Standard Bank Shifts from AI Adoption to Building an AI-Enabled Organisation

Standard Bank Group  is entering a new phase of its artificial intelligence strategy, shifting from experimenting with individual AI tools to embedding the technology as a core organisational capability.

The bank said competitive advantage will increasingly depend not simply on access to advanced AI models, but on how effectively organisations combine AI with trusted data, strong governance, skilled employees and deep knowledge of customers and markets.

The transition is already gaining traction across Standard Bank. More than 39,000 employees, representing 72% of the Group’s workforce, are now active users of generative AI through approved enterprise tools that have undergone security, privacy and responsible-use assessments. Around one-third of the Group’s technology employees are also using AI-enabled coding tools, with early applications recording productivity improvements of approximately 20%.

Standard Bank’s enterprise AI platform, built on Amazon Bedrock, uses a multi-model approach that allows the bank to evaluate, deploy and govern different open and closed AI models as the technology evolves. The strategy is designed to support innovation while maintaining consistent security, governance and operational standards.

“We are transitioning from simply using AI tools to becoming an AI-enabled organisation. That is a fundamentally bigger ambition. The winners in AI will not necessarily be the organisations with access to the newest technology, because increasingly many organisations will have access to similar models and tools. The real differentiator will be how effectively you combine that technology with trusted data, strong governance, the right skills and deep knowledge of your clients and markets. AI is becoming a core long term competitive capability rather than simply a technology capability. Our focus is on embedding it into how we serve clients, how we support our people and how we run the Group, creating a foundation for long-term growth.”

– Margaret Nienaber, Chief Operating Officer, Standard Bank Group

The bank uses an iceberg analogy to describe its AI transformation. While the visible elements include employee-facing AI tools, client experiences and individual use cases, the infrastructure required to scale AI sits beneath the surface. This includes trusted data, technology infrastructure, access to AI models, security and risk controls, responsible governance, and the skills and culture needed for employees to use the technology effectively.

Standard Bank has identified four priority areas for AI deployment: relationship management, servicing, payments and lending. The areas were selected based on their potential to improve customer experiences, unlock value and create capabilities that can be reused across the organisation.

In relationship management, AI is helping bankers spend less time searching for information and more time engaging with clients. In servicing, it is being used to simplify interactions across digital channels, contact centres and branches. In payments, AI is supporting operational efficiency and fraud management while preparing for the emergence of AI agents in commerce. In lending, the technology is being applied to processes including credit assessment, contracting and disbursements.

“AI can give our people time back, but what we do with that time is what really matters. We want to reinvest it in the things humans do particularly well: judgement, creativity, relationships, empathy and solving complex problems for clients. This is why we see AI as augmenting our people rather than simply automating work. Technology on its own is not the competitive advantage; the advantage comes from what our people are able to do with it.”

– Margaret Nienaber, Chief Operating Officer, Standard Bank Group

The bank said its ability to scale AI has also been supported by several years of investment in its technology infrastructure. By the end of the first half of 2026, 78% of migratable compute had moved to the cloud, providing the foundation for wider AI deployment across the organisation.

Standard Bank’s AI progress has also received external recognition. In the inaugural Evident AI Index for Banks in the Middle East and Africa, published in June 2026, the bank was ranked the leading bank in Africa, including South Africa, and second overall across the Middle East and Africa.

The Group said its long-term AI strategy is focused on building an organisation capable of continuously adapting to advances in the technology by combining modern infrastructure, trusted data, skilled employees and responsible governance to improve customer experiences, productivity and sustainable growth.