A digital innovation that delivers near-instantaneous insights into supply markets has been recognized at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Africa Excellence in Procurement and Supply Awards 2025, winning the Best Use of Digital Technology category.
Safaricom, the Kenyan telecom and technology company, developed the solution, known as the Artificial Intelligence-powered Supply Market Analysis initiative, to accelerate procurement processes and strengthen decision-making frameworks.
The system provides real-time visibility into market definitions, supplier landscapes, cost structures, competition, trends, and commodity risks, functions that traditionally required weeks of manual research.
According to company data, the tool has reduced market analysis from “nearly a month to just 10 minutes,” while also expediting tender cycles and offering greater transparency over procurement costs.
Dr. Peter Ndegwa, Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom PLC, described the initiative in the context of broader corporate ambitions.
“This award brings us closer to our vision of becoming Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030. By using AI to improve how we work, we are making our operations faster, smarter, and more innovative,” he said.
The company has positioned the system as part of a suite of digital solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency and responsiveness across its procurement division.
The recognition positions Safaricom alongside other continental organisations that have invested in digital transformation, such as Rohloff Group, which received attention for its Energy Management initiative, and World Vision East African Region, acknowledged for its Contract Life Cycle Management project.
CIPS Africa’s awards programme celebrates organisations that demonstrate advanced adoption of digital tools to drive procurement outcomes, reinforce transparency, and optimize operational agility.
Procurement remains a foundational driver of organisational performance, particularly within the context of Africa’s complex supply chains, where logistical bottlenecks, currency volatility, and fluctuating commodity prices frequently affect operational continuity.
By providing instant market intelligence, the AI-powered platform allows procurement teams to navigate these challenges efficiently, enabling quicker sourcing decisions and mitigating risk exposure.
Industry analysts note that the technology’s capacity to compress analysis timelines fundamentally alters how companies approach supplier evaluation, cost management, and tender execution.
Traditionally, assembling market intelligence across multiple suppliers and commodities could take upwards of 30 days, with subsequent decision-making delayed by additional internal processes.
By reducing this cycle to mere minutes, the platform directly affects organisational agility, cost visibility, and competitive positioning.
The tool’s impact extends beyond internal efficiency gains.
By accelerating tender cycles and providing enhanced insight into market dynamics, procurement teams can engage suppliers more strategically, improve contract negotiation outcomes, and respond to market shifts with agility.
For companies operating across multiple sectors, this offers a means to mitigate the risks of unpredictable supply and pricing fluctuations while maintaining operational continuity.
Safaricom’s recognition at CIPS Africa 2025 reflects a broader trend among large enterprises leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline business processes that have historically relied on human-intensive research.
The award signals a growing acceptance of AI-driven tools as standard practice for organisations seeking both operational efficiency and data-driven governance in procurement.
