Absa Bank, one of Africa’s largest financial institutions, understands that each credit decision represents someone’s next chapter. Amid rising customer expectations and regulatory demands, the bank teamed with SAS, a global leader in data and AI, to modernise its credit risk management infrastructure. The result: faster, more transparent and reliable lending and better outcomes for the people Absa serves.
The credit risk management system – built on SAS® Viya®, the company’s data and AI platform, and running on Amazon Web Services (AWS) has reduced reporting cycles by 80% to 90% – from weeks to hours. It also helps the bank roll out new models 50% faster than before.
“Absa’s adoption of SAS Viya on AWS has transformed model risk management from a back-office function into a forward-looking strategic advantage,” said Stu Bradley, Senior Vice President of Risk, Fraud and Compliance Solutions at SAS. “The focus on governance is helping streamline AI innovation, and this evolution enables faster, more reliable credit decisions, improves loss predictability and strengthens regulatory compliance for Absa.”
Next-gen model governance drives precision and performance
With more than 500 credit risk models supporting its retail portfolio, Absa recognised that delays in model monitoring and updates could adversely impact capital reserves, loss forecasts and regulatory compliance. The bank’s legacy system – reliant on manual scripts and siloed processes – was unsustainable.
