billion in home loans. nav» Car has taken the admin out of vehicle ownership, with 1.34 million vehicles in its virtual garage and 728,000 licence renewals completed digitally (up over 40% year on year) sparing customers the queues. And nav» Care has made giving back effortless, channelling more than R10.5 million in donations to verified charities and community organisations.
“The last decade has taught us that being better off means something different for everyone. For some people it’s having enough savings to navigate an unexpected setback. For others it’s buying a first home, starting a business or creating an additional income stream. What matters is that we continue to listen, understand what’s changing in people’s lives and build solutions that genuinely help. Every interaction gives us a deeper understanding of our customers, and that understanding allows us to create more meaningful support when it’s needed most,” says Clair Brenner, CEO of nav».
Customers are no longer simply tracking their finances they are budgeting, saving and planning ahead, addressing pressure before it becomes financial distress. Today, 74% of active nav» Money users engage at a deeper level, and nav» Money users are measurably better off financially than those who don’t use the tools.
READ – How Young South Africans Are Creating Their Own Economy
The new solution, nav» Youth, has been designed around the realities facing younger South Africans as they navigate financial independence, changing career paths, entrepreneurship and multiple income streams. It brings together a revamped Learning Hub covering credit, budgeting and growing a side hustle; Life’s Keys, a curated set of tools for life’s biggest firsts; and the Career Compass podcast. Early traction has been strong: in the first half of the financial year alone, nav» Youth drove more than 450,000 interactions giving 94,000 young customers the tools to thrive.
Stability is becoming the foundation for opportunity
A decade of nav» data also reveals a shift in how people define financial progress. Stability is no longer the end goal — it has become a launchpad for bigger ambitions: the simple act of managing your money, understanding your credit status, or setting a savings goal is what leads you to buying your first home, starting a business, growing a side hustle or creating additional income streams.
nav» Home has helped 61,000 customers find homes while expanding into a broader homeownership ecosystem, while nav» Car and nav» Marketplace connect customers with trusted providers — with nav» Marketplace already generating R4.7 million in revenue for small businesses and making 9,500 service providers searchable.
The newly launched nav» Payroll is an on-platform solution that gives businesses a simple, compliant and affordable way to pay their people. It offers five free payslips a month (R25 per payslip thereafter), automates SARS-aligned reporting, and issues professional payslips that serve as formal proof of income, helping employees access credit, housing and other essentials. 132 business have organically discovered how this solution can give them more confidence and control in managing their employees.
“The traditional financial journey is becoming less common. Customers are adapting to a world that’s changing faster than ever before. They’re building multiple income streams, exploring new opportunities and looking for greater financial certainty. We understand those realities and help create a stable foundation to enable their ambitions. That’s exactly why we’re launching nav» Youth and nav» Payroll to meet customers and small employers where they actually are,” says Brenner.
Customers are investing in the future they want to build
According to Jolandé Duvenage, CEO of Value Ecosystems & Customer Experience at FNB, customers no longer experience banking through individual products, but through connected life decisions. “Whether customers are managing money, buying a home, building a business, improving household resilience or supporting a cause, they don’t see these as separate journeys,” says Duvenage. “Our role is to connect these experiences in ways that remove friction and help customers make progress.”
That thinking is shaping solutions such as nav» Earth, which supports energy, solar and sustainability decisions, and nav» Care, which channels millions of rands in donations to verified causes.
FNB is also celebrating with millions of customers through the nav» 10-year birthday campaign six months of play across three gamified missions, live now in the FNB and RMB Private Bank apps. The main prize is the Ultimate Rugby Experience in 2027, with MacBook Airs, Nintendo Switch 2s, Nando’s vouchers, Pick n Pay groceries for a year and eBucks for fuel also up for grabs.
“As we enter the next decade, connected ecosystems will become critical,” concludes Duvenage. “Our focus is on helping customers navigate change, unlock opportunity and build stronger futures.”