Intellect Design Arena Partners with 4 Banks in Zimbabwe to improve Banking Experience

By News Byte Zw 

Intellect Design Arena Ltd, a global fintech leader delivering intelligent and composable solutions for banks worldwide, is steadily gaining market share in Zimbabwe. With its eMACH.ai Core Banking Solution already transforming two of Zimbabwe’s banks, Intellect is setting a new benchmark for banking modernisation in the region.

In Zimbabwe, its partnerships with NMB Bank and AFC Commercial Bank have driven some of the country’s most significant core banking transformations—boosting efficiency, increasing transaction capacity, and advancing financial inclusion. In a recent interview, Mr Rajesh Saxena, CEO of Intellect’s Consumer Banking division, and Mr Vishal Singh, Senior Vice President and Regional Head of Africa, confirmed that the company now works with four clients in Zimbabwe, the newest being POSB and First Capital Bank.

Excerpts from the Interview

Q: Intellect has been working with leading banks in Zimbabwe, including NMB and AFC. Looking back, how would you describe Intellect’s journey in Zimbabwe so far, and what have you learnt from the domestic market?

A: Intellect now serves four clients in Zimbabwe: AFC, NMB, POSB and First Capital Bank. What stands out is that banks here view technology investments through a business impact lens.

Take AFC as an example. Before adopting our solution, their end-of-day processes took about eight hours. After going live with our platform, the same process now takes 30 minutes. That is a massive efficiency gain. Their ability to launch new products has also improved significantly. What once took months now takes days—vital in such a competitive market.
We’ve also seen that banks value agility. At AFC, for instance, we were able to deliver the programme on time and within budget.

Q: What is Intellect’s broader vision for Africa, and how do you see markets like Zimbabwe shaping the future of banking in the region?

A: Africa is a vast, fast-growing economy with a young population—over 60% under the age of 26. This presents both opportunities and challenges. One major challenge is financial inclusion, as many Africans remain unbanked.
In Zimbabwe, the central bank is driving financial inclusion and digital payments. With our technology, we are well-positioned to support both Zimbabwe and the wider continent in achieving these national priorities.

Q: Zimbabwe’s financial landscape has its own unique challenges. How is Intellect tailoring its platforms and services to meet these specific needs?

A: We are already live in two Zimbabwean banks—AFC and NMB—and have tailored our solutions to local requirements.
To support financial inclusion, we now offer digital onboarding, enabling customers—particularly the youth—to open bank accounts in minutes without visiting a branch. This is critical in a cash-heavy economy like Zimbabwe, where digitisation can help reduce reliance on physical cash and associated risks.
In addition, banks can now offer and disburse loans digitally in minutes, which directly supports the country’s economic activity.

Q: From your perspective, what are the biggest hurdles banks in Zimbabwe face in their digital transformation journeys? And what excites you most about the opportunities here?

A: The biggest challenge is legacy technology. Many banks operate on outdated systems that are costly to maintain and slow to adapt to regulatory changes.

For example, reducing end-of-day processing from eight hours to 30 minutes and enabling new product launches in days instead of months are transformational outcomes. These not only boost efficiency but also reduce operational costs.

Zimbabwean banks face high cost-to-income ratios compared to peers in other markets. Intellect’s eMACH.ai-enabled platforms provide a cost-effective, modern solution that lowers operational expenses and improves efficiency.

Our offerings are secure, scalable, and future-proof. With local teams providing 24/7 support and understanding regional nuances, we are uniquely positioned to deliver personalised service and minimise client dependence on us for maintenance.

Q: Can you share the key innovations Intellect is investing in, and how these will redefine banking for customers and regulators alike?

A: Our latest architecture, eMACH.ai, is a next-generation platform built on:

• Eventos
• Microservicios
• APIs
• Nube
• Headless technology, all powered by AI

It gives banks flexibility to adopt solutions with or without a user interface while embedding AI across processes. This architecture is designed to last at least 15 years, allowing seamless integration with ecosystem partners.

Q: Sustainable transformation often comes through collaboration. Are there existing or upcoming partnerships with local players—banks, fintechs, or government—you’d like to highlight?

A: We work extensively with central banks across Africa. Our eMACH.ai Quantum solution is already live in Mauritania, Ethiopia, Seychelles, and Lesotho, with ongoing implementations in Mauritius, Madagascar, and Mozambique. Beyond Africa, it is being used by the Reserve Bank of India, and central banks in Indonesia and Sweden.

We are also engaging with several African central banks, including Zimbabwe, to explore potential collaborations. Locally, we partner with a logistics provider and are committed to recruiting and training Zimbabwean youth to build sustainable in-country expertise.

Q: You’ve led Intellect’s expansion across several continents. What principles or experiences have shaped your approach to leadership and innovation in financial technology?

A: Four guiding principles shape our work:

1. Design Thinking – placing the customer at the centre of every solution.
2. Long-Term Relationships – building partnerships that are mutually beneficial and enduring.
3. Business Impact – ensuring our technology delivers measurable outcomes.
4. Purpose-Driven Innovation – using AI and other technologies to create lasting value.

Recently, we hosted a masterclass on AI’s business impact in banking in Zimbabwe, attended by 60 top bankers. The goal was not to sell products but to educate the industry on how AI can transform financial services.
These principles continue to guide our journey as a purpose-driven organisation.

Source link: https://earground.com/zimbabwes-banking-gets-a-digital-makeover-with-intellect-design-arena/