South African banker Gerrie Fourie joins STADIO

More than five months after stepping down as chief executive officer of Capitec Bank, one of South Africa’s largest financial services providers, Gerrie Fourie has taken on a new role as an independent non-executive director at private education group STADIO Holdings.

South African banker joins STADIO for national impact

The appointment, effective Nov. 27, positions Fourie to support STADIO’s mission to expand access to quality higher education in South Africa. The company said Fourie’s experience will help it reach its goal of serving 100,000 students nationwide.

“I’ve long believed in the power of education to open doors and create opportunity,” Gerrie Fourie said. “I’m honored to contribute to STADIO’s vision of making higher learning more accessible while building a student-focused, sustainable organization.”

Capitec growth under Gerrie Fourie’s leadership

Fourie’s career at Capitec spans over two decades, including ten years as CEO. Capitec had about 25,000 customers and only 55 branches when he took over the position in 2014. By the time he retired on July 18, 2025, the bank had become South Africa’s largest retail bank, serving more than 24 million customers, and expanding into digital banking, and insurance.

Capitec’s market capitalization grew to over R400 billion ($22 billion), while annual net profit surged from R2.04 billion ($109 million) to R13.75 billion ($742 million) in the 2025 fiscal year. Fourie left with a goodbye package worth R150.29 million ($8.2 million), which included R104.82 million ($5.62 million) in salary for 2025 and R45.47 million ($2.43 million) in dividends from his 0.89 percent stake in the bank.

Gerrie Fourie to drive operational efficiency to STADIO Holdings

STADIO Holdings said Gerrie Fourie will bring his expertise in systems thinking, business process improvement, and operational efficiency to the board. This signals the company’s continued focus on scalable, student-centered education solutions and a commitment to strengthening higher learning opportunities across the country.

Fourie’s appointment to the board gives STADIO a leader known for transforming bold concepts into quantifiable results, transferring banking expertise to education in ways that are intended to directly assist students and the larger community.