Accounts banded by turnover, with a no-fee entry tier
South African business banking laddered by annual turnover, from First Business Zero for sole proprietors through Gold, Platinum and Enterprise, plus an Islamic banking option.
Use when
You want a bank that bands its pricing to your turnover and you expect to move up the bands.
Skip when
You have incorporated and want the free tier, which you cannot have.
Pick the tier by turnover: First Business Zero is for sole proprietors from R0 to R1 million, Gold runs to R5 million with credit facilities, Platinum from R5 to R60 million with a 24/7 account executive, and Enterprise above that. Read the Zero account's limits before you choose it, because the name oversells it for most founders: FNB's own page states no monthly account fees and a R0 minimum balance, but it is open only to sole proprietors whose business is not registered with CIPC, issues no card, allows no debit orders, accepts no cash deposits, and is described as not a transactional account. If you have incorporated a Pty Ltd you do not qualify at all, and Gold is the real starting point.
Alternatives
