> Absa:
Innovative Bank that’s Unlocking Customer Value in Digital Realm When South African financial services provider the Absa Group launched its strategy for growth, it set out to become a technology pioneer, and to lead the tech-curve – locally and globally.
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bsa (formerly Barclays Africa Group Limited, and originally Amalgamated Banks of South Africa) offers personal and business banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management as well as simpler, customer-centred services. It focuses on its customers – always -- and uses HumanCentred Design (HCD) thinking to spearhead its commitment to scalability and being digitallyled. “For Absa, this means transforming the current business, making it more open and connected, orientating it for customer growth with digital, pre-emptive customer engagement and simpler, customised offerings,” says Bongiwe Gangeni, deputy CEO of Retail and Business Bank SA, Absa Group. “We are selectively pushing the innovation envelope. There are already several demonstrable proof-points where we are bringing this ambition to life. Our retail franchise has taken the lead in providing first-to-banking digital solutions for our customers.” Absa pioneered the launch of ChatBanking on Facebook and messaging platform WhatsApp, becoming the first bank in the world to offer the service. In August last year, Absa also launched Samsung Pay, a system that allows customers to store their bank details on a Samsung smartphone and make payments at points-of-sale – a first for the South African market. In Kenya, Absa successfully launched Timiza, a system designed to enable Kenyans to access loans, pay bills, do airtime top-up and buy insurance, forex, and access other services. Those initiatives are currently being rolled-out. “Because we aspire to become a banking group which Africa can be proud of, we are also mindful of our responsibility to service our customers in the most remote areas on the African continent,” says Gangeni. “This is why we partnered with retailers, post offices and similar organisations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to service customer cash needs.” CHANGING THE GAME FOR SMEs As part of the bank’s “customer-first” ethos,
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Deputy CEO (Retail and Business Bank SA, Absa): Bongiwe Gangeni
innovation transcends retail and business bank experiences. With technology proliferation, South Africans increasingly demand greater speed and convenience.
ease to accepting card payments. SmartPay is an offering that has been developed with SMEs in mind, aimed at saving time and money for business owners.
SmartPay, the bank’s latest development, aims to put small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on the front foot and brings a greater level of
Absa will bundle SME-specific products under a SmartPay umbrella. The first is a mobile pointof-sale (mPOS) device, the Link 2500. SmartPay
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