Safaricom‘s expansion of its cooperation with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to leverage advanced cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is transforming the digital experience for Kenyan consumers. It intends to deliver faster, more personalised, more efficient digital services throughout Kenya’s top telecoms network, announced Wednesday.
Accelerating innovation with generative AI and cloud technologies
Since 2022, Safaricom has collaborated with AWS to accelerate cloud adoption and develop AI and Machine Learning (ML) capabilities. This collaboration has already yielded tangible improvements in customer service, fraud detection, and digital lifestyle offerings. By leveraging AWS’s advanced cloud infrastructure, Safaricom has built Generative AI use cases that enhance real-time customer interactions and operational efficiency.
“Delivering exceptional digital experiences is essential for thriving in today’s highly competitive environment,” said Safaricom’s Chief Financial Officer Dilip Pal. He emphasised that AWS’s cloud and AI services act as a “force multiplier,” enabling Safaricom to provide frictionless, personalised, and on-demand customer experiences.
One example is Safaricom’s Zuri chatbot, which uses AI to handle a wide range of customer queries, significantly reducing traffic to physical Care Centres and speeding up response times. The company plans to explore further AI-driven solutions to simplify processes, personalise services, and achieve first-time query resolution, all powered by AWS’s scalable cloud platform.
Fabio Cerone, General Manager of Telco EMEA at AWS, highlighted the success of this partnership: “The results we’re already seeing in areas like fraud detection and customer service automation demonstrate how cloud technology and Generative AI can deliver measurable improvements and impactful changes.” Specifically, fraud detection accuracy has improved by up to 89% using graph neural networks, showcasing the power of AI in securing customer transactions.
Safaricom upskills engineers in AI & cloud for competitive edge
Beyond customer-facing innovations, Safaricom is also investing heavily in upskilling its engineers and data scientists in AI and cloud technologies. This internal capacity building is crucial for sustaining innovation and maintaining a competitive edge in Kenya’s fast-evolving digital market.
AWS’s support in training Safaricom’s teams includes proficiency in Generative AI, big data analytics, and cloud computing tools such as Amazon SageMaker and Amazon Bedrock. This enables rapid development and deployment of new digital services, ensuring Safaricom can quickly turn ideas into production-ready solutions.
Moreover, Safaricom’s recent attainment of Advanced Consulting Partner status in the AWS Partner Network (APN) positions it as a leading cloud services provider in East Africa. This status empowers Safaricom to resell AWS services and assist other East African businesses in cloud adoption, fostering a broader digital transformation across the region.
Michael Joseph, Safaricom’s CEO, noted, “We chose to partner with AWS because it offers customers the broadest and deepest cloud platform, overall commitment to security excellence, and a strong culture of customer obsession.” This partnership will enhance Safaricom’s internal IT and provide a blueprint and skilled resources to help customers migrate to the cloud efficiently.
Driving Kenya’s digital economy forward
Safaricom’s strategic use of AWS’s cloud and AI technologies is a game changer for Kenya’s digital economy. By improving customer experiences and enabling businesses to innovate faster, Safaricom is setting new standards for digital services in the region.
AWS’s agility and scalability allow Safaricom to easily and securely provide mobile connections, banking solutions like M-Pesa, and digital lifestyle apps. This transformation will benefit millions of Kenyans by providing more reliable, personalised, and accessible digital services.
As the partnership deepens, Safaricom aims to continue exploring new AI-driven opportunities, including enhanced fraud prevention, automated customer service, and personalised digital offerings, all powered by AWS’s advanced cloud ecosystem.