Standard Bank has deepened its strategic technology collaboration with Huawei as the group accelerates the modernisation of its banking platforms to support growth, innovation and greater financial inclusion across the continent.
Announced at Huawei Connect 2026 in Shanghai, the expanded partnership will focus on application modernisation, cloud technologies, data capabilities and artificial intelligence (AI), enabling Standard Bank to build a more agile, scalable and resilient technology foundation for its operations across Africa.
Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest bank by assets, operates in 21 countries and serves millions of clients in diverse markets, each with its own regulatory, infrastructure and customer requirements. The group’s technology strategy is focused on creating a more integrated banking platform that improves customer experiences, strengthens resilience and supports long-term growth.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Funeka Montjane, Standard Bank Group chief executive of personal and private banking, said: “Access to modern technology is essential to extending financial services to more people across the continent. When technology lowers our cost to serve, it makes it commercially viable to reach communities that have historically been excluded from traditional financial services. We believe technology can play a powerful role in expanding access to banking, helping more people save, invest and build a better future for themselves and their families.”
The expanded agreement builds on a strategic partnership established between Standard Bank and Huawei in 2024, broadening the scope of the collaboration to include cloud, AI and data capabilities.
Leo Chen, Huawei senior vice-president and president of enterprise sales, described the partnership as a fresh starting point for the two organisations. He said Huawei would continue investing in computing power, AI infrastructure, cloud, data and software engineering. “By working more closely with Standard Bank, Huawei will support core-system modernisation, strengthen AI infrastructure and scale AI applications to build a more agile, resilient and intelligent banking infrastructure,” said Chen.
Jason Cao, CEO of Huawei’s digital finance business unit, said Standard Bank’s decision to trust Huawei with critical core banking infrastructure demonstrates Huawei’s capabilities and long-term commitment to the financial sector. Huawei will use its technical expertise, together with software partners, to provide a secure, reliable and flexible technology foundation for the modernisation of Standard Bank’s core banking systems. The cooperation will support the bank’s migration from legacy infrastructure to a cloud-based architecture, improve IT efficiency and agility, and enable faster and more personalised digital financial services for customers.
“Moving forward, Huawei will continue to work with customers and partners to support digital transformation across the financial services industry with secure and reliable hybrid cloud infrastructure, providing a solid digital foundation for finance in Africa and globally,” said Cao.
The agreement was signed by Tsebeletso Mashau, chief information officer (CIO) of Africa regions and deputy group CIO of personal and private banking at Standard Bank Group, and Kui Zheng, deputy general manager of Huawei Enterprise South Africa, on behalf of their organisations.
Mashau said the milestone marked an important step in Standard Bank’s digital transformation, and that its significance went beyond technology investment. “It is really about the possibilities that it unlocks for what we can do for our clients, and [to] ensure that we serve them brilliantly and intelligently,” she said.
Mashau also highlighted the collaboration between the two organisations in turning strategy into execution, and recognised the teams’ commitment and diligence in delivery. She said “the agreement signed will not be remembered for the investment in technology, but it will be remembered for what it made possible for our clients and the future of banking in Africa”.
Khomotso Molabe, CIO of personal and private banking and deputy group CIO at Standard Bank, said: “The group is focused on simplifying and modernising its technology environment to support future growth. We are building a high-performance, resilient and customer-centric technology platform for the future. By standardising and modernising our technology landscape across key areas, we are creating the foundation required to deliver greater agility, security, scalability and cost efficiency while continuing to meet the evolving needs of our customers across Africa.”
Will Meng, CEO of Huawei South Africa, added: “We hope today’s strategic partnership will lead to real, high-quality projects, innovative breakthroughs and a strong team of core talent. More importantly, by working closely together, Huawei aims to be Standard Bank’s most trusted delivery partner, most devoted innovation partner and most long-term strategic partner on its digital transformation journey.”
As part of the collaboration, Standard Bank and Huawei will continue to explore opportunities in areas such as AI-enabled customer service, fraud detection, risk decision-making and intelligent operations. The cloud platform will be implemented in phases to support the group’s evolving business and customer requirements.
The collaboration forms part of Standard Bank’s broader commitment to using technology and innovation to drive sustainable growth, improve customer experiences and advance financial inclusion across the continent.
About Huawei
Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With 213 000 employees operating in more than 170 countries, we serve more than three billion people worldwide. Huawei is committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected, intelligent world. In 2025, Huawei generated C¥880.9-billion in revenue, reinvesting 21.8% (C¥192.3-billion) into R&D, with about 53.7% of its employees working in R&D. As a private company fully owned by its employees, Huawei focuses on customer-centric innovation and open collaboration to create lasting value and drive technological breakthroughs globally. For more information, visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com.
