Michael Jordaan, banker and then winemaker, has another run at banking
His Bank Zero is likely to epitomise Jordaan and his career thus far — innovative, consumer focused and cool in a nerdy banking way
For most, owning a wine farm on a mountainside close to the sea, surrounded by family and friends, would be all they ever needed. But for Michael Jordaan, former CEO of one of SA’s biggest consumer lenders, the banking bug runs too deep. Having moved to his wine farm, Bartinney, full time in 2014 after 10 years at the helm of FirstRand’s First National Bank, 49-year-old Jordaan is now readying Bank Zero, a digital bank that may offer some services for free. With its start date slated for the end of 2018, Bank Zero is likely to epitomize Jordaan and his career thus far — innovative, consumer focused and kinda cool, at least to nerdy banking types. "It’s a project that’s close to my heart," Jordaan, who helped FNB win an award as the world’s most innovative bank during his tenure, said in a recent interview in Cape Town. "From a business perspective wine making is nonsensical, but it has the lifestyle. It’s now five years since I left FNB and at some stage you have to follow the thing...
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