From service improvement and personalisation to advanced risk assessment and credit scoring – this is how companies are using AI in South Africa to drive business transformation across industries
Wondering how AI can help you innovate and drive business value?
Large Language Models (LLMs) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are about much more than chatbots. With the success and rising adoption of AI, and the launch of numerous industry bodies and a national regulatory framework, South African companies are looking to unlock value using AI.
Whether it's improving risk assessments in banking, optimising supply chains in retail, or even managing traffic flows in urban areas, AI is rapidly reshaping how businesses operate.
Here are 11 examples of companies using AI in South Africa:
There’s a reason once-mere startup Capitec rose from virtually nowhere to challenge SA’s Big Four banks and become the largest SA bank (by user numbers), and it largely came down to being able to offer the same or similar services, delivered more affordably – which requires efficiency.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’d be one of the first to experiment with AI to unlock more of the same. Capitec has implemented AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants to enhance customer service, providing 24/7 real-time responses. These AI tools help customers manage their finances, get quick answers to queries, and receive personalised financial recommendations.
Discover these powerful customer feedback techniques, how to analyse it properly, 7 ways to boost customer experience in finance and how to assemble your ultimate FinTech team.
Nedbank has long been one of South Africa’s most established banks, known for its focus on security and risk management. But as financial crime becomes more sophisticated, traditional fraud detection methods are no longer enough.
To stay ahead, Nedbank has built a Risk Intelligence Centre (RIC) — an AI-powered hub that consolidates data from multiple sources to detect fraud and money laundering. Using machine learning, the system can proactively identify suspicious transactions and patterns before they become major issues. AI also enables predictive risk management, helping Nedbank anticipate threats before they materialize, rather than reacting after the fact.
By leveraging AI, Nedbank enhances its security measures, ensuring customers benefit from a safer banking experience while maintaining compliance with evolving financial regulations.
Also, read up on the growing case for using blockchain in banking.
TymeBank is one of South Africa’s most disruptive banks, built from the ground up as a digital-only institution. Without physical branches, TymeBank relies heavily on AI to provide seamless banking experiences and expand financial inclusion.
AI plays a role in everything from automated customer onboarding — allowing users to open accounts within minutes — to transaction monitoring and fraud prevention. The bank also uses AI-powered risk assessment models to determine creditworthiness, making it easier for individuals and small businesses with limited financial histories to access banking services.
TymeBank’s AI-driven approach has helped it serve millions of unbanked and underbanked South Africans, offering low-cost banking solutions where traditional institutions might not.
See the benefits of open banking and explore how agile development can help fuel innovation in banking.
South African FinTech Syft Analytics turns complex financial data into interactive, AI-powered insights that help businesses make smarter decisions — without needing a finance degree.
Originally built to simplify financial reporting, Syft now serves 100,000+ businesses in 80+ countries, integrating with Xero, QuickBooks, and CRMs to extract, analyse, and visualise data in real-time dashboards. Businesses use Syft for automated reporting, forecasting, and financial health tracking, reducing data fatigue and decision paralysis.
Its AI-powered Assist AI feature allows users to ask financial questions and get tailored insights, using transactional data to offer deeper, more accurate recommendations. This approach attracted Xero’s attention, leading to a $70 million (R1.3bn) acquisition in 2023 — one of SA’s biggest FinTech exits in recent years.
See how to use big data to understand customer needs, build the future of FinTech with data-driven development and how to assemble your ultimate FinTech team.
Retail giant SPAR is leveraging AI to enhance operational workflows and reduce inefficiencies in its internal processes. By integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot, the retailer automates repetitive tasks such as document management, meeting scheduling, and workflow optimisation.
The use of AI allows SPAR to free up staff resources, reducing administrative overhead while enabling employees to focus on customer-facing and high-value tasks. This move aligns with the retailer’s commitment to modernising operations and staying competitive in an increasingly digital retail environment.
See how to scale your software and how to develop a winning efficiency strategy for your company.
Takealot, South Africa’s largest e-commerce retailer, has made AI-driven logistics optimisation a cornerstone of its growth strategy. AI enables real-time inventory management, forecasting demand trends, and ensuring faster, more efficient deliveries.
The company has also pioneered dark stores, AI-powered fulfilment centres that automate order processing, helping Takealot expand its reach, particularly in previously underserved areas. This AI investment has strengthened its ability to compete with international e-commerce giants.
Discover the 7 core e-commerce delivery challenges and key strategies for success in the future of retail.
AI scale-up Spatialedge helps businesses make strategic, data-driven decisions by using AI-powered analytics. Its AI models analyse historical trends, consumer behaviour, and risk factors, providing businesses with actionable insights that drive smarter decision-making.
By adopting Spatialedge’s AI tools, companies in retail, finance, and logistics can optimise pricing, forecast demand, and mitigate financial risks, ultimately improving efficiency and profitability.
Discover why having a digital consultant today is so vital in South Africa.
South African AI startup ByteFuse is revolutionising urban mobility with its AI system Quebit, which dynamically adjusts traffic signals based on real-time data.
By analysing road conditions and congestion patterns, Quebit helps cities reduce traffic bottlenecks, improve commuting times, and lower emissions. This AI-driven approach to traffic management provides a scalable solution for growing South African urban centres.
See how to use emerging tech better with a rock-solid innovation strategy.
South Africa’s most popular loadshedding app, EskomSePush (ESP), has evolved far beyond simply tracking power outages. With over 5 million downloads and hundreds of thousands of daily users, ESP’s real-time updates have made it a must-have app — but what happens when the lights stay on?
To future-proof the platform, ESP introduced ESP Chats, a community-driven chat feature that helps users share real-time updates on everything from power and water outages to local safety alerts. To maintain quality discussions and prevent misinformation, ESP has implemented an AI moderation system that automatically flags problematic messages while allowing human moderators to step in when needed.
The AI can also summarise conversations, making it easier for users to catch up without scrolling through endless messages. With load-shedding declining, ESP is positioning itself as a broader community engagement platform, proving AI’s value beyond automation.
See how to use analytics to boost app engagement.
For South Africa’s 2.5 million SMEs, legal compliance is a major hurdle. Legal fees — from drafting contracts to retaining lawyers — are often too expensive, forcing many small businesses to operate without proper legal protection. That’s where Lawyered Up comes in.
This homegrown LegalTech startup uses AI-powered document automation to simplify contract creation, legal compliance, and document management for SMEs. With natural language processing and generative AI, the platform can draft, edit, and translate legal documents, even allowing users to ask legal questions in African languages before finalising contracts in English.
Beyond SMEs, Lawyered Up also offers a white-label solution for corporations, integrating directly into their existing systems. With a 70% female-led team and operations in South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, and Nigeria, this AI-driven legal assistant is reshaping access to affordable legal services across Africa.
See how to use AI for personalisation in FinTech.
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