Absa Bank has modernised its credit risk management infrastructure using SAS Viya on Amazon Web Services (AWS), significantly reducing reporting time while strengthening model governance and regulatory compliance. The initiative was announced by SAS on 5 August 2026. (PR Newswire)
The new platform has reduced credit risk reporting cycles by 80% to 90%, cutting processes that previously took weeks down to hours. Absa has also accelerated the deployment of new credit risk models by 50%, with new frameworks and associated approvals now going live in less than six months. (PR Newswire)
Absa operates more than 500 credit risk models supporting its retail portfolio. Its earlier monitoring process relied heavily on manual scripts and siloed systems, creating delays that could affect capital reserves, loss forecasting and regulatory compliance. According to the bank, analysts previously spent as much as four weeks generating a single model-monitoring report. (PR Newswire)
The SAS Viya implementation automates model monitoring and provides standardised reporting and dashboards across the bank’s models. Automated execution is intended to reduce manual intervention and human error, while real-time insights provide business and regulatory stakeholders with faster access to risk information. (PR Newswire)
The cloud-based infrastructure also enables computing resources to scale according to demand, rather than maintaining idle server capacity. SAS Viya’s automated “Insights” capability additionally provides AI-driven recommendations that can assist users in identifying opportunities for further optimisation. (PR Newswire)
To support the transformation, Absa established a Centre of Excellence and worked with SAS to rebuild its model-monitoring framework. The bank said that automating routine monitoring allows analysts to shift their attention from repetitive reporting activities towards strategic analysis, innovation and higher-value risk-management work. (PR Newswire)
Dewald Fourie, Modeling Data Scientist at Absa, said the new system has enabled the bank to deliver faster and more reliable credit decisions while improving loss predictability and supporting regulatory compliance. (PR Newswire)
The project also demonstrates the growing role of data analytics, artificial intelligence and cloud technology in bank risk management. Absa plans to apply similar data- and AI-driven approaches to other areas of its operations following the credit risk implementation. (PR Newswire)
