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Community


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Community blog

Read our latest news and views and get to know us better

We host Africa’s first-ever Singularity University Summit
donaldmogotsi
Community Coordinator

The future is undoubtedly digital, and businesses from manufacturing to financial services are applying cutting-edge technology to facilitate positive changes in the lives of customers. As such, the learning never stops as every sector throughout the world strives to be the first to invent the latest innovation that matters.

 

At Standard Bank, we’re committed to driving positive change in Africa and, so, drive the new technologies that will encourage it. Our mobile traffic, after all, is growing 100% a year as branch volumes decline by 15%.

 

The challenge for banks globally is to align new offerings with rapidly changing demand patterns, and to improve levels of customer engagement. This is no different in Africa, where the ongoing ability to study consumer behaviour will become even more critical to future growth.

 

We’re very excited about matching innovations to customer needs, however. For instance, we have applied robotics software to our digital account origination, among others, as we look to leverage the power of AI to radically improve systems across numerous business segments and work to digitise a host of mission-critical processes. We’re also continually adopting new customer-centric solutions that range from new apps to contactless banking solutions, as we see an increasing need to employ world-class technology that will drastically bring down the time it takes to conduct banking tasks.

 

For some time now, we’ve anticipated a very near future where smart automation will be the new operational advantage and, while there is a clear rise in consumer demand, banks will need to build things people want. It’s little surprise then, that we’re bringing you Africa’s first Singularity University Summit, a two-day international event set to highlight the impact of AI, robotics, blockchain and other exponential technologies not only in finance, but in the similarly critical sectors of security, healthcare and design.

 

To be held on 23 and 24 August in Johannesburg, the SingularityU South Africa Summit invites the public, government officials, entrepreneurs, investors and NGOs to explore the various ways in which current and potential future innovations can tackle the world’s greatest challenges.

 

Participants will have access to advanced technology, expert-led debates and discussions, and theories of best practice in a variety of fields. Summit speakers include Ramez Naam, computer scientist and award-winning author; Raymond (Ray) McCauley, scientist, engineer and entrepreneur; Adetayo Bamiduro, co-founder and CEO of a crowdsourcing mobility platform for motorcycle taxis in Africa; and Dan Barry, former NASA astronaut.

 

As Africa’s largest bank by assets, we are fully aware of the challenges and opportunities the changing technological landscape brings, and we will not stand still when it comes to driving digital innovation. Africa is our home, and we drive her growth. This is where support for education and innovation at major events like Singularity University will advance our own thinking, and ultimately assist in finding solutions to futureproof banking in Africa.