Online Reporter
SOUTH AFRICA’S Capitec Bank has denied that any member of staff leaked a client’s banking information, loan details and home address to a third party after a customer complained that a content creator used these to embarrass him on social media.
The client Benneth Hlungwane suspects that the bank’s employee, who has access to the system, gave his personal information to a Limpopo-based content creator Gavaza Mhangwani who used it to humiliate, taunt and shame him on a TikTok live video to her 370,000 followers.
He later complained to the bank, which then started investigating.
However, the bank said its preliminary investigation into the matter suggests that the shared information was not from its internal system but rather a credit report or other external sources outside of the bank.
“We can confirm that the alleged breach of personal information did not result from any action by Capitec or its employees. We are in contact with the client to share our findings directly,” said the bank in its response to Sowetan.
When approached for comment, Mhangwani, who seemed nonchalant, said she did not expose Hlungwane’s information. When presented with detailed evidence she was dismissive and said: “You can go ahead [and write].”
Mhangwani was a finalist in the Limpopo Business Woman of the Year Awards which took place on Women’s Day. The awards encourage women to lead by example.
Its founder Katryn Celliers said they would not get involved in the personal matters of their finalists.
“We are not responsible for nominee’s personal disputes and will not get involved with any drama or allegations whatsoever,” said Celliers.
The sharing of personal information by financial institutions with third parties is against the Protection of Personal Information Act and could result in significant penalties, including fines, imprisonment, and civil liability.
In the video which has been deleted, Mhangwani could be heard questioning why the bank gave Hlungwane a loan he couldn’t afford. “I have all his information and it’s not fake . . . he must not be too forward and nosy,” comments Mhangwani as her followers laugh.
Mhangwani also shared screenshots of the bank’s computer screen showing Hlungane’s bank statement revealing his salary, active bank loan payments, his home address and contact details.
Hlungwane told Sowetan Consumer that he and Mhangwani had a dispute on an unrelated matter day preceding the video.
“This woman is someone I had been following on social media, and we’d interact from time to time even though we don’t know each other personally. In June we had a disagreement and a few days later I was alerted to a live stream she had with some of her followers where my finances were the subject of discussion.
Someone screenshot the video and I realised that my home address and banking details were shared on her platform.
“I was left angry and embarrassed that someone could stoop so low and expose my information like that. Someone from the bank who had access to my profile decided to share it with her and she took it to social media,” said Hlungwane from Mamelodi, Tshwane.
He said he never shared his banking information with a third party and that the last time he went to the bank was in March.
“This strongly suggests that the breach may have originated internally from the bank’s systems,” he said.
Hlungwane visited the branch at the R55 Mall in Olievenhoutbosch in June, and the branch manager gave him an email address to lodge a formal complaint with their head office. At the time Hlungwane approached Sowetan, the bank had not responded to his complaint.
However, the financial institution told Sowetan that its fraud department had completed its investigation into the matter.
“Our findings confirm that no Capitec employee accessed the client’s banking profile during May or June 2025, the period in question,” said the bank. – Sowetan
daniel chigunwe