Absa Kenya Says Automation Drove 71% of Its Processes in 2025

Kenya’s largest banks continued moving customer activity away from branches in 2025. I&M Bank has said 98% of its transactions that year ran through digital channels. Equity, KCB, and Co-operative Bank have each reported more than 90% of transactions taking place outside branches.

Absa Bank Kenya put its own figure at 94%, according to reporting on its 2025 Sustainability and Climate Report, launched on July 28, 2026, at an event at Strathmore University in Nairobi. The bank said 71% of its internal processes were automated during the year, supported by a KES 4 billion ($31 million) investment in cloud modernisation, robotic process automation, machine learning, and network infrastructure.

Absa said the shift showed up in its cost base. Other operating expenses, a specific cost category rather than the bank’s full operating expenditure, fell 21% to KES 7.35 billion ($57 million) in 2025. Its cost-to-income ratio improved to 36.5%, down from 46% the year before. Profit after tax rose 10% to KES 22.9 billion ($178 million), even as loans and customer deposits grew by just 1%.

Former CEO Abdi Mohamed said in April that Absa plans to keep spending between KES 2 billion ($15.5 million) and KES 3 billion ($23.3 million) a year on technology.

On staffing, the bank said the automation programme has not been linked to job losses, and that full-time headcount rose slightly to 2,210 in 2025. The bank also disclosed a non-employee workforce, made up largely of outsourced and contract staff, that is about 51% larger than its permanent headcount.

Absa still operates 91 branches and service centres and 204 ATMs, serving more than 1.2 million customers.

Last updated: July 29, 2026