South African banking giant First National Bank (FNB) is continuing its big device push with the announcement today that it will now offer a tablet to its customers for R99 per month.

As is the case with most of FNB’s smart devices, the tablet — a seven-inch Lenovo Ideatab — will be paid off over 24 months interest free and qualifying customers will receive 500mb data a month. It’s clear however that the bank is hoping to target a slightly lower market segment with this particular device.

“The addition of the Lenovo Ideatab to our device range means that for less than the cost of dinner and a movie, customers can now own a device that enables them to bank digitally; use as a learning tool; or for their gaming and entertainment needs,” says Kartik Mistry, Head of Smart Devices at FNB.

“Smartphone and tablet penetration is increasing rapidly in South Africa and it is important that as a leader in digital banking, we do our part to make this happen so that more people have access to the devices and technology that enables them to bank digitally,” he adds.

It’s the last of these which is really important in understanding the bank’s shift to supplying smart devices a couple of years back. Doing so successfully means that it’s been able to differentiate itself pretty effectively and grow its customer base.

Yes, South Africa’s other banks have followed in its footsteps, but FNB was first and therefore able to claim the best stake.

By targeting people at the slightly lower, but still upwardly mobile end of the market, FNB will be hoping that the majority of them remain with it as their wealth accumulates. That in turn means that it will eventually be ideally placed to offer them big-ticket offerings like credit cards and homeloans.

The other obvious benefit is that the more people it gets banking digitally, the less it has to spend on staff in its actual branches.

Given that people could save up the money and get an entry-level Android tablet much sooner, it makes sense that it’s decided to offer something slightly above that level. The IdeaTab features:

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

1GB RAM

16GB Storage

MicroSD Card Slot (Up to 64GB)

Quad Core 1.2Ghz Processor

7” IPS Multi Touch Display

1024 x 600 resolution

Existing online customers can apply for the device, while new customers must apply for a FNB Cheque Account to qualify for a smart device.