Absa has renewed its partnership with Salesforce through a new three-year agreement aimed at advancing the bank’s adoption of artificial intelligence, automation, and real-time data capabilities to deliver more personalized and seamless customer experiences.
The agreement will support technology initiatives across multiple business units, with plans to expand implementation throughout Absa’s operations in Africa. The move underscores the bank’s commitment to digital innovation and builds on its early investments in generative AI technologies.
Over the next three years, the partnership will focus on key Salesforce solutions, including Agentforce, Data Cloud, and Loyalty Cloud.
As part of the collaboration, Absa has become the first bank in Africa to roll out Salesforce Agentforce. The technology powers “Abby,” an AI-driven virtual assistant available on the Absa Banking App and website, allowing customers to access information quickly and easily. Abby is also available on the Absa Business Banking website, where it can assist customers in all 11 official South African languages.
“This renewed collaboration speaks to Absa’s continued focus on customer-centric, data-driven transformation and enables us to deliver on our promise of bringing possibilities to life for our customers across Africa,” said Thato Matolong, Chief Information Officer for Personal & Private Banking at Absa Group.
Absa has also maintained a strong presence at Salesforce Dreamforce since 2023, taking part as a presenter at both the flagship conference in San Francisco, United States, and the South African edition of the event. The engagements have provided a platform for the bank to showcase its advances in Artificial Intelligence, digital transformation, and customer-centric innovation.
Matolong also noted that the invitations to present at Dreamforce demonstrate that Absa’s technology initiatives are gaining recognition beyond Africa while reinforcing its position as a leader in the domestic market.
The bank’s achievements have also been acknowledged through several industry awards, including Salesforce South Africa’s AI Trailblazer Award and Connected Data Award.
“Absa exemplifies what it means to be a truly AI-driven enterprise, and we are proud to deepen our collaboration as they continue to lead the way in digital banking across Africa. Seeing Agentforce come to life through ‘Abby’ and serving customers in all 11 official South African languages is a powerful demonstration of how AI can be localised to create real impact. We look forward to supporting Absa’s ambitions as they scale innovation across the continent.” Added Linda Saunders, Country Manager and Senior Director, Solution Engineering Africa, Salesforce.
Salesforce has become an integral part of Absa’s operations, with around 15,000 employees using the platform across business units, from customer-facing teams to back-office functions. The scale of adoption highlights Salesforce’s role as a core enterprise platform supporting the bank’s day-to-day activities.
As part of its Employee Value Proposition, Absa continues to invest in workforce development. According to Johnson Idesoh, Absa Group Chief Officer for Information and Technology, employees have so far earned 495 active Salesforce certifications, with that number expected to increase as the bank accelerates AI-focused skills development.
Through the expanded partnership, Absa plans to further harness artificial intelligence and connected data capabilities to deliver more personalized and efficient banking experiences across Africa.
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