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The Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003, requires that a municipality must at least have one primary bank account in its name. In line with the MFMA and related policies, the municipality after every five year period must run an open and transparent tender process to procure the services of a credible banking institution to act as its primary banker. 

Standard Bank is the Bitou municipality’s primary banker. 

 Please note that the Bitou Municipality no longer publishes its bank account details; nor will it issue these via the Bitou Customer Care Call Centre Officials. This is to combat any fraudulent activity linked to the payment of municipal accounts.   

Below are the instructions on how you pay your municipal services accounts or any other service invoice. 

Please use your municipal account number or suggested reference number provided to you by the services section. Keep your municipal account handy when making payments.  

Payments can be made using any one of the following options:  

  1. Direct deposits to Standard Bank (“over the counter payments”):  
    1. Payments can be made over the counter at any Standard Bank branch, countrywide. Customers using this method must fill in the unique beneficiary number allocated to the Bitou Municipality: Request from bank  
    2. Always remember to use your municipal account number or suggested reference number provided by the services section in the depositor's name or reference field.  
    3. This will ensure that the deposit is allocated to the correct municipal account. Payments over the counter must be accompanied by the customer's account. 
  2. Internet payments (EFT) 
    1. Go to payments on your app and search for “Bitou Municipality” in the space for “public or registered beneficiaries”.  
    2. Select “Bitou Municipality”; 
    3. Enter your municipal account number or suggested reference number provided by the services section as your reference.  
  3. Other Methods of payment:  
    1. ATM, Telephone Banking, and Other: Customers who make payments via stop order, telephone banking, or the ATM must change banking details at their banks.  
    2. Debit Order customers need not make any changes. 
    3. 3rd Party Payments: Customers who pay via Easypay pay-points such as Pick 'n Pay, Checkers, and Woolworths should remember to take along their barcoded municipal account and note that their payment may take up to five days to register on the City's system.  

To view or download your latest statement, register on our Citizen’s Portal: http://bitou.docview.co.za/login.aspx (Use your account number as username and password upon the first login) 

In case of further enquiries please do not hesitate to log a call with our Customer Care Section on 044 -501 3417 (Office Hours). They can also be reached via sending an email to CustomerCare@plett.gov.za  and please make sure to include your account number, cell phone number (this is to send a reference number for your enquiry), and details of your query in the email. 

BELOW IS A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO SETUP PAYMENT VIA OTHER BANKING SYSTEMS. 

  • FNB 
    • Login to your Online Banking profile. 
    • Select Pay. 
    • Select Add. 
    • Under 'Recipient details', select Public Recipient. 
    • Enter the BITOU MUNICIPALITY and select Search. 
    • Choose Bitou Municipality 
    • Name your payment e.g. Bitou 
    • Put in the amount 
    • In the “Their reference field” please put in the correct municipal account number or suggested reference number provided by the services section 
    • Conclude payment 
  • NEDBANK 
    • Login to your Online Banking profile. 
    • Select Transact (+) 
    • Select Pay 
    • Select single payment 
    • Select bank approved recipient 
    • Search Bitou Municipality 
    • Select Bitou Municipality Utility bills 
    • Press “next” 
    • Enter the amount 
    • Enter your reference (BITOU) 
    • Please put in your correct municipal account number or suggested reference number provided by the services section 
    • Conclude payment 
  • CAPITEC 
    • Enter your username and password on the Capitec app and login to your Online Banking profile. 
    • Select Pay Beneficiary 
    • Select Add beneficiary 
    • Select Capitec registered 
    • Search Bitou Municipality 
    • Select Bitou Local Municipality 
    • In the “Client account reference” field, put in the correct municipal account number or suggested reference number provided by the services section 
    • Select add and conclude the payment 
  • ABSA 
    • Log into ABSA electronic banking 
    • Once you’ve started a payment, switch to ‘Absa listed beneficiary’ next to ‘New beneficiary’. 
    • Enter the first few letters of the institution’s name to see a list of Absa’s listed beneficiaries. Choose the name that matches the institution’s details you have. 
    • You will be asked if you want to save this institution as a beneficiary. Choose ‘Yes’ if you want to save this institution as a beneficiary. If you want to make a once-off payment, choose ‘No’. 
    • Enter the account holder's name that the institution has for you. In most cases, it is the name of the person the account or statement is addressed to. 
    • Enter your correct municipal account number or suggested reference number provided by the relevant services department or reference number at the institution. 
    • Choose the account that you want to pay from. 
    • Enter the amount of money you want to pay. 
    • Choose the date that you want to pay on. You can leave this the way it is. If you want the payment go through some time in the future, change the date and time. 
    • In ‘My reference’, enter a description that helps you identify the payment on your own account statement.