Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman and Hansen (2009: 105) suggest that ‘a strategy is a game plan for a business to achieve its objectives; a statement of long-range intent and direction than short-term actions.’ However, all organisations exist in dynamic markets therefore its strategy focus on its market, its customers and its value proposition, may have to be operationalised as short term activity, in response to external, industry, market, competitor and customer analysis; using tools such as portfolio analysis namely the Boston Matrix, Porter’s five forces, Grant’s key success factors, the Ansoff Matrix, a micro and macro-environment analysis, industry and segmentation analysis, market positioning analysis, innovation and new product development and the marketing mix. Presumably, every organisation would be responsible to its stakeholders and shareholders and formulate its strategy being informed by such business investigation/intelligence. In the absence of such information in the Capitec Bank: Low-Cost Banking for Joe Average case study (Townsend and Mosala: 2006), such is going to be assumed.

The facts and figures from 2002 to 2006, point to the success in profit and volume growth of the Capitec strategy of ‘providing low-cost basic banking services to the lower to middle-income market, and to create a bank that offered everything to everybody.’ From public source information, the Fin24 and BusinessLive (2011) the focus on banking the unbanked remains a key national issue. While Capitec led market share by 2010, competitor activity by the big four banks was increasing in that market segment. Government legislation in banking services and its related initiatives challenged Capitec’s strategy for penetration of that segment. The strategic issue for Capitec’s consideration then would be: would that segment remain attractive and sustainable for it going forward?