FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nairobi, Kenya – 8 September 2025 Kenya’s banking sector is on the verge of a technological shift that could redefine competition, profitability, and customer engagement, according to new research from Akili AI.
In a survey of senior management and Board members from the country’s leading banks, over 80% agreed that generative AI will be transformative for the sector. However, adoption rates are low by global standards, with just 20% of banks saying they are “prepared” or “fully prepared” for this transition.
This highlights a challenge and an opportunity for the banking sector, as new AI-native digital banks are entering the market with dramatically lower cost structures. According to Akili AI and iXAfrica Data Centres, the cost of customer acquisition for a fully digital bank can be less than one-third that of a traditional bank, while customer management costs can be under one-fifth.
The figures point to both a compelling opportunity for new early adopters and an opportunity for established players to build on their existing strength and customer base in the market to roll out new services at high speed.
Beyond banking, AI’s potential in Kenya spans healthcare, education, government, and retail. But Akili AI highlights one immediate and economy-wide impact: the ability to reduce the cost of holding and managing cash, which could boost liquidity and accelerate economic activity.
At an event hosted today at iXAfrica’s headquarters in Nairobi, Akili AI and iXAfrica demonstrated next-generation AI applications for financial services, including:
- Automated customer service in Kenyan vernacular languages
- Instant account opening and loan approvals in minutes, not days
- AI-powered compliance tools to enhance regulatory adherence
“The AI revolution in banking is not a distant future, it’s happening now,” said Simon
Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Akili AI. “Kenyan banks have the opportunity to embrace AI to
reduce costs, reach more customers, and innovate, in a market that is likely to become
increasingly competitive with new digital entrants, including AI-native challengers.”
Snehar Shah, CEO of iXAfrica, added: “We have the infrastructure, talent, and market
readiness to lead in AI adoption in Kenya, but AI is moving at unprecedented speed and
action is needed by companies today, not tomorrow.”
About Akili AI
Akili AI is a leading African AI solutions company empowering businesses to deploy advanced
artificial intelligence for greater e:iciency, innovation, and growth. At the forefront of
responsible AI transformation in Africa’s financial sector, Akili AI helps institutions harness
generative AI to modernize banking operations and enhance customer experience. Drawing on
technology expertise from Kenya and Cambridge, UK, the company delivers tailored solutions
spanning customer onboarding, compliance, loan processing, and customer care—while
ensuring adherence to all regulatory and governance standards. Akili AI enables banks to
confidently transition into the AI-driven digital age and unlock new opportunities for sustainable growth. For more information visit; www.akili-ai.com
About iXAfrica Data Centres
iXAfrica Data Centres in Nairobi, Kenya is East Africa’s first Hyper-scale Carrier-neutral, AI-ready Data Centre and the latest digital habitat for cloud, colocation, and connectivity. iXAfrica
provides world-class and highly resilient Data Centre infrastructure to create a vital part of the
internet backbone of East Africa. With Nairobi One Campus’s overall design capacity of
22.5MW, iXAfrica has the largest data centre project in the greater East African region, serving a total population of over 300 million people. The campus is situated close to the main fiber optic communications arteries and is in close proximity to major and resilient electrical connections, capable of delivering high-availability and low-carbon power. iXAfrica is also able to power the high-density AI workloads as high as 50 kW per rack using its free-air cooling technology and over 90% of Kenya’s electricity is generated from renewable/clean energy sources.
For more information visit;
www.ixafrica.co.ke
For media inquiries or partnership opportunities, contact:
iXAfrica Data Centres
Murage Gichuki
Marketing Manager
murageg@ixafrica.co.ke
Tel +254 793 973 584
Akili Ai
Simon Bransfield-Garth
info@akili-ai.com
