[ad_1]
The completion of Capitec Bank Ltd’s gleaming new headquarters should have been a cause for celebration. Instead, the Covid-19 outbreak meant that the lender had to send staff home even before some of them had moved out.
“It’s a bit sad,” CEO Gerrie Fourie said by phone from a facility near Stellenbosch, east of Cape Town. “The first 500 came in and then we had to get everyone out.”
South Africa introduced a strict nationwide lockdown on March 27 to contain the spread of the coronavirus and shut down almost all business activities except essential services. Despite being counted among the sectors authorized to continue operating, the banks had most of their staff working remotely.
Although restrictions have since been lowered to the lowest alert level, only about 200 people, or 10% of the building’s capacity, work from the office on a daily basis.
“We strongly believe that we need to have this building for culture, teamwork and motivation, especially for new hires,” Fourie said. “I think that will be one of the challenges.”
While Capitec is committed to its 800 million rand ($ 47.6 million) building, the shape of which reflects the company logo, it is reconsidering the use of other spaces such as call centers, Fourie said.
The bank, which reported a 78% profit drop for the six months through August, plans to add around 200 employees after limiting hiring to essential areas earlier this year.
Read: 4 Big Changes Capitec Customers Can Expect In The Coming Months
[ad_2]
