Collaboration and Creativity: The True Currencies of Digital Transformation

By Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation, Technology – Absa Regional Operations

When we talk about digital transformation, we often focus on the smart technologies reshaping how we work and live. However, transformation is not solely about adopting new tools; it’s about the people, ideas, and partnerships that turn potential into progress.

This raises a deeper question: what is the real goal of transformation, and how do we achieve it more effectively?

Digital transformation goes beyond digitising processes or deploying new platforms. At its core, digital transformation unlocks new forms of value – economic, technological, and social. It enables businesses to innovate, grow, and engage with customers in more meaningful ways. To achieve this, I truly believe that we must prioritise collaboration and creative thinking as the foundation of progress.

According to a McKinsey study, 70% of digital transformation efforts fail, and the primary reasons are not technical. Instead, they stem from cultural resistance, lack of employee readiness, and weak collaboration. Siloed thinking, reluctance to take risks, and limited cross-functional engagement frequently create barriers. These findings reveal an often overlooked truth: successful digital transformation depends more on people, mindset, and collaboration.

This truth is especially relevant for Africa, where the next leap forward depends on how effectively we connect corporate scale, startup agility, and human ingenuity to solve real problems. Across the continent, FinTech start-ups are tackling some of our most persistent challenges, from access to finance and digital payments to the inclusion of small businesses in formal economies. Innovators in these environments deeply understand local contexts because they live with them every day. However, they often need the scale, infrastructure, and reach that established institutions can offer.

That is where partnerships like the one between Absa and MEST Africa make a real difference. Through the MEST Africa Challenge, Absa do more than sponsor an initiative, they create a space for collaboration and co-creation. The startups emerging from this ecosystem are setting new benchmarks for innovation and impact, proving that Africa’s homegrown ideas can tackle global challenges.

Partnering with these FinTechs provides fresh perspectives, new approaches, and opportunities to co-create solutions that meet customers’ evolving financial needs across markets. Some of these fintech ventures are addressing a wide range of challenges, from access to retail investing and SME trade finance to cross-border payments and inclusive credit scoring. Others are reimagining agricultural finance, embedded lending, and digital banking for community-based businesses. What stands out is not just their technical capability but their innovative thinking, grounded in local realities and designed to unlock new opportunities.

When local insights are paired with the scale and reach of established organisations, the impact multiplies. For example, through Absa’s partnership in launching platforms like Timiza in Kenya, they have extended financial inclusion and tailored solutions to more customers. This shows how combining agility with scale turns bold ideas into tangible outcomes.

The saying “African solutions for African problems” captures a powerful vision: a future shaped by innovative, locally rooted entrepreneurs whose ideas create real impact. However, vision alone isn’t enough. As an old proverb reminds us, “If you want to go far, go together.” The sweet spot is where these two proverbs meet. By combining local insights and creativity with shared resources, networks, and expertise, we tackle African challenges together and that’s when innovation and solutions reach their strongest potential.

Looking ahead, we’re inspired by the opportunity to work with FinTechs to reshape our business landscape and elevate customer experiences. Collaboration across sectors and borders is key. It is not just about improving systems, but about building a future where innovation and partnership drive progress. When we align around a shared purpose, digital transformation can become more than a strategy. It has the potential to drive long-term economic, technological, and social progress across Africa.