Standard Bank online and mobile banking platforms are down for South African users

South Africa’s Standard Bank is currently experiencing a major outage in its online and mobile banking channels. The disruption stems from an issue affecting Sage, the banks’ software provider. The glitch has reportedly resulted in delayed transactions and prevented new customers from opening bank accounts.

Sage disclosed this on its communication platforms, tagging the glitch as a ‘partial outage’.

“We have identified an issue in South Africa with the bank feeds we receive from Standard Bank. As a result, all customers using the Standard Bank will experience delays getting their transactions, and new customers would be unable to onboard Standard Bank,” it said. 

It also clarified that the outage is primarily affecting Standard Bank customers, noting that the service is performing as expected for all other customers using different banks.

“The issue with Standard Bank is only on our Yodlee connection. Our Standard Bank (Powered by Sage) connection is still working as expected and therefore those with eligible account types can utilise this connection,” it said at 11:35 am (Nigerian time).

Initially, customers were unable to sign into the bank’s mobile app. However, the app became accessible later on with limited functionality. In addition, the app displays a mismatch in account balance, transaction histories, airtime and top-ups. 

Trends on downdetector, a website that tracks real-time problem & outage monitoring, also revealed a spike in complaints for users. Checks show that users started complaining around 11:00 am (Nigerian Time).

Further breakdown of the life report revealed that Sage users indicated issues with the provider’s website and login, while those for the Bank reports disruption with the mobile banking app and online banking services.

As of reporting time, the Sage status page has yet to confirm normalcy.

Also Read: South Africa’s StandardBank shuts down 1,942 ATMs as cash withdrawals decline.

Standard Bank’s effort towards digital banking

Known as South Africa’s largest Bank, Standard Bank has significant investments in digital platforms and innovations. Its parent company, Standard Bank Group, serves over 19 million clients across 20 African countries. 

In its digital reforms, the Bank reduced its ATM network in South Africa by 1,942 between 2020 and mid-2025, a significant decrease from 5,390 to 3,448. The reduction reflects the banks’ adaptation to the increasing shift toward mobile and digital transactions, as well as the corresponding decline in cash withdrawals.

Aside from Standard Bank, other South African banks such as Absa, Nedbank, and First National Bank have also reduced their branch and ATM networks.

Also, online banks such as TymeBank and Bank Zero have expanded without investing in physical infrastructure, signalling the evolution of South African financial service consumers.