Absa Group has announced an expanded partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to advance its cloud migration efforts in South Africa. The move is part of Absa’s ongoing digital transformation strategy, aiming to deliver financial services that are more agile, secure, and focused on customer needs.
The collaboration between the two organizations began in 2015. With AWS now serving as Absa’s preferred cloud provider, the bank seeks to strengthen its position as a cloud-native institution and use emerging technologies to enhance customer service and operational efficiency.
Johnson Idesoh, Group Chief Information and Technology Officer at Absa, said, “This partnership reflects our ambition to be a digitally powered financial institution that delivers exceptional value to our customers. We are excited to leverage AWS’ industry-leading banking and finance expertise for our digital transformation. Moving additional services to AWS will modernise our infrastructure, enable us to innovate faster, strengthen our resilience, enhance security, and offer more personalised, intuitive customer experiences.”
The partnership also focuses on skills development and community investment. Through their continued relationship with the Women in Tech initiative and the AWS Skills Centre, Absa will provide free AWS Cloud training for 150 unemployed women from several African countries this year. Participants will also receive an exam fee sponsored by Absa for AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification.
Idesoh added: “Our partnership with AWS goes beyond technology; it’s about driving continuous transformation. Together, we are investing in people, communities, and the future of inclusive digital economies across Africa. Choosing a cloud provider with a data centre on the continent is a deliberate decision to support investment in local communities. It’s also a step in our AI transformation journey as a financial services provider, by enabling smarter decision-making, hyper-personalised customer experiences, and greater operational efficiency—driving innovation while enhancing trust, speed, and scale.”
Tanuja Randery, Vice President of Sales for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at AWS said: “We are excited to deepen our collaboration with Absa Group. This partnership exemplifies our shared commitment to driving innovation through cloud technology while building digital capabilities and equitable access to learning across Africa. Through our comprehensive training programmes and AI solutions, we’re supporting Absa’s technical transformation and helping to create a skilled workforce that supports the population as it embraces the digital future. The success we’ve seen with initiatives like Women in Tech demonstrates the powerful impact of combining cloud technology with skills development. We look forward to continuing our work with Absa to accelerate its cloud adoption and foster inclusive growth across the continent.”
Idesoh concluded: "With a customer-obsessed mindset, we are committed to enabling SMEs, retail clients, and corporate partners by leveraging the benefits of scale and innovation ecosystems to meet their unique needs across Africa."
Further information about both organizations can be found at www.absa.africa and aws.amazon.com.