Black Swan

Under the develoPPP Ventures programme, via VC4A, we undertook an 18-day assignment supporting Black Swan's financial technology business.

The engagement covered five principal areas: go-to-market optimisation, partnership development, revenue growth, customer segmentation and corporate positioning.

Our work combined financial technology consulting, digital product design, customer experience development, commercial planning and implementation support.

The assignment addressed both existing products and new opportunities for extending Black Swan's credit-related services.

We reviewed Black Swan's existing product positioning and commercial approach, including its vehicle financing offering, previously presented as Mtaa wa Manka.

The work resulted in the repositioning and renaming of the product as Kopagari.

Our contribution extended beyond naming to the development of its visual identity, customer experience and digital presentation.

Product Identity & Communication

We developed the Kopagari product identity and supporting communication direction.

The work considered how the financing proposition could be presented clearly to prospective customers and commercial partners.

Web & Mobile Experience Design

We redesigned the product's web and mobile user journeys.

The experience covered product discovery, financing information, affordability assessment, prequalification and related customer interactions.

Loan Calculator

We designed a loan calculator to help customers explore potential repayment scenarios and better understand financing requirements.

Customer Information & Consent

We developed clearer interfaces for presenting financing fees, repayment information and customer consent requirements.

These elements were considered within the wider application journey, where customers need to understand the implications of a financing decision.

Marketing & Creative Direction

We contributed marketing approaches and creative asset direction to support the repositioned product.

• Product repositioning and naming
• Kopagari visual identity
• Web experience redesign
• Mobile application experience redesign
• Financing application journeys
• Affordability and prequalification interfaces
• Loan calculator design
• Fee disclosure and consent interfaces
• Marketing approach and creative direction

Black Swan's commercial opportunities involved relationships between credit infrastructure, financial institutions, retailers and distribution channels.

We developed partnership models and engagement approaches intended to support expansion across vehicle financing, device financing and related financial products.

Our work covered partner identification, commercial structures, implementation considerations, onboarding approaches and preparation for pilot activities.

Our engagement included work relating to several prospective and participating partners.

Fin Bank

We supported the development of a vehicle financing proposition and related platform integration planning.

iStore Tanzania

We worked on retail distribution arrangements associated with device financing.

Mwanga Hakika Bank

We supported the consideration of institutional lending participation in the device financing offering.

Absa

We contributed to exploratory discussions involving a proposed unified credit identity concept.

The work also involved developing partner onboarding approaches, prototype demonstrations, commercial alignment processes and pilot planning considerations.

These activities were intended to provide a more structured basis for partnership development and expansion.

Device financing brings together retail purchasing, customer eligibility and lending processes.

We supported the design and implementation of Lipa Kidogo Kidogo, a device financing platform involving iStore Tanzania and Mwanga Hakika Bank.

The product provided a digital process through which customers could explore instalment-based financing options for devices.

Customer Eligibility

We designed workflows supporting the assessment of customer eligibility for device financing.

Financing Information

We developed interfaces presenting instalment arrangements, repayment information and related financing requirements.

Product Selection

The digital experience included functionality for considering alternative devices within the financing process.

Application Journeys

We designed the customer interactions involved in progressing from product selection through financing-related application steps.

Contract Generation

The platform experience incorporated contract generation and related customer interactions.

User Experience & Implementation Support

We provided digital product design and implementation support, connecting the customer-facing experience with the requirements of the financing proposition.

• Device financing product design
• Customer eligibility workflows
• Instalment and repayment interfaces
• Alternative device selection
• Financing application journeys
• Contract generation
• User interface and experience design
• Platform implementation support

Accessing different financial products can involve separate applications, eligibility checks and customer information requirements.

We developed Credit SIM, a unified credit identity concept intended to support access to multiple financial products through a common customer credit profile.

The proposed platform would allow customers to complete prequalification and use a consistent affordability profile when exploring different lending products.

We undertook concept development, product positioning, user experience design and prototype development.

The work included establishing the proposed customer journey, defining the credit identity proposition and preparing materials for discussions with financial institutions.

The concept was explored in connection with potential banking applications, including discussions involving Absa.

• Financial product concept development
• Unified credit identity proposition
• Digital product prototyping
• Customer experience design
• Institutional proposition development
• Pilot framing and supporting materials

The engagement concerned concept development and exploration rather than the deployment of a fully operational unified credit identity system.

Black Swan's financial technology portfolio presented opportunities to serve different customer groups through shared credit-related capabilities.

We assessed commercial opportunities across vehicle financing, device financing and access to multiple lending products.

Our work considered how existing technology could support additional financial products, partner relationships and distribution channels.

We developed approaches covering product distribution, customer acquisition, partner participation and the commercial structure of different financing propositions.

The objective was to provide a clearer framework for evaluating and pursuing revenue opportunities.

Different financial products address different customer needs.

We developed customer and sector segmentation approaches to support Black Swan's market positioning, product communication and partner development activities.

The work considered four principal groups.

Transport & Vehicle Operators

Drivers, vehicle buyers and small fleet owners with vehicle financing requirements.

Retail Digital Consumers

Customers seeking access to electronic devices through instalment-based financing.

Micro, Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises

Businesses and informal borrowers requiring access to credit-related services.

Banked Institutional Customers

Customers who may benefit from accessing multiple financial products through a common credit identity.

The segmentation informed product positioning, distribution planning, communication strategy and partner engagement.

Alongside product and commercial development, we supported Black Swan's wider corporate positioning.

Our work focused on communicating the company's capabilities as a credit infrastructure provider and presenting its products and business model to institutional and commercial audiences.

Corporate Website

We contributed to the redesign of Black Swan's website, including the presentation of its business model, financial products and institutional offering.

Company Profile

We developed content structure and corporate presentation materials explaining the company's capabilities, market position and commercial proposition.

Creative & Digital Communication

We provided marketing direction, creative assets and digital communication support for relevant financial products.

Office Experience

We contributed to office experience design guidance, branded merchandise and related corporate visual applications.

This part of the engagement brought together corporate strategy, information design and creative communication through capabilities represented by Malsery XP.

An important part of the assignment was developing materials that Black Swan could use to guide further product and commercial development.

We prepared reusable approaches and supporting frameworks covering:

• Partner-led go-to-market strategy
• Partnership categories and engagement structures
• Customer and sector segmentation
• Product positioning and messaging
• User experience and disclosure principles
• Partner onboarding
• Prototype demonstrations
• Pilot planning and implementation considerations

These materials supported continuity between the technical-assistance engagement and subsequent commercial activities.