Hylton Kallner, CEO of Discovery Bank

Discovery Bank, today, released its SpendTrend Festive Season edition. The analysis highlights travel and selected spending behaviours among Discovery Bank clients over December 2025 and early January 2026.

Hylton Kallner, CEO of Discovery Bank, says, “December remains the peak spending season and the SpendTrend Festive Season edition shows our clients, like other South Africans, spent more than in other months. As the rand strengthened and fuel prices stabilised, local and international flight prices on popular routes were, on average, up to 20% lower than the same period last year. This meant more people enjoyed getaways and our clients received meaningful, added savings when they combined the lower fares with their Vitality Travel rewards. SpendTrend Festive Season edition shows Discovery Bank clients welcomed in the New Year from 128 countries around the world.”

Travel: Discovery Bank clients went global

Discovery Bank clients who made bookings through Vitality Travel:

• Were on more than 19,000 flights and filled over 150,000 seats – equivalent to 850 planes.
• Flew more than 300 million kilometres between 10 December 2025 and 7 January 2026 – equivalent to 7,500 trips around the world.
• Made most domestic trips between Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, with international travel to popular destinations including the UAE, Australia, the UK, the USA and Mauritius.

Festive spend: Holiday treats with responsible choices

“Our clients spent an average of 20% more over the festive season compared with other months, and 5% more than in December 2024. We’ve quantified how much more our clients love ice cream during the holidays and observed that they’re making sensible choices as indicated with higher spending on metered taxi and ride-hailing services. And, as the calendar pages over to January, alcohol spend eases off and stationery spend rises sharply, reflecting back-to-school preparations and getting back to everyday life,” says Kallner.

Discovery Bank clients spent:

• 20% more over the festive season compared with other months, and 5% more than in December 2024.
• 37% more at major ice cream stores compared with the rest of the year.
• 23% more on metered taxi and ride-hailing services than in the rest of the year.
• In January, spend on alcohol decreases and stationery purchases rise sharply. View the SpendTrend Festive Season Edition here.

“Our SpendTrend reports, including an annual SpendTrend edition and a Black Friday edition, all help to understand consumers better and to inform actions towards providing services that reflect shifts in financial behaviour. The use of Vitality Travel through Discovery Bank indicates the value our clients derive from their rewards. The greater access to travel has enabled them to make the equivalent of nearly 400 trips to the moon and back over the main holiday period,” says Kallner.

ENDS