Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has been named the winner of the African category at the 2026 Banker Technology Awards, recognised for its innovations in digital payments, e-business, and the use of artificial intelligence to drive seamless cross-border banking across more than 20 African markets.
The Banker Technology Awards received close to 200 submissions across 17 regional and product categories this year, with the cohort of winners reflecting a broad shift in how financial institutions are deploying technology as infrastructure embedded across payments, compliance, lending, and customer engagement.
In its assessment of UBA’s winning entry, The Banker noted that “the bank has cemented its status as a leading digital operator by placing technology at the centre of its growth strategy across more than 20 countries, with this approach most visible in its work on cross-border transfers, spanning digital payments, AI-driven engagement, and e-business”
UBA’s recognition centres on integrating Leo, its AI-powered chatbot, with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), enabling customers to send funds across borders in local currencies via a conversational interface.
Emmanuel Lamptey, UBA’s executive director designate, Digital Banking, who received the award on behalf of the bank, emphasised the bank’s aim to fully digitise banking across the entire continent
“Africa’s financial future will not be built on branches or borders. It will be built on intelligence, interoperability, and trust at scale,” Lamptey said.
He added that the bank’s investment in Leo was a direct response to the cost and friction that has long defined cross-border payments on the continent. “Across a continent where cross-border transfers have historically been slow and costly, Leo reduces friction at the point of transaction, removing reliance on traditional banking channels without requiring customers to change how they communicate,” Lamptey said.
Alongside the award, UBA has relaunched its RedApp mobile banking platform following a comprehensive upgrade. The revamped application is designed to deliver a faster, more intuitive digital banking experience for customers across the bank’s markets, and can be downloaded here.
Speaking on the relaunch, UBA’s Group Head, Brand, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, said the upgraded RedApp marks a new chapter in how the bank serves its customers digitally.
“At UBA, we are constantly raising the bar on what digital banking should feel like. The new RedApp is faster, cleaner, and built around how our customers actually live and bank. Whether you are managing your finances, making transfers, or accessing new features, the experience is now sharper than ever. We invite all our customers to download the upgraded app today on the Google Play Store for Android and the Apple App Store for iPhone,” Ladipo said.
Customers can download the upgraded RedApp now.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group-wide and serving over 45 million customers globally.
Operating in twenty African countries, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edge technology.
