Standard Bank spent R11.83 billion on technology in the first six months of 2026 as the bank continued expanding its use of cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital banking services.
The amount was 2% higher than the R11.62 billion it spent during the same period in 2025, according to its interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2026.
The increase comes as more of the bank’s operations move to digital platforms and AI becomes part of everyday banking. Standard Bank said 78% of its migratable computing capacity was already in the cloud by the end of June, providing the infrastructure needed to expand its AI systems.
Where Standard Bank’s R11.8bn technology spending went
Most of Standard Bank’s technology spending went towards software, cloud and other technology-related services.
The bank spent R7.16 billion on these costs during the first half of 2026, up 6% from R6.74 billion a year earlier. IT-related staff costs also increased 3%, reaching R3.36 billion from R3.25 billion.
The bank recorded another R835 million in amortisation of intangible assets and R482 million in depreciation and other expenses, bringing its total technology function spend to R11.83 billion.
The increase in cloud and software costs was partly linked to higher cloud consumption and investments in technology programmes supporting the bank’s digital operations and future growth.
Standard Bank’s spending is therefore not limited to developing new digital products. It also covers the infrastructure, people and systems needed to keep its existing banking services running.
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Standard Bank is putting AI into more banking operations
Part of that technology investment is now showing up in how Standard Bank’s employees and customers use AI.
By June, 72% of the bank’s employees were active users of generative AI tools, while 87 AI use cases had been approved across the group. Its AI-powered recommendation systems had also supported more than 10 million personalised client interactions during the six months.
The bank is also using technology to support the growing number of customers who bank digitally.
In South Africa, its digitally active retail customer base increased by 9% to nearly 5 million, while digital transaction volumes rose 17% year-on-year. Digitally active customers in its Business & Commercial Banking division also increased by 12%.
Standard Bank said its technology investments also remain focused on platform resilience, fraud detection and Know Your Customer (KYC) and FICA verification.
These systems are increasingly important as more financial activity moves online, where banks have to keep services available while protecting customers and transactions from fraud and cyber threats.
Why banks are spending billions to keep up with digital banking
Standard Bank is not alone in putting more money into technology.
In Nigeria, the country’s biggest banks are also increasing their technology spending as more customers move away from traditional banking and towards digital services.
A review of the financial records of GTCO, Zenith Bank, UBA and Access Bank showed that they spent a combined N119.03 billion on technology and software in the first quarter of 2026. That was 43.2% more than the N83.15 billion they spent during the same period in 2025.
The reason is becoming easier to see in how people bank. About 90% of retail banking transactions are now carried out through digital channels.
That means banks need to keep investing in the technology behind the services customers use every day — from mobile banking and instant payments to fraud detection, cybersecurity and customer verification.
Standard Bank’s own results show the same shift. Its digital transaction volumes in South Africa rose 17% in the first half of 2026, while the number of digitally active retail customers increased by 9% to nearly five million.
As more banking moves online, the technology supporting it has to keep up.
For banks, that means spending more on the systems that keep digital services running, protect customers’ money and data, and allow new technologies such as AI to become part of everyday banking.
That is why Standard Bank’s R11.8 billion technology bill is bigger than just an IT expense. It reflects how much the banking business itself has changed — and how much more banks now have to spend to keep customers banking digitally.
