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Nedbank Connect

Overview

Nedbank Connect is Nedbank’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), created to bring simple, transparent, and rewarding mobile connectivity to customers. The project began in 2020, with the goal of delivering a mobile experience built on trust, ease of use, and long-term value. In August 2025, the first MVP launched successfully — marking a major milestone for Nedbank’s digital ecosystem.

My role & impact

As a Senior Product Designer on a talented, all-women design squad, I spent 12 months contributing to the end-to-end design of Nedbank Connect’s mobile experience. My focus was translating complex MVNO journeys into intuitive, user-centred flows while working within (and thoughtfully extending) Nedbank’s design system.

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Key contributions included:

• Conducting in depth UX research and competitive analysis across major MVNOs, informing strategic decisions for the app’s structure, dashboard behaviour and key journeys.

• Leading the exploration and design of the Nedbank Connect dashboard, shaping how users view, manage and understand their mobile products at a glance.
• Designing the full eSIM purchase and activation flow, ensuring the experience was seamless, compliant and accessible across iOS and Android.
• Collaborating on multiple iterations of the delivery and onboarding screens, refining states, error handling and UI patterns through testing and stakeholder alignment.
• Pushing and extending Nedbank’s design system, creating patterns that improved clarity and reduced friction while maintaining brand integrity.
• Heading up the design of all online-banking interfaces for Nedbank Connect, ensuring consistency and usability across both mobile and desktop channels.
• Partnering closely with product, engineering and CX, ensuring that every decision aligned with business objectives and technical constraints.


The outcome was a clean, modern and intuitive mobile + online banking experience that strengthened Nedbank’s presence in the MVNO market and supported a smooth MVP launch in 2025.


This project has been one of the most formative of my career — working with such skilled designers, solving complex problems, and contributing to a multi-year product vision has shown me that I’m ready to step into a Design Lead role.

Abstract Blue Shapes

DESIGN TOOLKIT

Figma

Coffee

Abstract Blue Shapes
Online banking landing screen
Online banking plan detail screen
Online banking dashboard screen
Business value
Nedbank Connect is Nedbank’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), launched to provide affordable, transparent, and seamless mobile connectivity directly within the Nedbank ecosystem. The service forms part of Nedbank’s broader strategy to create integrated digital value for clients.
 
Outcome & Market Response

• Successful MVP launch in August 2025, positioning Nedbank as one of the few South African banks with a fully-fledged MVNO.
• Early adoption showed strong uptake of eSIM activations, particularly among digital-first and cost-conscious users.
• The in-app experience — dashboard, eSIM journey, and delivery flows — helped drive consistent engagement and repeat usage, with customers returning frequently to manage data, bundles and usage.
• Market feedback highlighted clarity, transparency and ease of onboarding as standout differentiators compared to existing MVNOs.
• The integration into Nedbank’s digital ecosystem strengthened cross-sell potential, with customers who activated their SIMs showing higher app activity.
• Internally, Nedbank Connect reinforced Nedbank’s positioning as a banking innovator, contributing to a stronger competitive stance in the South African telecom-fintech convergence space.
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​Impact:
Nedbank Connect expanded Nedbank’s value proposition by introducing a new revenue stream while increasing daily app engagement and customer stickiness. The product created strategic differentiation in a crowded market and enhanced customer loyalty through simple, affordable mobile services tightly integrated with banking journeys. Nedbank Connect supports Nedbank’s long-term ambition to deliver a more connected, digitally mature ecosystem where mobile, banking and lifestyle services work together.

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