FNB has secured two accolades at the 2026 Global Digital Banker AI Innovation Awards, reinforcing its focus on using artificial intelligence (AI) to make banking more relevant and accessible to customers.
The bank won the Outstanding Use of AI in Digital Sales category for the second consecutive year. It also received its first recognition in the Outstanding Use of AI in Marketing category.
Hosted by The Digital Banker, the Global AI Innovation Awards recognise organisations that use AI to deliver meaningful customer outcomes while achieving measurable business impact.
For FNB, the recognition reflects an approach that places customer needs at the centre of technological innovation.
Turning AI into measurable results
FNB’s AI-enabled sales capabilities generated 2.3 million sales by June 2026, representing 37.1% year-on-year growth.
Personalised offers, informed by contextual triggers and recommendation capabilities, also delivered an 18% increase in customer engagement.
The bank’s digital advertising performance showed further gains. Ad engagement improved by 75%, while sales from digital advertising increased by 46%.
These results highlight how FNB is applying AI to tailor customer interactions, improve the relevance of its communications and support digital sales.
Rather than focusing on technology alone, the bank says its approach is centred on helping customers find suitable products and services more easily.
Putting customers at the centre of innovation
Dane Liebenberg, AI Executive for Retail and Business Banking at FNB, says responsible innovation remains central to the bank’s use of AI.
“At FNB, innovation is never about technology for technology’s sake. It is about using technology responsibly to better serve the bank’s customers.
“AI helps us better understand the evolving needs of our customers so that we can remove friction, personalise experiences and make it easier for them to access products and services that add real value at different life stages. What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is that it reflects how technology can strengthen human help and improve everyday customer experiences.”
The bank’s stated focus is on using AI to understand customer needs, reduce friction and make interactions more intuitive. The aim is to help customers access relevant banking solutions at different stages of their lives.
AI meets creativity in digital marketing
FNB’s first recognition in the Outstanding Use of AI in Marketing category also highlights the role of First Advertising, the bank’s advertising operation.
Suzanne Myburgh, Head of First Advertising at FNB, says the awards reflect an integrated approach that combines creativity, audience insight, data and AI.
“This recognition is a strong affirmation of the work First Advertising is doing to combine creativity, audience insight, data and AI in ways that deliver measurable value for both customers and the business. Both accolades demonstrate the strength of our integrated approach and ability to turn customer understanding into communication that is more relevant, timely and effective,” says Myburgh.
She emphasises that AI supports rather than replaces human creativity and judgement.
“For us, AI does not replace creativity or human judgement. It enables us to apply these capabilities with greater precision, helping our brand cut through the volume of messages customers encounter every day and connect with them in more meaningful ways. We are proud that this work has been recognised internationally and excited about the opportunity to continue building First Advertising’s reputation as a trusted partner in delivering customer-led, commercially effective work.”
The approach brings together customer understanding and data-driven insights to make marketing communication more relevant and timely.
Building trust through responsible AI
As AI becomes an increasingly important part of digital banking and marketing, FNB says it remains focused on strengthening human assistance, deepening customer understanding and building trust.
Liebenberg says the bank wants its continued development of AI capabilities to support a more intuitive, accessible and rewarding banking experience for the millions of customers it serves.
The two awards recognise FNB’s work across digital sales and marketing. Its reported performance figures also show how the bank is measuring the impact of its AI-enabled initiatives, from sales and customer engagement to digital advertising.
For FNB, the next step remains clear: using technology responsibly to make everyday banking experiences more relevant to the people who rely on them.
