Botswana Guardian

Absa secures two more digital banking awards

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Africa’s leading Pan- African banking group has again been recognised for its digital banking offering, securing wins in two categories at the Global Finance Digital Innovator Awards.

Now in their ninth year, the awards recognise entities that regularly develop new paths and design new tools in finance. The 2021 awards added a dimension by seeking out financial services businesses that identified digital solutions in response to the Covid- 19. Absa was awarded Outstandin­g Financial Innovator in the banking category in Africa while the Absa Access product was the winner for the Outstandin­g Innovation in the cash management category. “2020 was a transforma­tive year for the financial services sector and organisati­ons that failed to deliver digital solutions were quickly on the back foot,” says Thabo Makoko, MD transactio­nal banking African regional operations at Absa. “These awards are a testament to our investment in technology and digital skills.

“Finance innovation­s proved critical to speeding needed support to different stakeholde­rs during Covid,” says Joseph Giarraputo, publisher and editorial director of global finance. “Fintech developmen­ts continue to ease corporate and retail customers’ decision- making about their money as well as their ability to execute the necessary transactio­ns.”

Absa CIB’s digital investment­s have focused on creating a platform that offers a complete transactio­nal banking propositio­n for customers and solving key components of the cash conversion cycle.

The goal is to simplify payment solutions for clients and include domestic, cross- border and micropayme­nts to mobile wallets, as well as facilitate trade transactio­ns on the platform including fulfilling their foreign exchange requiremen­ts.

Covid put business banking clients under significan­t operating pressure and there was a commitment to offer liquidity solutions allowing customers to better manage their cash flow. With the electronic bill presentmen­t and payment solution, customers can simplify the collection­s and reconcilia­tion processes through an integrated technology solution. “The principles that govern our platform build are; intuitive design, simple integratio­n, superior customer experience, and building for the future,” says James Scott, head of Absa digital and platform services.

Absa was recognised in a number of recent awards over the past year including Euromoney Excellence in Leadership in Africa award 2020, EMEA

Finance winner of EMEA Finance’s Best Cash Management Services and Best Payment Services in Africa Awards 2020, Global Finance winner of Global Finance World’s Best Digital Bank Awards for Best Trade Finance Services and Best Online Portal in Africa 2020.

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