Top bank in South Africa tracking airtime purchases, social media profiles, website visits, and online shopping to decide if customers can get loans

A major South African bank is reportedly using alternative data sources—including airtime purchases, social media activity, website visits, and online shopping behavior—for creditworthiness assessments. This practice raises significant POPIA compliance questions around lawful processing, consent, purpose limitation, and data minimization that fall squarely within the Information Regulator's enforcement mandate.