Before the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, companies that handle data had to invest heavily in human capital to process, analyse, and manage information manually.
Every piece of data was manually logged, categorised, and often filed physically, making its management a labour-intensive process.
Safaricom is a big data processor, handling over 45 million customers across Africa. With its various products, such as calls, SMS, network, and M-PESA, the telco’s customer data is a big pillar of its growth.
For more than five years, Safaricom has been using AI and Machine Learning to develop products, analyse data and better understand its customers.
Investing in big data AI tools has allowed Safaricom to build a competitive advantage by automating processes, driving efficiency, and enabling data-driven decision-making.
For instance, in 2018, the telco unveiled an AI Chatbot assistant, Zuri, which works 24/7 to perform a wide range of tasks, including getting M-PESA statements, retrieving PUK, and obtaining data bundles.
Additionally, AI has been used to build M-PESA systems to identify and block fraudsters.
The application of AI and big data has allowed the organisation to identify customer network issues before customers contact Safaricom.
For products, Safaricom has developed a personalisation engine through which the entire mobile bundle’s system runs, meaning that the recommendation each customer gets when purchasing bundles is personalised for them.
“Safaricom’s journey with AI is one that’s super interesting because it’s not a straight line. We have an AI strategy anchored on three pillars: customer experience, monetisation, and productivity. Now, as we bring that to the business and lock what we are delivering to the mission, it means that we are beginning to require the right technology infrastructure for us to scale,” said Charlotte Kepadisa, Head of Big Data and AI at Safaricom.
The team has also trained every employee on an AI 101 course to become conversant with it. “Now that we speak the same language, it becomes a lot easier to start now going into these use cases and looking for more and more opportunities, and that is the basis through which we are going to expand,” Charlotte added.
In February 2024, Safaricom partnered with Iguazio, an AI and machine learning company, as part of its AI and big data journey. The firm allows organisations to run AI pipelines at scale and helps them realise their most ambitious AI-driven strategies.
The adoption of AI and big data is crucial for Safaricom, which seeks to become Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030.
